Across all 119 of our trip calculators, the forgotten costs add 18% to 138% to the obvious ones, and 40% on a typical trip. The most common are airport transfers, tips, checked bags and souvenirs. The most expensive are excursions, rental cars and the drinks you didn't plan on.
Every traveler has had this moment. You get home, open the card statement, and stare at it like it's written in a language you don't speak. You budgeted. You were careful. And yet the trip cost a lot more than the trip.
It's rarely one big thing. It's fifteen small things, each too small to worry about on its own. So we went through all 119 trip calculators on this site and counted which forgotten costs show up most, and what each one typically adds to a trip.
Getting to and from the airporton 76 of our 119 trips · about $80
The ride nobody budgets for. A taxi, rideshare or shuttle each way, and sometimes a pricey one, because the airport knows you have no choice.
Shrink it: Check for a train or bus into town before you land. Many airports have one that costs a fraction of a taxi.
Tips and gratuitieson 70 of our 119 trips · about $204
Restaurants, guides, drivers, housekeeping and the automatic service charges cruise lines add every night. In the US it adds up fast; abroad, the rules change by country.
Shrink it: Look up the local custom before you go, and carry small bills for tips.
Checked bag feeson 102 of our 119 trips · about $228
Most major US airlines now charge about $45 for the first checked bag, each way. A family of four can pay $360 before anyone has put on sunscreen.
Shrink it: Pack carry-on only, or use an airline credit card that includes a free bag.
Souvenirs and treatson 49 of our 119 trips · about $89
The impulse buys almost everyone makes. Nobody plans to buy the light-up thing. Everybody buys the light-up thing.
Shrink it: Set a souvenir budget per person before you go and stick to it. Kids handle it better than you'd think.
Hotel taxeson 37 of our 119 trips · about $194
The room is $199. The room is also $199 plus taxes, commonly 10 to 18 percent in big US cities and about 18 to 19 percent in Hawaii.
Shrink it: Compare hotels on the final total, taxes included. Most booking sites can show it.
Foreign card feeson 44 of our 119 trips · about $115
Many cards charge about 3% on every purchase abroad. On a whole trip's spending, that's a nice dinner you paid for and didn't eat.
Shrink it: Bring a card with no foreign transaction fees, and always pay in the local currency.
Phone data abroadon 46 of our 119 trips · about $56
Your carrier's international plan, or a surprise bill if you forgot to switch one on.
Shrink it: A travel eSIM usually costs less than your carrier's daily pass.
Travel insuranceon 119 of our 119 trips · about $256
Usually about 4 to 10 percent of the trip cost. Not exciting, but it's the line item you'll be most glad about if a flight gets canceled.
Shrink it: Compare quotes. Prices vary a lot for the same coverage.
Resort feeson 20 of our 119 trips · about $175
The travel industry's favorite magic trick: a nightly charge for the pool and the Wi-Fi you assumed came with the room. Hawaii resorts often charge $40 to $65 a night.
Shrink it: Filter for hotels without resort fees, or book with a hotel loyalty program that waives them.
Parkingon 41 of our 119 trips · about $141
At the airport, the hotel, the theme park and the cruise port. Resort parking in Hawaii runs $40 to $70 a night.
Shrink it: If you don't need the car every day, rent it only for the days you do.
Tourist and city taxeson 23 of our 119 trips · about $51
Paris, Amsterdam, Venice and plenty of beach towns charge visitors a per-night or per-person tax, usually paid at the hotel.
Shrink it: You can't skip it, but you can budget for it. Our calculators include it where it applies.
Rental car extrason 39 of our 119 trips · about $391
Sometimes the rental itself is the hidden cost, because the place turns out to be impossible without one. Then come insurance, fuel and young-driver fees.
Shrink it: Check what your credit card's rental coverage includes before you buy the counter's.
Excursions and tourson 81 of our 119 trips · about $144
The snorkel trip, the ruins, the glacier. Often the best part of the trip, rarely in the budget.
Shrink it: Pick the one or two that matter most and book them early, when they're cheaper.
Drinkson 37 of our 119 trips · about $310
Cruises, resorts and theme parks are very good at selling you a $14 drink you didn't plan on.
Shrink it: Do the math on drink packages before you buy one. Most people don't drink enough to make them pay.
Passportson 51 of our 119 trips · about $325
A new adult passport costs about $165 and can take weeks. Many countries also want six months left on it after your trip.
Shrink it: Check every family member's passport date before you book anything.
How to protect your budget
- Budget the extras as a line, not a hope. On most trips, about a quarter to a half on top of flights and hotel is realistic. Cruises and ski trips can need double.
- Compare on final prices. Hotels with taxes and fees, cruises with port fees, flights with bags.
- Check the boring stuff first. Passports, card fees and phone plans are the easiest wins on this list.
- Use a calculator before you book. That's what ours are for. Every one starts with these costs already included.
How we got these numbers
The counts show how many of our 119 trip calculators include each cost, on by default or as an option. The amounts are the typical size of that cost on those trips, for each calculator's sample group. Prices are checked against published rates every month.
Run your own numbers
Every figure here comes from a free calculator. Change any number to match your trip.