How to beat the top five holiday rip-offs

SKY-HIGH fees for withdrawing your own cash. Pricey organised tours. Having to fork out to relax on the beach. They are the rip-offs that make travellers’ blood boil, but you can avoid them.

Avoiding the ATMs while overseas could be a smart move. Picture: Thinkstock

SKY-HIGH fees for withdrawing your own cash. Pricey organised tours. Having to fork out to relax on sun loungers.

They are the holiday rip-offs that make travellers’ blood boil.

But in many cases, with some inside knowledge, those swindles will dwindle. So if you’re heading off on holidays soon, here’s how to beat the cheats.

1. Cost of withdrawing cash abroad

Most standard cash cards, debit cards and credit cards are likely to charge commission of around 3 per cent for withdrawals on holiday. You may also be hit with an ATM fee. If you’re making regular small withdrawals, the charges can soon mount up.

Beat it:

The easiest way to avoid withdrawal charges is, of course, not to make any withdrawals: work out a budget for your trip in advance and stock up on holiday cash before you leave. Alternatively, if you don’t want to travel with a large amount of cash, take a prepaid currency card. Many prepaid cards won’t charge you to make withdrawals overseas or a foreign transaction fee when you use them in shops and restaurants.

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2. Organised tours and excursions

We’ve all been there: the hard sell from the tour rep; the hours spent sweating on a coach with no air conditioning; only an hour at the tourist site you actually wanted to visit before being shuttled to a succession of restaurants, bars and shops, all paying the tour operator a commission.

Beat it:

If there’s a particular attraction you want to visit, ask at your hotel or the local tourist information office how to get there by public transport. The fare is likely to be considerably cheaper than an organised tour and you can spend the money you save in a restaurant or bar of your choice, rather than one owned by the bus driver’s brother!

3. Internet connection costs

It may be the digital age but that doesn’t stop some hotels charging up to $35 a day for an internet or WiFi connection.

Beat it:

Do your research on a hotel’s internet pricing policy before you book. The good news is that some hotel chains offer free in-room internet and WiFi for guests, putting pressure on the rest of the hospitality industry to follow suit. Alternatively, you could always try to live without the internet for a week or two. Or could you?

4. Late check-out fees at hotels

With some hotels charging up to half a day’s rate for late check-out, that extra hour in bed can prove costly.

Beat it:

Let’s be honest, late check-out fees are often the result of a final night bender, followed by a leaving-day hangover. Instead, why not have your last big night out on the penultimate night of your holiday, giving you a full 24 hours to recover? If you can’t resist the temptation of a last night splurge, invest in a loud alarm clock — but remember to set it before you go out!

Also, chat to the hotel staff before you go to sleep to see if you can extend your check-out time — sometimes they will agree to give you an extra hour or two for free.

5. Paying for sun loungers

You find the sun loungers you want at a nice spot on the beach. You apply suntan lotion to yourself and the kids then settle down for a nice snooze. Suddenly, a young man is standing over you, blocking your sun and demanding you pay euros per bed.

Beat it:

Yoga mats are cheap, light and, when combined with a beach towel, make an excellent and cost-effective alternative to pay-per-day sun loungers.

Read more travel tips at Skyscanner.

How to beat the top five holiday rip-offs