When Do You Tip In Paris? A Paris Tipping Guide

Tipping customs can vary hugely from one country to another and trying to understand these can be one of the most confusing aspects of traveling. Luckily, tipping etiquette in France isn’t too complicated, but there are a few things you need to know. My guide to tipping in Paris is going to set everything straight, and hopefully also save you a lot of money that you don’t HAVE to spend. Make sure you make it to the end of this article for one tipping situation that you DEFINITELY won’t have even considered up until now…

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This is an image of a waiter picking up a plate of tips from a table.

Tipping in Paris cafes and restaurants

Tipping isn’t required in restaurants and cafés in Paris. You’ll certainly be eating out while you’re in Paris, so knowing how to tip in Paris restaurants is super important. There’s a 15% service charge included in the cost of your food and drinks at all restaurants. Waiters in France earn a living wage with paid holidays and healthcare benefits, so they don’t live off their tips like in some other countries, and therefore it’s not expected to receive tips.

However, some sneaky waiters, mostly in touristy areas, might try to tell you that a tip isn’t included. Technically they’re right. A service fee is included, a tip is not… but you don’t have to tip unless you want and a lot of French people don’t leave anything. If you have good service, you can leave a small tip, and by small I mean no more than 5% of your bill. So if you just order a drink, you could leave 20–50 cents, and for a meal at a simple café or restaurant leave €1–2. If you’re dining in a super chic restaurant, you might want to leave a bit more, perhaps €5–10 per person depending on your total bill. But again– if you don’t, you won’t upset or stiff anyone.

If you do tip, waiters prefer cash, but if you don’t have any, you can ask them to add a certain amount to the bill before they punch the total into the card machine. For example, if your bill is €28, you can ask the waiter to put in €30. Some new card machines give you the option of adding a euro or two. Again, only do this if you have great service.

This is an image of a bird's eye view of a club with strobe lights and more.

Tipping in Paris bars or nightclubs

Tipping in Paris bars and nightclubs is even less common than in cafés and restaurants – especially if you’re ordering at the bar. So you don’t have to feel like you have to tip at all. If you’re in a nice cocktail bar or have table service, you can leave a little, but it isn’t required, and not offensive to leave nothing.

This is an image of a Parisien taxi line up at an airport with all their lights set to green.

Tipping Paris taxi drivers (and rideshare drivers, like Uber)

If you take a taxi in Paris, you usually just round up your total to the nearest euro for a tip. So if your ride is €9.50, you could give €10. If you’re paying by card, similar to in restaurants, just ask the driver to punch in a different amount to include a small tip. If you’re using Uber, Bolt, or another rideshare app, you can add a tip through the app after your ride finishes if you have a very good driver. If you take a private car service, such as a pre-booked airport transfer, you might want to tip your driver €5–10 in cash, especially if they’ve helped you with your luggage.

This is an image of a hotel front with little balconies full of flowers and a big 'hotel' sign.

Tipping in Paris hotels

There are only a few situations when you might like to leave a tip at your hotel. If a staff member helps you with your luggage, you could give them a euro or two and the same goes for a doorman who hails you a taxi. If your concierge has booked restaurant reservations or other services for you, you could tip them €5–10, depending on how many reservations they’ve made for you. But to be clear– if you don’t tip, that’s completely fine.

This is an image of a tour guide pointing up to something in the distance. The tour group is following her finger.

Tipping Paris tour guides or class instructors

Like in the other situations mentioned above, if you’re taking a tour, cooking class, or other activity, tipping isn’t obligatory, but appreciated. You might want to read over your confirmation details to see if any recommendations are included, but around 10% of the cost of the experience per person is a good guideline. The one exception to this is “free tours”. These aren’t actually “free” because you’re expected to tip the guides at the end of the tour. We’re not big fans of these tours because of how they function (everyone should earn a fair wage), so we tend not to recommend them. If you’re looking for great tours to take in Paris, we’ve got a bunch of articles on our favourite Paris tours, and for all budgets, so go explore those next.

This is an image of an usher in a theatre waiting to greet customers.

Tipping theater ushers in Paris

Okay, so there’s one odd exception to most of the rules on tipping in Paris and that’s at the theater. If you go to see a play or some kind of performance at a private theater, such as the Théâtre Mogador or Théâtre Le Ranelagh, it’s customary to tip the usher a euro, as these ushers aren’t paid a wage and work for tips. However, if you go to the Opera Garnier or another big national theater, this isn’t required because the usher is paid a proper wage.

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