In July 2026 Scotland introduced a tourist tax for vistors staying overnight in its capital, Edinburgh, and we got to wondering which European destinations charge their tourists the most in tax – and what is it even for?!
These extra fees can add up, and you don’t want any surprises hitting your wallet when you’re away. So to help you avoid getting caught out, we’ve rounded up the European countries with the highest tourist taxes.
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What Is A Tourist Tax?
A tourist tax is a fee imposed by local governments on tourists and travellers who visit the country. This fee can be to help manage the effects of tourism, such as overcrowding and environmental impact, and to generate revenue for local infrastructure and preservation efforts.
Tourist taxes are referred to differently in different places. For example, in some destinations there will be an exact tourist tax amount. In others it will be made up of a combination of some or all of tourist tax, accommodation tax, local tax, regional tax and city tax.
For the purposes of this article, when we say tourist tax we mean the total of the all the additional taxes you’re required to pay.
Who has to pay the tourist tax?
Anyone staying in taxable accommodations, like hotels or vacation rentals, in a destination that imposes a tourist tax is required to pay this fee. It’s mandatory for all visitors staying overnight. In some places, even day visitors or those arriving on a cruise might need to pay a one-time fee upon entry, even if their trip doesn’t include an overnight stay.
If a tourist tax is in place, most visitors will need to pay it, but there are some exceptions depending on the city:
- Children often pay reduced rates or are exempt entirely
- Disabled people and their carers
- Patients and carers for patients admitted to health facilities
- Workers within the city
It’s best to check with the local authorities of your destination before you go, to see how the tourist tax works. You can google the official tourist website of the place you’re going to or reach out to your accommodation for more information.
Are there any exceptions?
I’ve once not paid tourist tax because I was there on business and I had to provide my company details. Some destinations will waive their city tax for business travellers, such as Berlin, as a way of boosting business tourism, but it’s not a given!
How do I pay the tourist tax?
Tourist tax is generally not included in the room rate you are advertised when you book your accommodation. Instead this fee is typically added to your bill and paid when you check in or out. In some cases, it might be included in your airfare or paid as a one-time fee upon arrival.
Do I have to pay tourist taxes outside of Europe?
Yes, tourist taxes are not only due in Europe. Many destinations worldwide, particularly those with high tourist traffic, impose these taxes to manage tourism’s impact on their local communities.
For example, a number of US cities have a punchy tourist tax, including Houston, New York and San Francisco.
European Destinations With The Highest Tourist Taxes
We’ve taken a look at the destinations that take the top spots when it comes to charging tourist tax for visitors.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam tourist tax
12.5% of the overnight room rate at your accommodation
In 2024, Amsterdam bumped up its tourist tax to 12.5% per room, making it the highest in Europe. However, the city’s administration promises it’ll be put to good use by improving the neighbourhoods and districts that need it most. The money helps tackle local issues, boosts green and recreational spaces, and supports community resources like youth centres.
Cruise-ship passengers pay £12.25 (€14.50) tax per person, although you don’t have to pay this if your cruise starts or ends in Amsterdam.
Looking for inspo? Browse the best hotels in Amsterdam for every budget
France
France tourist tax
£0.55 – £13.20 (€0.65 – €15.60) per person, per night
France says their tourist tax helps fund the development and promotion of tourism, allowing municipalities, like Paris, to cover the costs associated with welcoming tourists and preserving natural areas.
This tax applies to various types of accommodations, from hotels and bed & breakfasts to holiday villages and youth hostels, with the amount you pay depending on the area and type of accommodation you stay in.
In France, like many other European countries, the tourist tax you pay is actually made up of a few different taxes. There’s the basic municipal tax, plus the department (area) tax and the regional tax too. And then some regions, like Paris, even charge an extra regional tax on top of that!
Roughly speaking, you can expect to pay as little as 55p per night tourist tax for a stay in a campsite, and as high as £13.20 per night for a stay in a palace.
You can search the exact rate for the municipality you’re visiting by using a browser with a translate button to access the Entreprendre website.
Below is a breakdown of the amount of tourist tax in Paris for 2025.
Accommodation category | Rates per person, per night |
|---|---|
Palace | €15.60 |
5 star hotel or rental | €11.38 |
4 star hotel or rental | €8.45 |
3 star hotel or rental | €5.53 |
2 star hotel or rental | €3.25 |
1 star hotel or rental, bed and breakfast, hostel, holiday village | €2.60 |
3, 4 or 5 star campsite | €1.95 |
1 or 2 star campsite | €0.65 |
Looking for inspo? Browse the best hotels in Paris for every budget
Greece
Greece tourist tax
£1.70-£12.70 (€2-€15) per person, per night
In 2024, Greece renamed its tax to a climate resilience tax, and increased the amount to help it recover from a period of forest fires and floods.
The funds from this tax go towards improving infrastructure, supporting sustainability efforts and making the country more climate-resilient.
The amount travellers pay varies, depending on what area you stay in, the type of accommodation and whether you visit in low or high season. The fee ranges from £1.70 per person a night for budget hotels to £12.70 for high-end five-star hotels.
In July 2025, Greece launched a disembarkation fee of £16.90 (€20) in 2025 that will apply to cruise passengers visiting Mykonos and Santorini islands for the day in peak season. There is also a fee for all other Greek ports, but the fee depends on when you’re travelling.
You can check with the official tourism website of the region you plan to visit, or your hotel, to get the exact rates.
Looking for inspo? Check out my review of Dave Red Athens
Switzerland
Switzerland tourist tax
£2.25-£8.50 (CHF 2.50-9.50) per person, per night
In many Swiss cities, your tourist tax actually covers free public transport for the duration of your stay – you’ll get a free public transport pass from your hotel.
The amount you pay can vary quite a bit, depending on which area (canton) or town you visit. For example, Zurich is a flat rate of £2.95 (CHF 3.50) per person per night, whether you’re in a hostel or a fancy hotel. In posh resort town Montreux, you can pay as much as £8.50 (CHF 9.50) per night at 5 star accommodation.
It’s worth double checking the exact rate with the official tourism website of your planned destination or your hotel before you go.
Fancy a Christmas Market trip? Check out my review of Basel Christmas Markets
Spain
Spain tourist tax
£0.84-£6.35 (€0.60-€7.50) per person, per night
In Spain, some popular areas have introduced a tourist tax (sometimes called an ecotax) to help cover the costs of infrastructure, resources and amenities, and to manage visitor numbers during peak times.
Currently, the Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and parts of Catalonia, including Barcelona, have this tax in place. Barcelona also has an additional city tax of £3.40 (€4) per person per night, which the city is considering raising to £6.80 (€8) in 2025.
From 2025, the Mogán region of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands plans to charge a tourist tax of 13 pence (15 euro cents) per day, which anyone staying in its accommodation will need to pay – even if they are also island residents. It will be interesting to see how this rate changes year to year and whether other areas in the Canary Islands adopt a similar fee.
As with most destinations on this list, how much tax you pay will depend on the type of accommodation and the area you stay in.
Cruise ship passengers have to pay a tax in some popular places, for example £1.70 (€2) per person in high season for a day visit to the Balearic Islands, and up to £5.90 (€7) for Barcelona.
If you book an extended stay, you might find there’s a cap on the amount of tax you pay. For example you only need to pay the tax for a maximum of 7 nights in Barcelona, even if you stay for longer.
Italy
Italy tourist tax
£0.85-£8.45 (€1-€10) per person, per night
The amount of tourist tax you pay in Italy depends on the type of accommodation and where you’re staying. Right now, it ranges from £0.85 (€1) to £8.50 (€10) per night, but Italy is thinking about raising it to as much as £21.15 (€25) per night for the priciest hotel rooms.
Depending on where you stay, the fee may be capped at a certain number of nights, for example it’s capped at 7 nights in Florence and 10 nights in Rome.
Their goal is to encourage more responsible tourism and help fund essential services in areas that are heavily impacted by large numbers of visitors, especially during peak season.
Venice specifically also has a £4.25 (€5) access fee (in addition to tourist tax) that it charges some day-trippers who don’t stay overnight. This fee usually gets applied on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in high season, and doubles to £8.50 (€10) if you pay it under 4 days in advance.
It’s a good idea to check with your accommodation in the city or town you’re visiting to find out exactly how much the tourist tax will be.
Looking for inspo? Browse the best hotels in Rome for every budget
Brussels
Brussels tourist tax
£2.55-£4.25 (€3-€5) per person, per night
Brussels has three types of tourist tax. If you’re staying at a hotel, you’ll pay £4.25 (€5) per night, while those at bed and breakfasts, hostels, short-term rentals pay £3.40 (€4), and those at campsites pay £2.55 (€3). In addition you’ll pay a handful of extra cents in fees.
The money from tourist taxes is intended to help make up for lost revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as higher costs due to inflation and high energy prices.
Looking for inspo? Check out my stay in a castle just outside Brussels
What happens if I don’t pay the tourist tax?
If you skip on paying the tourist tax, you might run into some trouble. In most places, this tax is a government scheme and a legal requirement, so your hotel or accommodation is obligated to collect it. If you don’t pay, the hotel could refuse to let you stay, since they’d be responsible for covering the cost themselves.
Whether you’re a fan of them or not, tourist taxes are just one way that some places have chosen to protect their destinations and support the local economy. We just hope it helps keep these destinations a great place to visit for years to come!
