If you’re planning a trip to Holland, you might find yourself wondering about the tipping practices. In the Netherlands, like most European countries, tipping is not an expected custom. There is, however, a tipping etiquette that should be considered for different situations and settings. Below, we discuss common tipping practices in the Netherlands, where and how much should you tip as well as when you should avoid tipping all-together.
Tipping at Restaurants
In Holland, you are only required to tip for exceptional or average restaurant service. Hospitality staff in the Netherlands are typically paid more than in North America or other parts of the world and servers do not rely on tips. If you want to tip for great service, feel free to tip anywhere from 5% and 10% of the bill but be sure to check your bill first, there might already be a service fee included.
Tipping at Hotels
You are not required to tip hotels in the Netherlands. You may decide to do so if you are expecting to stay for an extended period of if you felt that the service you received was exceptional. Keep in mind, there is often an additional service fee added to your hotel bill, so be sure to tip at your own discretion. You may decide to tip your hotel porter, usually they are tipped around one to two Euro’s per bag, which you can pay in cash directly when thanking them.
Tipping in Bars
Tipping extra in bars or even small café’s is quite rare, however, it is recommended to leave small change or even round up your bill. This can be done by leaving a small amount of change at your table or rounding up the final bill amount when paying by card.
Tipping Taxi Drivers
It is not common practice in Holland to tip taxi drivers or for transportation services. Only tip if you feel that the driver went above and beyond, providing exceptional service. If you do plan on tipping your taxi driver, leaving behind one or two Euro’s or rounding up your bill will suffice.
Tipping Tour Guides
In Holland, you are not required to tip your tour guides for their services. You may, however decide to tip if you feel that they provided valuable information and outstanding service.
Tipping at Shops and Boutiques
It is absolutely not required to tip in shops or small boutiques within the Netherlands, even if exceptional customer service has been provided.
Tipping practices in Holland are generally based on whether above-average customer service has been provided. Each situation may differ, but typically it is encouraged to tip for service that went above expectations.
