If you’re wondering how is the tipping culture in Romania, you’re in the right place.
I’m Andra, born and raised in Romania, I know the ins and outs of how the tipping culture is there and I’ll be sharing everything you need to know about it.
I hope this guide will help you avoid tipping anxiety and get you prepared for your next trip.
Currency: RON (also known as LEU, or plural LEI)
5 RON = 1 EUR = 1 USD
The tipping culture in Romania is very different from the tipping in USA or Canada. It is not mandatory, but highly expected.
If you’re going out for a drink, to eat out in a restaurant, or to get a haircut, it is expected to leave a decent tip.
A cash tip is also well received by people who deliver packages or food to romanians doorsteps.
The reason why tipping is important in Romania is because of the workers wages.
The salaries in Romania in the service industry are usually lower than in other countries.
In Australia, for example, workers are paid a fair wage and a tip for them is just a bonus.
In Romania, a tip means more than that: tips really make a difference in a workers’ life, and sometimes they really depend on them.
How to say tip in Romanian?
The tip in Romanian is “bacşiş” [bak-shish] or “ciubuc” (more rural term).
Is tipping common in Romania?
Yes. Tipping is common in Romania. It is not mandatory, but it is expected.
It works very simply: did you like the service? Then you tip. You didn’t? Then you don’t.
In simpler words, If you’ve found the service good, then the good practice would be to leave a 10-15% tip.
As a general rule, you should tip a waiter or a waitress slightly more than a bartender.
How much is a good tip in Restaurants in Romania?
The tips are never included in the bill, so you need to add your tip on top of your bill.
A 10% tip is usually the standard. Anything more than 10% is highly appreciated and will make your waiter/waitress extremely happy.
Generally, in restaurants waiters work hard for the money, they’re friendly and try to do their best – so leaving a gratuity of 10-15% will def not make you feel bad.
The amount you give depends also on how big was the bill.
The higher it is, the less you are expected to tip.
For example, if your bill was 500 RON (±$100), then you can tip 7% – 35RON ($7).
What if you didn’t like the service?
If the service was terrible, you shouldn’t tip at all. It is perfectly fine.
People usually know when they do a terrible job, and won’t expect much from you. You can round up the bill if you really want to, but that’s optional.
What about tipping at a bar?
If you order a drink directly in a pub or a bar, you’ll usually see somewhere on the bar a jar dedicated to tips.
That’s where you can throw some cash in.
The amount really depends on you. 1-5 RON (up to $1) is usually decent.
If you increase that amount, you’re considered very generous.
Can I tip in euros in Romania?
The bill will always come in Romanian local currency: RON (also known as LEU) and you should tip in the local currency.
It’s good to be prepared ahead and get a Wise travel money card, so you could withdraw money with the lowest conversion fee and get free ATM withdrawals in Romania. In the end, this trick will save you lots of money.
When you ask to pay, you’ll be handed the bill (a paper receipt) and the waiter will ask you if you wanna pay by card or cash.
After you paid, you can then leave your cash tip on the table, preferably in their local currency. But if you don’t have any lei, you can leave a few euros as well.
As tipping is seen as an optional gesture, everything on top of the bill is better than nothing – so it doesn’t matter too much the currency you’re tipping in.
What about takeaway coffee?
The same rule as in bars applies here.
It is not expected to tip when you order a coffee on the go. n cafes in Romania just round up the bill or leave a small tip in the “tips jar” after you ordered your beverage.
This is really optional and depends totally on you. You can use your own judgment and if you find the service very good, it’s nice to reward it with a tip.
Tipping Taxi Drivers in Romania
If you take a taxi, although we recommend you to take Uber or Bolt, here are a few rules to keep in mind so you wouldn’t get scammed.
- Don’t take private Taxis that don’t look like taxis. In simpler words, take a look and make sure the cars are yellow/white & yellow and have official stickers with a legit company name (you can google it to see the reviews) + a phone number stuck on them.
- Don’t take taxis from airports/train stations or official taxi stations (better call a taxi company and call a cab to come to you) – this is to avoid higher unfair rates.
It is not expected to tip a taxi driver in Romania, so it’s perfectly fine if you don’t.
However, it’s expected to round up the bill.
Otherwise, they will look a bit weird at you and maybe say some nasty things to you, when you go out of the car. But if you can handle that, that’s up to you.
We recommend you always use Uber or Bolt. Uber is only available in most big cities in Romania (Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Iasi, etc). Bolt is available also in smaller cities.
Tipping in Hotels
If you’re staying in a hotel in Romania and not sure if you need to tip or not, we’ve got you covered. It is not expected to tip in most hotels.
But if you found the service very good and the housekeeping services amazing, you can always tip a few RON (1-5 RON a day).
If you get help with the luggage, it is also nice to tip the bellman 2-5 RON (up to $1) depending on how heavy was your luggage.
If you go to super luxurious hotels, then you can double the rate you would give in a standard hotel.
