Home · Holiday costs
Hidden costs

The hidden costs of a Benidorm holiday

The costs nobody mentions until you are standing at the counter. Ranked by how much they can cost a couple in a week.

CostHow muchHow to avoid it
Paying in pounds at the till or ATM3–12% on top Mastercard, 2025Always choose euros
Apartment deposits€150–200, sometimes kept for small things what holidaymakers told us, 2026Pay by card, photograph the room on arrival and leaving
Tourist street cash machines€2.95–12 a withdrawal Spanish bank fees, Oct 2026Use a bank's own machine (€0–5.50); take out larger amounts less often
High-street card fees2.99%, at least £1.50 a withdrawal and 50p+ a purchase on many cards MoneySavingExpert, Aug 2026Use a no-fee travel card
Room safe€3–3.50 a day, €20–22 a stay what holidaymakers told us, 2026Ask before you book; some packages include it
Bread, aioli or tapas you didn't order€2–2.50 a roll, €10–20 a table what holidaymakers told us, 2026Send it back or ask the price
Phone roaming£2–2.75 a day per phone on some networks MoneySuperMarket, Jun 2026; Saily, Oct 2026An eSIM or a network with roaming included
Car hire desk insuranceup to £42 a day MoneySavingExpert, Jun 2026Standalone excess cover, about £17 a week
Airport taxi to Benidorm€90–100 Radio Taxi Benidorm, 2026; ALSA, Oct 2026ALSA coach, €7.99
Café terrace surcharges€0.50–3.60 to sit down what holidaymakers told us, 2026Take ice creams away
Water park extras€8 each for sunbeds, rings and lockers, €9 parking what holidaymakers told us, 2026; Aqualandia, Oct 2026Budget for them or bring your own towel and lock
Apartment air-con€7.50–10 a day what holidaymakers told us, 2026Ask before you book
Pool towel deposit€10–20 what holidaymakers told us, 2026Get a receipt and return it on time
UK airport drop-off£4.50–£10 for a few minutes RAC, Oct 2026Use the free drop-off where there is one
Airport snacks and waterabout twice the supermarket price MoneySuperMarket, Nov 2025Pack them; bring an empty bottle

No tourist tax

Benidorm has no tourist tax in 2026. The Valencian region passed one in 2022, never started it, and repealed it in November 2023. Bills to bring it back were rejected in May 2026. Valencian tax debate, 2026

Dear Brenda

We listen. Each letter is built from many real comments on the same subject, combined so that nothing identifies anyone.

Dear Brenda, we'd paid for our apartment in full before we flew, so when reception asked for another €200 on arrival we were stunned. Nobody had mentioned it. They took it from my card, not just a hold. A friend lost €50 of hers for leaving two plates in the sink, and I've been chasing my refund for a fortnight. Is this normal?

A regular visitor, on apartment deposits

Brenda: Sadly common: many Benidorm apartments take €150–200 on arrival even when you've prepaid. Pay it by credit card, photograph the place when you arrive and when you leave, get a receipt, and ask in writing when it will be refunded. If it isn't, your card company can help.

Dear Brenda, our four-star hotel charged €22 for the safe, which wasn't mentioned when we booked, and wanted a €20 deposit for a pool towel that they then tried not to give back. Friends paid €7.50 a day for air-con in their apartment. It feels like we've been nickel-and-dimed. Which of these should I expect?

A couple, on hotel extras

Brenda: Expect the safe (€3–3.50 a day) and a towel deposit (€10–20) at many hotels, and air-con charges at some apartments. Ask about all three before you book, keep the towel receipt, and some packages include the safe, so check.

Dear Brenda, the waiter put bread and aioli on the table without asking. We thought it was a nice touch until the bill came with €2.50 for every roll. Another night the 'complimentary' chips were on the bill too, and the menu didn't show drink prices. How do I stop this without making a scene?

A couple, on eating out

Brenda: A polite 'no gracias' when it arrives is enough; nobody minds. If you want it, ask the price. Order where prices are on the menu, and check the bill before you pay. It is a small cost, but it adds up to €10–20 a table.

More on what Benidorm really costs

Where you'll overspend in Benidorm, and by how much

An honest check: answer six questions and see where your money really goes.

What the package price doesn't tell you

Flights, transfer and hotel are in. Half the holiday isn't.

Why every family overspends in Benidorm, and by how much

Families budget £766 and go over by £323. Here's where.

10 ways to save on your next Benidorm holiday

Ten changes, each with the saving in pounds.

Benidorm holiday costs by category

Every cost, one line at a time, with the cheapest way to pay.

How a family saves over £200 on a Benidorm week

Six changes that save a family of four £234.

Airport shockers: what eating at the airport really costs

A £10.05 pint, a £65 breakfast, £4 water. What eating at the airport costs a family, and where to eat for less.

Benidorm prices that have gone up

Hotels up 6.7% this year; a family meal up two-thirds since 2016, after inflation.

10 free tools on Benidorm.co.uk that save you money

Free calculators and price checks built for this site.

Is all-inclusive worth it in Benidorm?

33 hotels priced: when all-inclusive pays and when it doesn't.

A Benidorm holiday then and now: 1976 to 2026

A Benidorm week still costs a week's wages, as in 1976.

Sources

About us · How we earn · How we score · How Brenda works · Editorial policy · Is Benidorm safe? · Practical guide · Cheapest time to go · Sitemap

Benidorm.co.uk is an independent guide. Hotel and tour links are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we recommend. Prices change; each table shows the date we checked it.