Travel

5 Travel Expenses to Watch Out For

Your vacation is already planned and mostly paid for. All the flights, hotels and guided tours are booked. You have a spending budget already made, ready to cover essentials like food, car rentals and rail passes,
you’ve even researched motorhoming money saving tips .You’re ready for every type of expense you could possibly face on vacation, right?

Not exactly. There are a few expenses that you’re probably missing from your spending budget. These are some “unexpected” travel expenses that you should expect on your upcoming trip.

1. Hotel Fees

Your hotel will require you to make a security deposit fee for every single night of your stay. The deposit is a way for the hotel to guarantee that you’ll cover incidental expenses before checking out. If you don’t purchase incidentals, you will receive the entirety of the deposit back. If you purchase some incidentals (for example, room service), those will be subtracted from your deposit and the remainder will be given back to you when you check out.

These are some additional fees that your hotel could charge you:

  • Early check-in fees
  • Late check-out fees
  • Hotel safe fees 
  • Parking fees
  • Wi-Fi fees
  • Gym fees 

2. Airline Fees

Airlines are notorious for charging flyers additional fees. For instance, some airlines will charge guests for having to print boarding passes for them. You can avoid this charge by printing your boarding pass at home. Or you can download the airline’s app on your smartphone and show your digital copies at the airport. 

These are some other charges you should watch out for:

  • Carry-on luggage fees
  • Checked luggage fees
  • Overweight baggage fees
  • Seat selection fees
  • In-flight amenities like blankets and headphones
  • In-flight drinks and snacks

3. Car Rental Charges

Are you renting a car to get around on vacation? Well, you should know that rental companies like to add lots of extras to boost your final bill. 

One of the biggest extras they will try to sell you is insurance. Your credit card might offer coverage for damages caused by theft or collision on rental vehicles, so you might not need this additional protection. Double-check your credit card’s policy on rented vehicles.

These are some other charges to watch out for:

  • Add-ons like satellite radio and GPS
  • Fuel charges
  • Early return fees
  • Toll charges
  • Additional driver charges

4.  Tourist Markups

Whenever you’re in a popular tourist destination, you can expect to pay more for attraction tickets, food and even water. There’s a reason why certain places are called tourist traps. The best way to avoid these markups is to travel a good distance away from these popular tourist sites to search for budget-friendly restaurants, cafes and activities. 

5. Emergencies

An emergency expense could put your vacation on hold. You might lose your passport and have to apply for a new one at the nearest consulate. You might break your smartphone and need to get a replacement in a hurry. Or your flight might get canceled because of severe weather, forcing you to extend your hotel stay for a few days.

There’s no way that you can avoid emergency expenses. You can prepare for them, though. 

First, you should sign up for a travel insurance plan. This can offer coverage for emergencies like flight delays. Second, you should put together an emergency fund before you go on your trip. An emergency fund is a collection of savings that you can use to pay off urgent, unplanned expenses outside of your usual budget.

What if your emergency fund isn’t big enough? In that case, you can turn to a different payment option like a personal loan for help. Go to the website CreditFresh to see whether you are eligible to apply for a personal loan there. If you are, you can fill out an application for one through the website. Or you can do your application over the phone!

Your application just might get approved, giving you the necessary funds to recover from your vacation emergency. Once that stressful situation is over with, you can focus on a simple repayment plan. 

You could encounter all of these types of expenses when you go on vacation. Follow these tips and prepare for them. You don’t want to get caught by surprise!