However, not everywhere is the same and it can get a little confusing for tourists to know what is expected of them when they go to different countries.
In Croatia, it is not obligatory to tip – but it is customary and somewhat expected.
Due to low wages in the service industry in Croatia, it is always good practice to tip your service providers.
But how much should you tip and who exactly should you tip (Also check out Do You Tip In Greece?)? We’ve answered these questions and more in this handy guide.
So, if you’re looking to visit Croatia soon – read on and learn more.
Who Do You Tip In Croatia?
Much like other countries, the workers that you should tip include those that work as tour guides, restaurant and bar staff, hotel staff, cab services door people and parking attendants – along with so many more.
Indeed, there are certain phrases you might see or hear that suggest you should be leaving a tip. These include bakšiš, napojnica, manča and trinkgeld.
Each service will have a general rule of thumb to the expected tipping amount, so we’ll look through that in this guide.
Tipping In Cafes
There are a few ways that tipping can be done in cafes in Croatia. Normally, these types of places in Croatia will only charge you at the end of your experience, so you can either:
Tell the server to keep the change (for example, paying 80 Kuna for a 71 Kuna bill)
Placing a cash tip in a jar (if one exists). These are usually seen near the cash register
Leaving a cash tip for your server at the end of your experience
Leaving a five percent tip anyway
It’s worth noting though that if you are in a cafe that serves alcohol, especially cocktails, it is always good manners to tip more.
This is because it takes a lot more time and effort to make these drinks for the staff, so consider this when leaving your tip.
However, if you’re only having a coffee and a small snack, it’s easier to just round the bill up or leave a five percent tip.
Tipping In Restaurants
Restaurants are a little more tricky when it comes to tipping. This is because it is quite common for the tip amount to already be included in the bill, often itemized as a gratuity charge.
Always check this on your bill before you decide to tip – but if you’ve had a particularly good service, then of course you may decide to tip more than the rate included.
If you are not sure if gratuity is included in your bill, then it’s okay to ask the servers about this.
However, it might help you to know that if you see the phrase “napojnica uračunata u cijenu” – then gratuity is included.
It’s also worth noting that you will only receive your bill if you ask for it in a Croatian restaurant.
The word for bill in Croatian is račun (pronounced rah-choon).
When it comes to how you should tip if gratuity is not included, then you should try to pay with cash.
Tipping using a credit card is not common in Croatia – and there’s a couple of reasons why you should avoid this.
First, the majority of restaurants will not be equipped to add additional charges to your bill for tipping purposes, so you may find yourself in a bit of an awkward situation which can result in the polar opposite of what you were intending.
Second, using credit cards to increase your own charge will likely not end up in the pocket of the serving staff. So, try to keep tips to cash.
You can either allow the server to keep the change if you are paying in cash, place a tip on the table before you leave (around ten to fifteen percent), or hand it to your server directly.
If you are going to leave a tip on the table, be sure that your server picks it up before you leave!
Tipping Hotel Staff
Hotels in Croatia do not normally expect tips to be given. However, if you have received exceptional service or you are at a very high class establishment, then giving twenty Kruna to a staff member like a maid is acceptable.
Tipping Tour Guides
Tipping tour guides is usually expected, but the amount you tip will depend on what level of tour guide service you have experienced.
For example, if you attend a basic tour for a day – then a tip of about fifty Kruna is fine for a family of four maximum.
However, you would tip more if there’s more of you than this.
Additionally, you would tip more if your tour is a premium tour or particularly a long experience.
For example, Croatia offers the Game Of Thrones tour where they take you to areas where the show was filmed.
If you attend this (and it’s highly recommended!) then you should tip about one hundred Kruna.
Tipping Cab Services
Most cabs in Croatia are on a meter – so you would not be expected to tip a cab driver.
However, many cabbies will be extremely friendly and make your journey very pleasant. They may even give you some advice or an overview of the area.
If they do this, then you may decide to round up the bill or give a little extra directly to your cabbie.
Tipping Cruise Staff
It’s usually expected to tip cruise staff. A tip of around thirty percent is a good rule of thumb, but the experience will dictate this!
The Bottom Line
Yes you should tip in Croatia, although it is not obligatory. Just be sure you’re not overpaying for some services and always check if gratuity is included in any bill.
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