If you want to go travelling then you need to make sure that you take note of the hidden costs that are often associated with going abroad. If you don’t then you may find that you end up spending way more than you need, but all of this can be avoided with a bit of preparation.
Currency Exchange
Think about it, are you going to exchange your money before you travel? Or are you going to use your card to get money out of an ATM when you arrive? If you can take the time to do your research before you go travelling then this will help you to make the most out of your exchange rate. A lot of currency exchange places will buy back your currency when you get home. If you use an ATM abroad then this will often incur fees. You may find that you end up withdrawing quite a lot if you’re not careful.
One thing you can do is try and make sure that your bank is part of a network of partners. If you can do this then you will soon find that you can avoid a lot of these fees, which is great, to say the least. If you want to make the most out of your budget then be sure to check out these Fall trip destinations.
Additional Tax
Additional tax and tourist tax tend to occur in Europe and the USA. If you look at Venice, you will soon see that a tourist tax tends to be charged by hotels. This is done to all tourists and overall it’s only a few pounds per day. Destinations such as the USA however, will charge tax on everything possible. If you know the total amount then you will probably need to add tax on top of this. This can come as a bit of a nasty shock if you’re not aware of what charges you may be getting and why.
Room Service
Another hidden cost that you have to be aware of would be room service. Room service and minibars are a very expensive way of having food that isn’t that luxury. Some hotels have sensors in the fridge so if you move anything, you will end up being charged for it. Make sure that you always have a few snacks or even a bottle of water in your room so you can avoid expenses like this. You can also chat with the hotel staff to see if there is anywhere cheap you can eat, so make sure that you are mindful of this if you can.
Of course, if you want to make the most out of your experience then one thing you can do is try and take a credit card with you so if you end up being charged more for something, you can get your money back by filing a claim. You also have the option of being able to spend more on your vacation, should you need to.
