Tipping in Barcelona
 

What are apppropriate tips for the taxi. tour guide,restaurants, etc.

The rule is there are no rules. Give what you feel like. Not a good service leave nothing. Got good service than a little thank you will not go a miss.
Some say the Spanish do not tip, but they do leave the odd few cents behind (change). In not so many words that is a tip.

Not required and the Spaniards are not impressed with the No. Amer. attitude for tipping..It can work a hardship for the locals.. Round off the check if you must but do not tip!!!

I always tip about ten percent....always very much appreciated !
I am in Barcelona right now... My seventh time in Spain.

10% is ridiculous! And seven trips to Spain has thought you nothing. If you ever check you bill, you will see that a service charge is included. It's the same in France. If you want to leave something extra, then be my guest, but if you were to leave a 10% tip at some restaurants, it could set you back enough for a good lunch for two the next day.

When we have a group lunch, say 10 to 20 people, we never add anything more, knowing that the bill includes a 20% service fee. When there are only 2 to 4 of us, we will leave as much as 5€, but never anything more. It's just a sign of appreciation.

We've had waiters and bartenders ask us what to do when one of our clients leaves a large tip. It can be embarrassing for a professional. In Rome they don't seem to mind, but in most of Spain, it's not something you do since the waiters do not work for tips as they do in the good old US of A.

Robert2533 is right on!!! Listen to his words and act accordingly..Don't try to fix something that ain't broke. Let the spanish know the No. Americans are savvy travellers!!!

amercan does not live in Spain. So their "Round off the check" is what I said leave the odd few cents behind (change). Is a tip. It is a way of saying thank you, just like a tip.

There are no "service bills in Spain, unlike France.

" Let the spanish know the No. Americans are savvy travellers!!!"

Why is it that some Americans
have such a need to show they are " savvy travellers".
As if some taxi driver or a waiter in Spain or Italy gives a FF.
With the unemployment
rate of 27% , and over fifty percent among young people, I doubt
event the
" professional" taxi drivers or bartenders find tips a huge
"embarrassment".

BTW,
"we never add anything more, knowing that the bill includes a 20% service fee. "

"There are no added service charges on the final bill at most restaurants or bars, although some higher priced restaurants may add IVA (Value added tax, currently 18% going up to 20% on the 1st September 2012) to the final bill. This should be clearly seen in the menu."

Is this - 20% IVA- what Robert considers a tip?

I find Danon's information rather confusing.
Your second post second paragraph. We are now in 2013! Besides the highest rate is 21%. Hotels and restaurants charge 10%. Then there is the very low 4%, generally of foods bought from shops. Note:It is more complicated than that in reality
The Canary Islands have other rates.
Some information in Spanish.
http://www.rankia.com/blog/irpf-decl...pos-iva-espana

Round it up to the nearest €.

Throw in a couple of extra € if you feel service has been particularly good.

The end.

Not exactly related to the OP's questions, but i try to avoid establishments which advertise their food or drinks with a tiny "IVA no incl." next to it. IME, these places have too often been tourist traps.

What I would NOT do, regardless whether you had a coffee or an expensive meal is to leave a bunch of 1 or 2c coins which you want to get rid off. Even if those added up to 10pct.

It appeared to me that Robert was saying that
20% IVA is somehow related to tipping- which, of course is not the case.
Anyway, it is silly to worry about it...people can do. as they wish, no one is going to
refuse the tip or ask for one.

The typical restaurant in Spain will add a service charge when dealing with a larger group, but not for a table of only 4, 5 or 6. And the 20% service charge has nothing to do with you leaving anything additional, if you want.

As ribeirasacra says, "the rule is there are no rules", but if you take a look around the restaurant, you'll see what the locals are doing, and should follow suit.

You could encounter an interesting situation if you leave too large of a tip and the bartender or waiter comes after you to return the money, thinking you forgot to take it with you after paying your bill. What do you do? If could be frustrating, if not embarrassing, if you don't speak the language and try to explain to them that it is a tip. I’ve seen it happen on numerous occasions in Spain with the first time visitor.

The word for tip in Spanish is "propina"

All those "frustrated and confused " first time visitors
could benefit greatly by getting a language app for their phone or tablet.
Then, , they could say " tip" even in Serbian.

In our hotel in Sevilla, my travel companion insisted on leaving American-type tips for our meals. The servers LOVED her!

I'm sure they did, being used to tourist as they are. Why fight it?