The 10 countries with the most expensive hidden fees for US travelers

Nothing comes cheap! The 10 countries with the most expensive hidden fees for US travelers

• A study looked at destinations that might sting you with hidden costs
• These include recommended vaccination costs and visa requirements 
• Germany was outed as having the most hidden travel fees for US travelers 

When you spot a cheap flight online, it’s easy to think you’ve bagged a bargain vacation.

However, a new study has revealed some destinations that might sting you with a spread of hidden costs, with these including recommended vaccination costs, visa requirements, tourist taxes, average travel costs, and potential healthcare costs.

After looking at a range of places on the map, travel advice site Goats on the Road has outed Germany as having the most hidden travel fees for Americans.

The biggest ‘hidden’ cost comes in the form of the recommended vaccinations, with Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever shots set to cost about $162.50.

After looking at a range of places on the map, travel advice site Goats on the Road has outed Germany as having the most hidden travel fees

In at second place on the costly travel list was Bhutan. It rocketed to the top due to its expensive ‘Sustainable Development Fee’ which is now $200 per day

Although no visa is required to visit, a tourist tax is enforced in some destinations, with the capital Berlin requiring visitors to pay five per cent of the net price of their accommodation. 

Based on the average price of a hotel in the city, analysts say you can expect to pay about $39.41. 

Countries with the costliest hidden travel fees

1. Germany

2. Bhutan

3. Saudi Arabia

4. Netherlands

5. Switzerland

6. Liberia

7. Belgium

8. Austria

9. Lebanon

10. Kuwait

Meanwhile, the average cost of public transport in the country was revealed as $3.03.

Goats on the Road also found that Germany has one of the most expensive healthcare scores, with the average cost of medical treatment per person per year totaling $6,503.36.

It says that this ‘indicates just how expensive a medical bill in the country could be.’

In at second place on the costly travel list was Bhutan.

It rocketed to the top due to its expensive ‘Sustainable Development Fee’ (the equivalent of tourism tax), which is now $200 per day, up from $65. 

The travel experts say that this means a week’s trip in Bhutan averages $1,400 per person. 

For a visa, prices are slightly lower at $40 per person, while the average transport fees are $1.98 per trip. 

Saudi Arabia scored third place in the study, with vaccination recommendations and visa costs creeping in at about $320 and $182 respectively, while the Netherlands trailed close behind with a tourist tax of seven per cent and average public transport costs as high as $3.47 per trip.

Rounding out the top five was Switzerland. 

The globetrotting squad said: ‘When it comes to hidden travel fees, you had better hope that you don’t get ill in Switzerland, as healthcare costs are expensive here. 

‘The average Swiss [racks] up $10,309.76 in medical fees per year, which is over $1,000 more expensive than the next highest country, Norway.’ 

In terms of individual expenses, Gambia was found to have the most expensive visa for Americans at $200, Bhutan had the costliest tourist tax at $200 and Norway had the heftiest public transport costs at an average of $4.13 per ride. 

Topping the charts with sky-high vaccination fees were Colombia, Niger, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Togo, Cameroon, Uganda, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Guinea, Benin and Liberia. 

All of these countries require vaccines against Yellow Fever, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever, with these inoculations averaging $470.

In terms of individual expenses, Gambia was found to have the most expensive visa for Americans at $200

Colombia was one of the countries topping the charts in terms of sky-high vaccination fees, with the required jabs totaling $470  

Norway had the heftiest public transport costs at an average of $4.13 per ride

At the other end of the scale, taking the top spot for the country with the least hidden travel fees is Kyrgyzstan. 

A relatively new tourist destination, the landlocked country in Central Asia doesn’t require tourists to obtain a visa when visiting or pay a tourist tax upon arrival, so there’s no extra cost required for these things. 

Countries with the lowest hidden travel fees

1. Kyrgyzstan

2. Kazakhstan

3. Mongolia

4. Nicaragua

5. Tunisia 

6. Albania

7. Ukraine

8. Solomon Islands

9. Moldova

10. Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan also has one of the cheapest transport costs at just $0.19 per journey on average.

The country’s neighbor, Kazakhstan, slid in at second place with having the least hidden costs. 

This region doesn’t require visitors to have a visa or pay tourist tax to enter the country – similar to Kyrgyzstan. 

When it comes to vaccination costs, Kazakhstan is much cheaper. Only Tetanus is recommended, which is estimated to cost about $27.50.

Rounding up the top three destinations with the least hidden costs is Mongolia, another Asian country.

It has the cheapest public transport costs with an average of $0.12 per trip.

However, the recommended vaccinations (Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever) can set you back a bit, at an estimated cost of about $162.50.

The cheapest non-Asian country in the study was Nicaragua in Central America. 

When it comes to hidden costs associated with visiting the country, Nicaragua scored well for the average transport cost, which is only $0.20 per trip. 

It also scored marks for the average amount of money spent on healthcare annually, which is just $161.20 per person.

As with many of the cheaper countries, Nicaragua doesn’t require tourists to pay for a visa or tourist tax upon arrival.

However, Nicaragua is one of the pricier countries in the top five for its travel vaccination requirements with Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever among the suggested jabs for visitors.  

Tunisia was the fifth least expensive country.

The analysts noted: ‘There aren’t any hidden costs when it comes to visas and tourist taxes, as Tunisia does not require tourists to acquire either of these to visit.

‘Taking public transport in Tunisia is also unlikely to break the bank, with an average cost per trip being $0.24. When it comes to healthcare, costs aren’t the cheapest, with an average cost of $221.68 per person per year.’

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