Tourist tax: where you pay it and how much
It's the cost almost nobody budgets for and that appears when you arrive. More destinations apply it every year, and the amounts are rising.
What it is and how it's calculated
A tax charged by some regions and city councils for every night you spend in tourist accommodation. It's calculated per person per night and depends on the accommodation category: a five-star hotel pays more than a campsite. There's almost always a night cap after which it stops, plus reductions in low season or for long stays.
Why it isn't in the price
This is the confusing part. The tax isn't included in the price you see when booking, because neither the booking site nor the hotel keeps it: the property collects it and passes it to the authorities. That's why you're asked at check-in or before arrival, as a separate charge.
In Spain
Catalonia and the Balearics have applied it for years, and other regions have followed. In Catalonia there's a regional rate and some councils add their own surcharge on top, with Barcelona the highest case. In the Balearics it's called the ecotax and varies by season. Amounts are under upward revision in several places, so check the current figure on the region's official site before booking.
In Europe
Common in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and much of the continent. It typically runs one to five euros per person per night in mid-range accommodation, and rises sharply in luxury hotels. Some Italian cities calculate it by hotel stars.
The Venice case
Here it isn't an accommodation tax but an access charge: levied on day visitors on certain high-traffic dates, and it must be booked before going. It's a different model and there's political debate about raising it significantly, so check the specific conditions before planning a day trip.
Who's exempt
Most commonly children below a certain age don't pay, though the age limit varies by region. There are usually exemptions for health-related travel or subsidised programmes. And in many places it stops after a number of consecutive nights.
Budgeting for it
Multiply people by nights by a rough figure of two to four euros. For a family of four over a week, that's 50 to 100 euros not in the booking price. It won't ruin a trip, but it's better known in advance than at the desk.
Before booking
Check two things on the destination's official site: whether there's a tax and how much, and whether your accommodation charges it on arrival or beforehand. Amounts change often and several are rising in stages through the end of the decade, so information from a year ago may be out of date.
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