Tipping in Paris: when to leave a few euros and how much to give

The short answer: no, tipping is not expected in Paris. Unlike in North America — or destinations like South Africa, Egypt and Morocco — service charges are built into the final bill at French restaurants, so a tip is treated as a bonus, not part of the staff’s pay.

Condé Nast Traveler put the question to two of its France travel specialists: Mark Bonte of French Side Travel and Camilla Davidson, Red Savannah’s head of destination management for France, the UK and Ireland. Their verdict is consistent. Hospitality staff in France are salaried employees, and tips are “considered an extra gesture of appreciation rather than part of their expected compensation,” Bonte explains.

Davidson adds that there is often “a sense of pride that pricing is ‘all-inclusive’.” Many brasseries even print “service compris” on the bill to make it clear the cost of service is already covered — and, in some cases, it is actually illegal for a waiter’s wages to be topped up by gratuities.

How much to tip, by situation

If the service is genuinely good, rounding up is the norm. At a restaurant, “leaving a few euros or rounding up the bill is common and always appreciated,” says Bonte — but there is no 15 to 20% obligation like in the US. At cafés and coffee shops, round to the next whole figure: on an 18-euro bill, leave 20 euros, or just empty the loose change from your pocket.

Hotels follow the same logic. Bonte suggests two to five euros for a porter or bellhop, and a few euros per day for housekeeping. Splash out more for a spectacular cocktail or spa treatment if you like, but Davidson stresses it is “not an expectation in the same way it would be in the United States.”

In taxis, round up the fare. For a private driver working a full day, however, a tip is customary: around 20 to 30 euros, rising to 50 if they double as a guide.

The one rule that holds across all of it: a tip in Paris says thank you — it never builds someone’s wage.