Wherever you travel, it’s good practice to know the tipping etiquette of your destination. There’s much to know about tipping in Ireland, and here’s everything you need to know about tipping when you visit Ireland, helping you avoid any faux pas – and how traveling with Insight Vacations takes care of tipping for you.
Most importantly, make sure you remember the distinction between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; in Northern Ireland you’re technically in the United Kingdom, so you’re currency is the Pound sterling. If you’re traveling to the Republic of Ireland, the official currency is the Euro.
Tipping in Ireland: general rules
Tipping in Ireland is a lot less common than in places like the USA and is completely at your discretion – but if you feel as though you’ve received good service, then feel free to reward that with a tip. More often than not tipping is optional, and the most common occasion that you’ll need to tip is after a meal out.
Tipping at Restaurants and Pubs
Pubs and restaurants in Ireland are the most common place that you’ll be tipping in Ireland. In Ireland, as well as much of the rest of Europe, your bill will include an optional service charge of 10-20% (see more on this below). However, this is will be split up among the service staff. So, if you want to show gratitude to your specific server or waiter, you can always leave a cash tip of 10 – 20% – this is certainly not obligatory, but will always be appreciated.
If you’ve have a meal at a pub, the same tipping rules as a restaurant apply. When it comes to bars or a round of drinks at the pub, you’re not expected to tip – though feel free to leave some small change or round up your bill if you’d like.
At cafes, tip jars are relatively common. If you see one, tipping it completely optional, but if you would like to leave one then put your coins in the jar.
Service charge
In the UK, tipping in inns and taverns has always been standard practice – but it wasn’t until with mid-20th century that the ‘discretionary’ service charge was added to restaurant bills, after the Second World War brought significant changes to the economy and labour markets. The aim was – and still is – to provide an incentive for restaurant staff. That’s why, if your server as done a particularly good job, it’s best practice to tip them.
When it comes to tipping in restaurants, often the service charge will already be included in your bill, sitting somewhere between 10% to 20% (often it’ll be higher for groups of above 8 people). If this is the case, you won’t need to add any extra tip on top of the service charge. This is an optional charge, so if you feel as though your service wasn’t of a high enough level then you can ask for it to be removed – just speak to your server or a manager.
Tipping with a credit card
If your bill doesn’t include a service charge or you would just like to leave an additional tip for your server, then you can do this by either cash or card. If you don’t have cash, then in most places (and particularly in cities) you can add your tip with a credit card.
Tipping in taxis
Tipping your taxi driver in Ireland isn’t compulsory, but if you do wish to, then as a general rule you can round up your journey for an easy tip. If you’re taking public transport, then you definitely don’t need to worry about tipping.
Tipping at hotels
Tipping in hotels in Ireland isn’t common practice; your hotel bill should account for almost everything during your stay. A general exception is porterage, where you can pay a tip of €1-2 per bag and have them taken to your room. You can always politely refuse any porterage services and simply carry the bags yourself if you don’t wish to pay. During your hotel stay, any extra tips for excellent concierge or doorman services are at your discretion.
Tipping in Ireland with Insight Vacations
Take away any stress around tipping when you travel on an Insight Vacations guided tour to Ireland. On an Insight Vacations tour, we have pre-paid certain tips and gratuities for you, such as baggage handling at hotels, service charges and tips for hotel wait staff for included meals. These will all be taken care of by your Travel Director. On any occasions outside of these pre-paid gratuities, the choice to tip is completely up to you. For some tours, you’ll have the option to pre-pay additional gratuities when booking your tour.
You’ll meet some wonderful people along the way on your Insight Vacations tour, and we’d recommend tipping your Travel Director, Local Experts, coach drivers, and any locals who you might meet on our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. A general guideline is: $5-7 USD per day, per person for your Travel Director; $3-5 USD per day, per person for your driver; and for Local Experts $2-3 USD per person for a half-day tour and $5 USD for a full-day tour is customary. You may of course adjust according to your satisfaction with their service – if someone goes above and beyond, show them your appreciation.
Heading to the Emerald Isle? Discover Ireland with Insight Vacations.
