Now, speaking strictly about vacation budget, it is not only plane tickets and accommodation. Unless you buy an all-inclusive holiday through an agency or tour operator, where in your budget you have everything covered (plane/bus, transfer to and from hotel, meals and unlimited drinks), you should always add some other important things to your budget. And even at an all-inclusive resort you have extra expenses. 😊

What you need to consider as budget during your vacation:

1. Visa on arrival fee
   Some countries that grant visa on arrival (VOA) ask for a fee to be paid at the airport. The amount can be paid in cash or card, depending on their level of digitalization, but most require cash, exact amount, either in their currency or in US dollars. Some examples: Saudi Arabia ($143), Egypt ($25, except entry-exit at Sharm el Sheikh and not leaving the city), Jordan (from 40-120 JOD or $56-$170, except entry-exit at Aqaba), Cambodia ($30). Children are not exempted
2. Public transport, taxis, private transfers (if not booked in advance)
3. Car rental on the spot, if you suddenly decide to explore the area and gasoline/diesel
4. Road/highway/bridge taxes, especially if you go by car or rent one. Each country (at least in Europe) has its own toll system. In some you pay a fixed amount, no matter the type of road (such as Romania and Bulgaria) and in some you pay at checkpoints (Greece, Italy, Ireland and Portugal). Bridge tax is usually a fixed amount/way and it is used for the maintenance of the construction. Some examples: Rio-Antirio (Greece), Fetesti-Cernavoda (Romania), Giurgiu-Ruse (Romania-Bulgaria), Vasco da Gama (Lisbon), Øresund Bridge (Denmark-Sweden)
5. Parking, city tax for cars and traffic fines. Include here possible fines for littering, making noise/loud music during quiet hours, smoking in prohibited places, not cleaning after your dog, etc.
6. City or environmental tax. This tax is usually paid at the hotel reception, upon arrival or at departure and it depends on country to country. The amount depends on the accommodation’s classification and how the local government establishes it. It can be per room/night, or it can be per person/night. For example, a family of 3 (2 adults and a 8-year-old child) who stays at a 4*hotel in Greece will pay in August 2026 10 euro/night. For 7 nights stay, they will pay 70 euros. If the same family goes to Italy (Rome or Florence, for example), they will pay 7.5 euros per person/night. For 7 nights, they will pay 105 euros, as children under 10 or 14 (depending on the local regulations) are exempted. This tax is usually not included in booking platform prices, however properties with self-check-in and without reception might include it.
7. Meals and drinks at tavernas, osterias and restaurants if you have only breakfast or no meal at all
8. Grocery shopping, especially if you have a kitchenette and plan to cook breakfast or meals
9. Gifts, souvenirs, handmade cosmetics, olive oil, raki, ginja, limoncello, local beer, wine 😊
10. Entry fee to museums, aquaparks or private pools, if they haven’t been booked and paid in advance
11. Food and drinks at private pools, aquaparks, theme parks, where you are not allowed to bring anything from outside
12. Food and drinks at the beach, sunbeds and umbrella set
13. Children’s small wishes: ice cream, slurpy, chocolate, small toys, balloons, etc
14. Taxes and tips (especially in the USA). In Europe, the prices shown already include VAT and tipping is not mandatory (it is appreciated, you can leave if you want, but nobody will ask you to). However, in the USA, for example, prices shown do not include taxes – they are added at the cash register – and tipping is kind of mandatory almost everywhere, starting with 20%.
15. Amusement park entry, tickets or tokens for the rides, carousels, etc.
16. Coffee, snacks, water and drinks, even if you plan to visit all day
17. Toilet fee. Yes, some public toilets are not free. The money is used for their cleaning.
18. Day trips, boat tours or other spontaneous activities
19. Coperto or table tax. Found mostly in Italy, it is a fixed per-person cover charge that appears on your check. Coperto fee is mentioned at the bottom of the menu and it is charged ONLY if you sit at the table. The amount is used for operational costs (washing the linens, the dishes and for providing basic items such as salt, pepper, napkins, toothpicks, etc). If a family of 3 sits at a table in Venice, they will pay 15 euro for coperto, even if the kid only had a glass of orange juice, the father a pizza and a beer and the mother an Aperol spritz 😊). Coperto is NOT tip!
20. Extra tourist or environmental tax. Some places in Europe charge an extra tax to avoid overcrowding and mass tourism, especially in the summer months. Those that do not stay in Venice will have to pay 4 euros per person (children under 14 are exempted) if they visit the city for 4 days, after that is 10 euros. So, if you stay in Treviso because its cheaper and you go to visit Venice for 5 days, you will have to pay 26 euros. Another example are the Greek Islands of Mykonos and Santorini, where cruise ship passengers will have to pay during high season 20 euros/person upon disembarking.

I hope this helps you plan your budget better