6 Hidden Expenses to Traveling Abroad

International travel has become a lot more accessible for North Americans in recent years. Discount airlines are offering more bargain fares, and the sharing economy allows travelers to rent rooms, share rides, and book tours from locals for prices that weren’t available even 10 years ago. But if you’re planning an international trip, you should be aware of some hidden costs that can impact your budget. Here are a few of the sneakiest expenses and some tips to keep them under control.

money in jar

Common Hidden Travel Expenses

Visas

Some countries don’t require a visa at all for short stays. Others might charge $20 for a 30 or 90 day tourist visa. But there are countries, such as Bolivia, China, and Vietnam, that require you to pay well over $100 to enter the country. If you’re traveling with a family or visiting multiple countries, those fees can add up quickly and become a major expense. Research visa requirements and expenses before you plan your travel.

passport travel

Roaming Charges

Some phone plans don’t include any overseas calling or texting — just turning on your phone when your plane lands and collecting all the “bon voyage” texts from your friends and family could rack up huge charges. It’s best not to leave your overseas phone service to chance. Call your carrier before you leave and find the best deal for using your phone abroad. Another option is to carry an unlocked phone and buy a SIM card when you land. These cards come pre-loaded with a gigabyte or two of data and typically cost $10 or $20, depending on the country, but you will sacrifice your phone number when you switch out the SIM.

dollars and phone

Medical Emergencies

A medical emergency overseas can be very expensive — especially if your illness or injury requires that you buy a last-minute flight home for long-term treatment. If you’re traveling in developing countries and develop a serious medical issue, you will probably want to go home for treatment. The best way to avoid this kind of expense is by securing travel insurance before you leave. Each insurance plan is different, but most cover emergency evacuation, treatments, and sometimes the cost of missed flights and activities that you can’t recover. 

Cez in the hospital

Gratuities

Leaving a little tip for the hotel maid isn’t a big expense, but if you’re taking a multi-day trip, tipping your guide might add up to quite a bit. Groups often get together at the end of a tour and chip on to tip the guide, and you might be expected to cough up $20 per day or more. If you’re paying for a couple on a 10-day trip, that’s $400 that you may not have budgeted for. Consider the potential cost of gratuities up front if you’re employing a long-term guide service.

Money

Foreign Exchange and ATM Fees

ATMs have made it easy for travelers to get cash in foreign currency — almost every airport has one near the luggage carousel now. But if the ATM charges you $6 every time you make a withdrawal, and your bank charges steep foreign exchange fees. This means you could incur some serious charges. Frequent travelers should seek out banks that don’t charge foreign exchange fees. You can minimize your ATM fees by making fewer stops and taking out larger amounts at each ATM visit, unless you’re lucky enough to find a free ATM in a convenient location.

credit card

Taxes

Some countries impose heavy tourism taxes on hotels, tours, and other hospitality services. Read the fine print when booking to ensure that taxes are included. Another tax that might sneak up on you is departure tax. Not all countries charge a departure tax, and it’s often included in your airfare. But with taxes ranging as high as $125, this is a very sneaky expense that’s worth researching before you go.

See also  Sri Lankan Street Food on a Budget (<$10)

If you’re carefully budgeting and saving for an overseas adventure, hidden costs could ruin your fun. A little extra research and a few precautions will help you avoid nasty surprises and put you back in control of your budget so you can enjoy your vacation.

Share

Search
Close this search box.

We want you to know! Some links on this page may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from what you buy. 
It will never cost you extra, or make us bias, but helps us run this blog and occasionally get a good cup of coffee. 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Agness Walewinder
Agness Walewinder
Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
Do you want to contribute?
Publish your guest post on Etramping!

6 thoughts on “6 Hidden Expenses to Traveling Abroad”

  1. Avatar of Kagai

    The departure tax sneaked up on me, one time as I was leaving Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I had to pay USD $ 50 before I could be allowed to board my plane. Thank you for the wonderful tips.

  2. Avatar of Victoria @TheBritishBerliner

    Very informative post Agness!

    Yes, I’ve had a few ATM fees that were really annoying. My solution? Take as much as you can in one go, so that you’re not hit every time you use it. I would also recommend using the ATM machine instead of money-changing. It’s far more reliable, and you can keep the receipt.

    This was a lifesaver the very first time that I ever went to Poland. In the 90’s! I took out about zl500,000 which was about £100 at the time, but my boyfriend became very ill the next day! He was so ill that our travel insurance sent a driver to take us back to Germany, as we came by car, and I don’t drive! Of course, I wanted to return the zloty as I would have had no use for it in either England, or Germany. At first, the bank refused to change it as it was (in those days), a huge amount of money, but when I insisted on seeing the manager and showing them the ATM receipt, they quickly agreed!

  3. Avatar of Ray

    Just found your blog. I do a lot of research (read tons of blogs before I first began to travel), but no one mentions these things (just as they don’t mention the bugs, or being laid up for one reason or another – seems like if their blog is not upbeat all the time, the people they make money off of are not happy).
    I hope lots of pre-travelers see this before they set off.
    Keep up the good work!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *