6 Surprising Travel Expenses to Watch Out For

I love to travel. From the Blue Lagoon in Iceland to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Colosseum in Rome, there’s no adventure I would turn down. In the past, I’ve mostly been able to travel by saving up for trips and finding good deals online. But even with all the planning and research that has gone into my excursions, I have often been surprised by certain expenses that crop up.

The following are six of the costs that surprised me the first time I encountered them. Be aware of these on your upcoming trips so you can plan for them in advance.

1. Vaccines

A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to South America for six weeks. From the tours we’d take to the places we’d stay and the travel expenses between countries, we had everything planned and accounted for—or so we thought.

While we knew that we’d be required to get certain shots for our trip, we didn’t anticipate that those vaccines wouldn’t be covered by our health insurance and that we would have to pay out of pocket for them. The extra $700 we had to pay really put a dent in our budget. Learn from our mistake and remember to think about what additional health costs might be associated with a trip so you can account for that in your planning as well.

2. Travel Insurance

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see the wisdom in travel insurance more and more. Life can certainly throw you curveballs, and when you’ve plunked down hundreds (or thousands) on a trip, it could be worth the added cost to know that you’re covered. Travel insurance can reimburse your expenses if for some unforeseen reason you can’t actually go on your trip or, worse, if something should happen to you while you’re traveling.

Start by checking with your credit card company to see what coverage is offers (some will cover your nonrefundable flight fees if you have a good reason for not being able to fly, for example), then consider outside insurance as well.

3. Tips

There’s so much more to tipping than you might expect. For starters, not all cultures expect consumers to tip for all types of services. Do a little research ahead of time to determine whether tipping is a custom in the countries you are traveling to, and be prepared with cash if you’ll need it. If you’ll be traveling to a country where tipping is part of the etiquette, then it’s best to think outside the box for this practice as well.

For example, it’s a given that you would tip your waiter and cab driver, but don’t forget about hotel staff, the captain of your ship, the sommelier, or the skycap at the airport

4. Taxes

A little bit of tax here and there on things like souvenirs, food, and drink can add up, but what you should really take into consideration is the additional taxes that come with hotel charges and flights. Even small tax percentages on large price tags can really add up quickly, so it’s best to be prepared for these in your travel budget.

5. Resort Fees

Some resorts and hotels (particularly fancy ones) charge additional fees for certain services—things you might not expect unless you read the fine print. I’ve seen hotels charge for Wi-Fi, newspapers, use of the gym or other recreational facilities, cribs, even extra sheets. The best way to be prepared for this is to make sure you read everything before paying to stay somewhere, and never be afraid to call if you have any additional questions.

6. Foreign Transaction Fees

Most credit and debit cards charge a foreign transaction fee every single time you use your card in another country. These fees typically range from 1% to 3%. If you’ll be traveling internationally, you may want to pick a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Watch out for these six tricky travel expenses, and you’ll be better able to stick to your travel budget. And if you’ve worked out your budget but you’re still not sure exactly how you’ll actually pay for things once you’re on your trip, we can help you determine the best ways to pay for your travel expenses, too.

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