The beautiful city of Amsterdam just begs to be explored. It’s one of those places that you’ll frequently hear people say, ‘I think I could live here’ about. There’s something about it’s friendly cafés and pretty canals that feels both new and comforting.
If you’re planning your first trip to Amsterdam, you’ll probably be wondering about tipping in Amsterdam.
Is tipping expected? Should I tip? How much should I tip?
To respect another country’s culture and norms, it’s important to get tipping right.
That’s why I’m here to guide you through everything you need to know about tipping in Amsterdam. I’ve visited this effortlessly cool city multiple times and can answer any tipping questions you might have, so you can focus on enjoying your trip!
Tipping In Amsterdam
Every country differs slightly when it comes to tipping, in terms of when to tip and how much is appropriate. In this blog post, I’ll cover the following areas:
- Is it customary to tip in Amsterdam?
- Should you tip in Amsterdam?
- Amsterdam tipping etiquette i.e. how to tip in Amsterdam
- Tipping in Amsterdam Restaurants
- Should you tip in bars in Amsterdam?
- Tipping at cafes in Amsterdam
- Tipping Taxi Drivers in Amsterdam
- Should you tip tour guides in Amsterdam?
- FAQs about tipping in Amsterdam
Is it Customary to Tip in Amsterdam?
Tipping culture in Amsterdam is very different to other countries, such as the USA. Tips are not automatically expected in Amsterdam, as they might be in, say, New York City.
In Amsterdam, providing good service is considered to be an integral part of the job. The country is proud of its fair wages that properly compensate employees for their time and work. As a result, employees are able to live off wages without tips and customers are not expected to subsidise their income.
That being said, tips are not considered to be ‘rude’ as they are in some other countries. If you’ve had excellent service, a tip will certainly be welcome, but it is never ‘expected’ or a necessity.
Should You Tip in Amsterdam?
As tipping is not considered an absolute necessity in Amsterdam, it’s up to you whether you choose to tip.
I would recommend tipping around 10% if you’ve had great service – this will be more than enough! If you’ve found service lacklustre, then you shouldn’t feel obliged to leave a tip.
There are certain industries where it is more common to tip than others. I have gone into detail on these later on in this post.
How Much Should You Tip in Amsterdam?
Not only is there a difference in culture around tipping in Amsterdam, you’ll also notice a difference in the amount that people tip.
Whilst in the US, 20-25% tip is customary, in Amsterdam this would be considered a huge tip.
If you do choose to tip for a service in Amsterdam, aim for closer to 10% of the total price. This is considered a normal and respectable amount.
Best Things to Do in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Tipping Etiquette: How to Tip in Amsterdam
As I’ve already mentioned, you shouldn’t feel any need to tip when in Amsterdam. If you choose, to however, you can do so just as you would in the US or UK.
If there’s a tip jar, you can simply add a few euros to the jar when you’re paying at a cafe.
Or when you get the bill at a restaurant, add up to 10% of the total cost of the bill to say thank you for excellent service. Increasingly, you can leave a tip by card in Amsterdam but it’s always good to have some cash with you just in case.
Should You Tip in Amsterdam Restaurants?
Probably the most common question when it comes to tipping in Amsterdam is – ‘should you tip in restaurants?’.
If you’ve have a good experience in the restaurant and the staff have delivered great service, then yes, should leave a tip.
If the service has been very poor, there’s no need to leave a tip. The cost of your meal is fair payment and you don’t need to give anything additional.
How Much Should You Tip in Amsterdam Restaurants?
10% of the total price is considered a normal amount if you’ve had excellent service at restaurant in Amsterdam. There is certainly no need to tip any more than this.
Should You Tip in Amsterdam Cafes?
What about Amsterdam cafes? Should you tip there too?
Tipping in cafes is much less common than tipping in restaurants in Amsterdam.
There will often be a tip jar at the counter where you order. But tipping here is not expected and there certainly isn’t a ‘normal’ amount. If you’d like to leave a tip, you’re more than welcome to but tipping isn’t expected in cafes.
How Much Should You Tip in Amsterdam Cafes?
How much should you tip in cafes in Amsterdam? If you would like to leave something in the tip jar, a couple of Euros will be more than sufficient. Most Amsterdam locals will not tip in cafes.
Tipping in Amsterdam Bars & Pubs?
As someone from the UK, I was surprised to learn when I studied abroad in America that it’s very normal to tip when you order a drink in a bar.
Similar to the UK, tips in bars and pubs in Amsterdam are not expected. If you really want to tip your bartender, there’s nothing stopping you, but this will be considered highly unusual.
Amsterdam locals will very rarely tip in bars or pubs.
How Much Should You Tip in Amsterdam Bars & Pubs?
Similar to cafes, tipping in bars is not expected in Amsterdam. If you would like to leave a tip, a couple of Euros will be more than sufficient as a nice surprise for your bartender.
Tipping in Amsterdam Hotels
Tipping in Amsterdam hotels is never expected. Once again, wages are considered fair to the employees work in Amsterdam and so it is not necessary that their income be subsidised with tips from customers.
Like always, tipping is at your discretion. So, if you feel you’ve had exceptional, friendly service, you may leave a tip. A few Euros (around €5) is more than enough when tipping in hotels.
You may choose to tip porters that assist with your luggage, cleaning staff, or a concierge who has gone out of their way to make your trip special. Any tipping will be appreciated but is certainly not necesary.
Should You Tip Your Tour Guide in Amsterdam?
If you’ve paid for your tour up front, it is not common practice to pay tour guides in Amsterdam. Excellent service is considered a part of the overall cost of your tour and you will not be expected to pay extra for this.
Again, while you’re free to tip, if you choose, this really isn’t a necessity.
There is one exception to this rule and that is free walking tours.
There are a number of companies that run ‘free’ walking tours through Amsterdam. These work on a pay what you feel it was worth system. The tour guides on these tours only get paid what they are tipped at the end, as they do not have an hourly wage.
In this case, the fair thing to do is to provide them with a tip. These tours tend to be really excellent and well worth the money. I often use them when travelling and get lots of local knowledge that I otherwise would never have known.
I would recommend tipping at least €10 per person for a free walking tour of Amsterdam.
Should You Tip Taxi Drivers in Amsterdam?
imilarly to most services in Amsterdam, you’re not expected to tip taxi drivers. However, if you are using Uber in the Dutch capital, they do give you the choice to tip your driver if you are particularly happy with the service.
Want to find out more about getting around in Amsterdam? I’ve written a whole article about Ubers, taxis, and public transport in Amsterdam.
How Much Should You Tip Taxi Drivers in Amsterdam?
If you feel you’ve had excellent service, you could tip your taxi driver a couple of extra euros. As tipping taxis is not expected in Amsterdam, anything more than that really is not necessary.
Tipping in Amsterdam FAQs
Yes, you can use contactless card payments in Amsterdam just as you would at home – simply tap and go!
Yes, increasingly you can tip by card in Amsterdam. However, this isn’t always the case, so it’s good practice to have some cash on you just in case.
No, tipping is not expected in Amsterdam. Whilst you can tip if you like, it is not the norm to tip for everything here as it is in some other countries.
No, tipping is not considered rude in Amsterdam. Although many locals do not choose to tip, servers will still be grateful for a tip and won’t consider this behaviour strange or rude.
Conclusion About Tipping in Amsterdam
So, there you have it, everything you need to know about tipping in Amsterdam. Hopefully, you now know that tipping is absolutely not a necessity in Amsterdam, especially in places like bars, pubs, and cafes.
You can leave a tip and it will be graciously accepted but there’s no pressure to. If you do choose to leave one, this shouldn’t be any more that 10% for excellent service.
