Tipping etiquette – How much & When to tip in Prague & Czech Republic
Tipping etiquette in Prague and the Czech Republic has no set rules – 10-15% tip on top of the total bill should be sufficient, but you can of course decide to tip more if you wish.
As someone who grew up, studied, worked and still lives right here in Prague, I can share exactly how locals handle tipping.
The whole subject of tipping etiquette in Prague and the Czech Republic is an interesting one, especially when the country is still in the shadow of its former history under communism and it’s not widely known for its impeccable service, attention to detail and polite staff.
Saying that tipping is often expected in restaurants, cafes or wine bars, service industry (like hairdressers) and in taxis.
Unlike other countries, there are no tipping rules like 10% on top of your bill or anything like that. Most local people would round up the final bill to what they feel comfortable giving as an extra.
I think it’s also important to know that by law all staff have to receive at least a minimum wage, so the tips are seen as nice extras on top of that.
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Does service staff get paid directly from the tips?
Whilst the staff salaries are perhaps not the greatest ones in the service industry, the staff are getting their hourly rate paid by the employer as a fixed monthly salary. This has to be (legally) at least a minimum wage.
The minimum hourly rate is 124 CZK (2025), but the Prague hourly rate for service industry is slightly higher, currently about 170 CZK with junior staff starting somewhere around 135 CZK and senior staff reaching close to 200 CZK per hour. This is all before taxes.
This means that staff get the tips on top of their hourly rate as an extra. It also depends on each establishment how they handle their tips.
The tip might go directly to the staff that you’ve given the extra money too, but it’s more likely that the tips will be added together and then shared amongst all the staff. This is particularly the case when you pay by card and you get option to add tip at the end of your payment.
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How much to tip in Prague
This is entirely up to you! If you are very happy with the meal, service or presentation etc. feel free to tip as much as you like.
10-15% tip on top of the total bill should be sufficient, but you can of course decide to tip more (for example if you are a large group in a restaurant and your waiter and the restaurant staff have been looking after you all evening).
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Rounding up your payment to include a small tip
You can also ‘tip’ in a form of rounding up your bill to the nearest large coin or note and just saying ‘Don’t worry about the change’. This is what most locals do.
It could be that the prices are set to invite ’rounding up’, to the nearest amount and people might not want to carry too much change in coins on them. I usually see this with a purchase of single items, like takeaway coffees.
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How to tip when paying by a credit or debit card
At the end of your meal, your waiter will bring you the bill, which should be itemised, so that you can check the final amount.
If you are paying by card, tell the waiter in advance how much you’d like to pay, so that they can key the correct numbers.
If your waiter doesn’t speak English (which is very unlikely since most Czech staff speak English in the centre of Prague, but it can happen), you can write the number on the final bill and they will understand that you wish to adjust it.
Some card readers or terminals have the option to add tips as part of your payment process. If that happens, simply add whatever number you want to increase your bill to.
There is also an option to leave out tip (0 % tip) so don’t feel pressurised to add tip if you feel that you’ve not received the best service.
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Making sure your server gets the tip
When you pay the bill in Prague, you can use your credit card, and the machine will often let you add a tip. But here’s a local secret: Even if you pay your meal with a card, it’s a good idea to leave your tip in cash on the table.
Why? Sometimes, tips added to a credit card can take longer to get to your server or might be shared differently. When you use cash, you know your waiter or waitress gets that money right away!
My local tip – How to tip when paying by cash
If you are paying by cash, it’s a little bit trickier, because there is this unwritten rule that if you say ‘Thank You’ whilst handing out the money for the bill, the waiter will interpret that as ‘It’s O.K, keep whatever money I’m giving you!’ and they might not come back with your change!
This can happen especially if the money given is very close to the final bill, for example, the bill is 95 CZK, and you hand over 100 CZK note.
You can use this unwritten rule, by simply rounding up the bill to whatever the nearest note you have, give the money to the waiter, smile and say ‘Thank you’ and then start getting ready to leave.
It will be a signal to the staff that you are O.K with the extra money to be kept by the staff and you don’t expect your change.
If you don’t say ‘Thank you’ and just give the waiter your money, he or she will bring you your change back and usually leave it on the table (or the little tray they brought your bill on).
You can then decide to leave some money on the table as a tip and take the rest of your change.
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How to tip at smaller cafes
At a smaller cafes or bistros, you can also see a tip jar at the counter. This is because at these places you usually pay in advance for your drinks or food.
You can always round up the bill at the beginning and tell the staff to charge you more or you can take your change and put some into the tip jar.
Tipping your tour guide
Walking tours are a super popular way to see Prague! If you take a “free” walking tour, remember that your guide usually works only for tips. They spend time learning all those cool facts and walking you around, so a thank-you tip is important!
Plan to give around 100-250 CZK per person, or more if you thought the tour was amazing. If you were to book a Czech Tour, the lowest amount per person I’ve seen was about 250 CZK and average 350 CZK for 90 min – 2 hr guided tour.
If you pay for a private tour, a tip of about 10% of the cost is a nice way to show your thanks for a job well done.
And whilst in cafes and restaurants you’d normally pay in Czech currency – the Czech Crown, tour guides are probably not going to object to be tipped in other currencies, mainly USA dollars, UK pounds or Euros.
Tipping Hotel Staff
When you stay at a hotel, there are a few other people who help you out! If a porter or luggage attendant helps carry your bags, it’s nice to give them a small tip, maybe 20–50 CZK per bag.
For the housekeeping staff who clean your room, leaving 50–100 CZK per day (maybe at the end of your trip) is a great way to thank them.
Finally, if the concierge at the front desk helps you book a hard-to-get dinner or arranges a special trip, a tip of 100–200 CZK shows that you really appreciate their extra effort!
Do you tip hairdressers in Prague?
Any tips are always welcomed, especially if you tip the person who washed your hair as these are usually junior staff on lower wages.
Like with other tipping in Prague, you decide if the service you’ve received is above the standard and either round up the bill or add about 10% on the top.
Do you tip a taxi driver?
An excellent service can be always appreciated with a tip or round up your bill to the nearest large coin or bank note, especially if your driver has helped you with your luggage, met you personally when you’ve arrived at Prague airport or helped you to find your hotel.
Don’t feel that you have to tip as the taxi driver will charge you for every started km and they have calculated their prices to get the going rate for their service.
The Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague has a direct contract with Uber taxis, so you always know how much your ride is going to cost you in advance and decide on how to tip at the end of your journey.
How to tip Small businesses at farmer’s market stalls or independent art and craft markets
Whilst this might not be necessarily seen as ‘tipping’ I think, that buying from a local farmer’s stall (and then rounding up the amount) is a great way of supporting independent traders.
If you are not sure about tipping (or giving extra money), just buying from a local independent shop or a craft market over an internationally owned supermarket or mass-produced souvenirs is a great start to making a positive difference for everyone.
Where it’s not customary to tip?
It’s not customary to tip in Prague or Czech Republic anywhere in the government offices or using public services such as transport (this could be seen as bribery).
You’ll also not see people tipping in the supermarket, museums or large shops, when buying a train ticket or buying ticket for a Prague public transport.
Should I always tip?
If you receive poor service or just soo so service, don’t feel that you still need to tip, if you are not satisfied.
This blog post was originally written on 20 April 2022 and last updated on 7 November 2025
