There are some surprises that happen on your travels that can be very welcome. Taking a hike, taking a wrong turn, and coming across a surprise hidden gem that is picture perfect? The kind of surprise that we don’t mind. Finding out that you don’t have to pay to go into the Louvre in Paris when you plan your trip on the first Sunday of the month? Another very welcome travel surprise. There are many things like this that can make such a difference to your trip, and they can be unexpected, but good. Not overly planning your trip means that you will be able to have a bit of flexibility, should a nice travel surprise come along. However, there are definitely some surprises when it comes to travel that are not welcome, and if they’re not planned for, can take you by surprise.
Getting your hotel bill and the end of your stay and wondering how on earth they can charge that much for a couple of bottles of water out of the mini-fridge? Not the kind of welcome surprise that you want on your travels. Finding out that you have to pay for your visa in cash in Turkey, as you arrive at their airport? Definitely something that could be a little awkward and mean having to run around trying to find an ATM, which isn’t ideal in a country where you don’t speak the language. There can be a range of things that can lead to some unexpected and not very welcome surprises when it comes to travel.
In order to help you to travel smart, it is best to be prepared. So with that in mind, here are some of the things that can cost travelers money, and if they’re not factored into your budget, can lead to some pretty expensive and unwelcome surprises.
Visa Fees
Visas are required in a whole host of countries around the world. The fees can be low in some countries, but can really escalate in some other countries. For example, if you are planning on taking a trip to China, then it will be a once in a lifetime kind of trip! However, you’ll need to remember that you need to budget for around $140 per person in order to get a Chinese tourist visa. Other countries, like India, charge a fee of nearly $80 to get into their country. As mentioned above, places like Turkey need to have the visa fee in cash as you go through customs. Russia and Brazil are some of the countries that charge the most, with fees of nearly $200 in each case. So this is definitely worth checking before you travel, or you could be faced with a pretty unexpected and unpleasant bill.
It is also important to check how much you will need to pay for which country, as well as when to pay it. In some instances, such as UK citizens coming to the US, they have to pay in advance online for an ESTA visa and background check. Other countries will require you to arrange the visa once you are at customs. It does vary from place to place, so don’t be ignorant, and plan out your travel and visas ahead of time, in order to avoid any expensive surprises. It is definitely worth checking, because if you have to be expedited, you will be faced with even more fees.
Departure Taxes
There are two things in life that are inevitable; death and taxes. But have you ever considered that you would get charged a tax to leave a country and go home? In some places, this is definitely the case. If you have ever looked at the breakdown of the costs of an airline ticket, you will see that with some passenger charges and fees, there is a tax segment, and there is usually a departure tax that is listed (mostly in the case of international flights). A lot of countries charge this departure tax, but in some cases, it isn’t listed as part of your airfare. So if this is the case, which you need to check beforehand, then you will be charged a fee to leave the country and make your way home.
For people in the US, this is something that is most common with countries in the Caribbean, as well as Central and South America. As an example, the departure tax to leave St. Kitts in the Caribbean is $37 per person. The departure tax for Costa Rica is nearer to $28, and for St. Martin, it is $30 for each person to leave. So although this isn’t a really large cost, it can add up, especially if it is a family that is traveling. When you’ve not factored it into your budget, then it can be a bit of an unexpected surprise (and not in a good way).
Departure tax fees are usually payable with credit card or cash, and often this will be paid as you go through immigration and get the leaving stamp in your passport. Check with airlines before you travel about this, as well as checking with airports themselves.
Resort Fees
Resort fees and most likely some of the most hated fees that can come to you as a traveler. If you think things where you were staying were free, such as having coffee in your hotel room or getting free towels by the pool, then you better check that they won’t be charged as you check-out as a resort fee. There are some hotel chains that don’t charge resort fees, and in some instances, it can vary from place to place. For example, in Hawaii, you could get charged a resort fee at a Hyatt Regency Hotel of $25 per night for each room, although other Hyatt Residency Hotels don’t charge the fee. So you need to double check the fine print on any kind of resort that you are staying at.
Hotels in Las Vegas on the strip can add resort fees, to cover things like the internet, using the phone, and going to the gym. Even if you use none of these things, the fee isn’t negotiable. Resorts can be sneaky in this way. Some will just give you a whole price, and add it all in already. So when you’re booking to go away, it is a must to check the fine print. If you’re still unsure, give the hotel a call before you make a booking. Sometimes even with resort fees a hotel can be a good price. You just need to be prepared for it and have it in your budget, so that you’re not smacked with a resort fee bill as you check-in.
Roaming Cell Phone Charges
If you are going abroad, then the chances are that you will want to take your cell phone with you. But if you’re not careful, and leave things like ‘roaming’ on your settings, then the mobile data that you phone uses will be costing you a fortune, and not part of your cell phone plan. This is why checking ahead of time what the deal is with your provider is important. Some cell phone providers and plans offer free data when in certain countries. Some don’t offer any, which is fine. You’ll just need to make sure ahead of time that your phone isn’t switched on for mobile data, and will only be using the internet when you’re on your hotel’s WiFi or at a restaurant. It is a quick thing to check, and will mean a hefty phone bill once you’re home can be avoided.
Money Exchange
Being able to explore and get a little of the tourist track can be exciting, and part of the whole charm of travel and adventuring. However, if you’re heading to some small villages and want to buy a few trinkets from a street stall or go to a small family restaurant by the beach, don’t count on being able to pay using a credit card! You should also not count on being able to find an ATM within easy reach.
For these reasons, it is a good idea to have some cash with you on your travels. It is usually best to get some money exchanged at home, rather than at an airport, as the exchange rate is usually much more desirable in these instances. If you use an ATM, then you could be faced with some large fees for taking money out on a foreign card. There are some credit cards that you can get that don’t charge any fees on foreign transactions, so getting a card like that could be helpful, in order to avoid any extra fees. Other than that, check the exchange rate and look for the best place to change money, to be able to get the best value.
There are a whole host of ways that you can face some unexpected and surprise fees on your travels. But as you can see, taking a small amount of time to check in advance and plan ahead, means any unexpected fees can be avoided.