Before visiting Romania, it’s important to understand their tipping culture. Is tipping customary in Romania or not? If so, how much should you add-on to your bills?
The answer might depend on what exactly you’re paying for. Here’s what you should know.
How Much Should You Tip in Romania?
You will not be expected to tip in Romania. However, for exceptional service, it’s become increasingly common to tip 8-10%.
Waiters and waitresses often do not get tipped, but when service is above expectations, it’s become more customary to tip in Romania than it was in the past. This might be influenced by the influx of visitors from countries with tipping cultures.
However, tipping culture in Romania depends on the type of service we were tipping for. For instance, tipping tour guides is more normalized than waiters or drivers.
Tipping Tour Guides
We tipped tour guides 10-15% in Romania.
All of our guides in Romania had such a positive impact on our experience that we felt it made sense to tip them closer to 15%. We had a fantastic experience biking around the fortified Transylvanian villages, and it wouldn’t have been so memorable without our great guide, Vlad.
It’s up to you as to how much you decide to tip your guide, but I’d advise 5-10% unless your experience did not meet expectations.
A couple of our guides were also beneficial by translating interactions with locals from Romanian to English, so tipping made more sense for that reason (it’s helpful to learn some key Romanian words before visiting).
Tipping Taxi Drivers
Firstly, use Uber or Bolt in Romania rather than non-rideshare taxis. The price listed on the app is the price you’ll pay for; you won’t have to worry about being charged extra by independent taxi drivers.
Rideshare apps are cheap in Romania, so a $1-2 USD tip at most is all that’s necessary. I was often given the option on my Uber app to tip $1, $1.50, or $2.00.
Tipping at Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars
The typical tip options at restaurants and bars were 8%, 10%, or 12%.
One thing to note is that sometimes, you need to be proactive and inform the person creating your receipt to apply your tip before they finalize your bill. We were told a couple of times that it was impossible to go back and apply our respective tip since the receipt had already been finalized. Then we felt bad…
Also, you’ll notice that service industry workers in Romania aren’t as performative as in the U.S. or Western Europe. They’re more blunt and honest (which we actually appreciated). So, if you get caught off guard by their tone, it’s probably just a culturally difference rather than a slight against you.
And don’t be afraid to raise your hand to call for your waiter or waitress. This is normal in Romania.
With this in mind, our exact tips at restaurants were generally a reflection of the food as much as the service. But the service was generally good wherever we went.
In-Summary: Tipping in Romania
Be prepared to tip 10-15% in Romania. People will appreciate it and see it as a recognition of fair service. Our two weeks in Romania included so much hospitality and friendliness that tipping felt obvious.
Keep in mind that service industry workers in Romania are known for being more direct and candid than non-Eastern European countries. With that in mind, don’t take offence to any bluntness or tip less because of it. Keep in mind that English is their second language, so communication is going to be more straightforward.
Romania is considered a cheap country to visit for most travelers, so you shouldn’t have a problem adding 10% tip to many of your expenses.
