How much should you tip in Prague and the Czech Republic, and how do you actually do it?

How much to tip in Czech restaurants and pubs

For a sit-down meal with table service, 10% is the normal tip for good service. Locals often just round up to a tidy number, and for average service that is perfectly acceptable. Going beyond 15% is unusual outside high-end places.

• Pub (hospoda) round of beers: round up to the next 10 or 20 CZK.

• Restaurant dinner: about 10%, rounded to a clean figure.

• Café at the counter, takeaway, bakery or bar where you order and pay at the till: no tip expected.

• Poor service: leave nothing extra. Nobody will chase you for it.

Tip in Czech koruna (CZK, written Kč). Euros are accepted in some tourist spots, but at poor exchange rates, and euro coins are useless to staff.

How to tip: say the total, don't leave it on the table

Czech tipping happens at the moment you pay, not after you leave. The server comes to the table with the bill and usually a wallet-style card reader or a cash pouch. Tell them the amount you want to pay in total, including the tip.

• Paying cash: hand over a 1,000 CZK note for a 460 CZK bill and say "500". You get 500 CZK back and the tip is done.

• Paying by card: say "500" before they key the amount into the terminal, so the card is charged 500.

Saying děkuji (thank you) as you hand over cash is often read as "keep the change", so only say it when you mean that. Leaving coins on the table after paying is less common here than in Western Europe; it works, but the say-the-total method is what locals do.

Service charges on tourist menus: check before you tip

Some restaurants in the Old Town, Malá Strana and around Wenceslas Square add a service charge of around 10% to the bill, sometimes only on bills for foreigners or on English-language menus. A tip in Czechia is legally voluntary, and the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) has fined restaurants for adding charges that guests were not told about in advance.

Read the bill line by line. If you see obsluha, servis, "service" or "tip" added, that is your tip already, and you owe nothing more. If it was not printed on the menu, you can ask for it to be removed. Ask politely and clearly, and if the restaurant refuses, pay, keep the receipt and complain to ČOI.

Also check for cover charges (couvert), bread or nibbles you didn't order, and side dishes billed separately. These are legal when listed on the menu, but they are a common source of surprise totals.

Card terminals asking for a tip

Card payment is close to universal in Prague, and more terminals now pop up a tip screen with preset percentages plus a "no tip" option. The waiter usually hands you the terminal at this point.

Pick the percentage you were going to give anyway, or press no tip if you already tipped in cash or a service charge is on the bill. You are not obliged to tip because the screen asks. If the terminal shows only the bill amount, use the say-the-total method before the waiter enters it.

Taxis, ride-hailing, tour guides and hotels

• Taxis and Bolt/Uber: rounding up is enough. In ride-hailing apps you can add a tip in the app after the trip, but it isn't expected.

• Free walking tours: the guide is paid only in tips, so give what the tour was worth to you, in cash at the end.

• Paid tours and day trips: a tip for a good guide is appreciated, not required. Around 10% of the tour price is generous.

• Hotels: a small tip for housekeeping or a porter is optional and modest by Western standards.

For the airport ride, see our guide to getting from Prague Airport to the city.

Prague vs Budapest

Tipping in Prague is more relaxed than in Budapest, where restaurants routinely add a 10% to 15% service charge to the bill. Our Budapest tipping guide covers that system. Planning both cities? Our 3 days in Prague itinerary has where we ate.

Frequently asked questions