Are you going on holiday to Hungary? Would you like to know when it’s appropriate to tip? Our guide to tipping in Hungary gives you the tips you need to get by.
Tipping is very much part of the culture in Hungary and is the norm at most places you will go to while in Hungary. In fact it’s hard to think of many places when you won’t need to leave a tip other than when buying something in a shop or when dealing with your hotel receptionist on a daily basis. Below we’ve given approximate figures as to how much you should expect to give when tipping various service providers in Hungary.
Tipping Taxi Drivers in Hungary
Getting a taxi in Hungary is usually a safe and pleasant experience provided you hire a taxi from a reputable firm. As long as you make sure you have a taxi with a meter it’s quite difficult to get ripped off as the price on the meter is the standard and what you should expect to pay. However, generally taxi drivers will expect some kind of a tip from when you get to your destination. This should be about 10% of whatever the fare is. 15% would be a generous tip. Just add the tip on to the total fare when paying the taxi driver.
Tipping Cloakroom Attendants in Hungary
If you visit any upscale restaurants particularly in some of the more exclusive hotels while you are in Hungary, then the toilets there are most likely to have an attendant hanging about. Some people find these attendants an unnecessary nuisance while others find them quite helpful. Either way they’ll expect a tip of at least 100 Forints.
Tipping Petrol Station Attendants in Hungary
Petrol stations in Hungary are usually manned by attendants who will fill your car up with petrol and possibly clean your windows while you wait. For this small service you’re expected to pay between 100-200 Forints by way of a tip.
Tipping at Restaurants in Hungary
At some restaurants in Hungary service charges are already factored into the bill. This is usually stated on the bill; otherwise it’s perfectly acceptable to ask the waiter or waitress whether or not service is included. The majority of restaurants in Hungary, however, don’t include service in the bill and unless you are particularly unhappy with your waiter it is customary to tip them roughly 10% of the total bill. The way in which tipping is done in Hungary differs from other western countries, and it’s considered strange if you just leave the tip on the table. Instead when you get the bill, add on however much you want to tip the waiter and tell him or her that’s how much you are paying in total. If for example your bill comes you $22 and you hand the waiter $30 while telling him that you are paying $25, they’ll understand you are giving them a $3 tip and will bring you back $5 in change.
Not tipping in Hungary
If you decide not to tip for a service received in Hungary this is considered to be a strong signal of your dissatisfaction at the service you received, although it’s unlikely anything negative will actually be said to you.
