Holidays can cost a lot more than expected, don’t be caught out by hidden costs.

There are billions people in the world and thousands of holiday destinations, each country and destination has different customs, sights and great things to do and see.

When you visit these new and exciting places and pay for your flights accommodation and any organised tours its usually from a carefully planned budget for the holiday

When you arrive at your holiday destination there are always costs that have to be accounted for when you get there like food and drink, travelling around the sights and a bit of shopping, but when unexpected costs arise that where not stated or thought about before the budget starts to get a bit messed up.

Some examples of these costs that can sometimes be overlooked can be clearly illustrated using a New York holiday.

New York is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world, but many non American visitors forget or don’t know about a few extra charges and fees that can quickly add up if you’re on a tight budget.

First of all hotel accommodation in New York City, you can book a place to stay in NYC quite easily on the internet and pay a deposit to secure your rooms, when you arrive the remaining balance can be paid on check in, but what a lot of sights neglect to tell their potential customers in a bid to gain their booking, that the City tax of 14.75% and room occupancy fee of $3.50 USD per room per night is not included

So for a 7 day break in a room for $100 USD instead of $700 USD the Total would be about $827.75 (City Tax $103.25 + Room Occupancy $24.50, which is Nearly $128 USD more than expected.

In New York the City Sales Tax is 4.5% so you must allow for this when buying anything especially if you’re using cash to pay, because you don’t want to get to the till and not have enough money to pay for your goods.
The last charge which is most debated and in some case not liked by visitors is the almost mandatory service charge or tipping its not against the law not to tip but it does cause a big fuss if a tip is not left, now tipping is common in nearly all countries but in USA and New York it’s a must if you don’t want to spend time arguing with a waitress, bartender or someone that just served you.

There is no set amount laid down in law but the most commonly accepted amounts is between 15-20% of the total bill, it’s a cost that has to be allowed for because it’s almost a taboo not to pay it.

As you can see there are a lot of charges and fees that can quickly add up on holiday and these are just a few of the costs so its essential that you have enough money to allow for these things.

Make sure you get as much for your money as possible, such as enquiring about free upgrade on flights and hotel rooms, free breakfast at the accommodation, free Wi-Fi, and other free or discounted items or services.

Affordable Holidays and getting away for a break are the best ways to relax, but don’t be caught out by hidden extras and additional charges.