Paying overnight levies and 50 cents to use a public toilet have become expected add-ons to a trip in Europe.
But now, tourists are being charged by the minute to shower on one beach in Spain.
Costa de la Luz beach, in Matalascanas, is trialling a new smart shower that requires beachgoers to pay via a QR code or with cash.
Introduced as a way to save water, it is estimated that a shower lasting less than one minute could cost around €1 (85p), The Telegraph reports.
This could mean a family of four would have to cough up €4 at the end of a day at the beach.
Locals are not impressed with the concept and one said: ‘I understand that water is important, but I think this is terrible. Do you have to shower with your mobile in your hand? More than one are going to stop working.’
Another commented on social media their concerns that more charges would be added and the shower only helps to ‘normalise paying for everything’.
Holidaymakers are frequently hit with other surprising charges when holidaying in Europe, read on to find out the additional fees you may have to pay on your next trip.
Costa de Luz beach, in Matalascañas, is trialling a pay-to-use shower
Appetisers you didn’t ask for AND a seat
In Italy, it’s common to find ‘coperto’ added to the end of your bill after dining in a restaurant.
When you sit down to eat in the UK, it’s usually expected that the seat and perhaps bread rolls and butter are free.
But in Italy, these can be charged for – usually a few euros per person – and it covers tableware, linen and bread or nibbles.
It confuses some and one holidaymaker posted on a tourism group on social media: ‘Currently in Venice and simply loving it but what is it with all the charges for bread and crisps?
‘We don’t order them, even when they are brought to the table we say ‘We haven’t ordered these,’ to which they reply it comes with the drinks and then we get charged!! Can we refuse to pay?’
Tourists have been surprised by an added ‘coperto’ charge on their bill in Italy
Sunbeds and parasols
Many would assume lounging on the beach is a free way to spend a sunny afternoon, but not in many holiday hotspots.
A lot of beaches and beach clubs charge for the use of sunbeds and parasols, and the cost can soon add up.
In fact, one beach in Palma, Majorca has increased the price of its sunbeds and umbrellas this summer, reaching highs of €70 (£60) in some cases.
Daily rates for standard versions of both items increase to €10 (£8.70) in 2026, up from €6 (£5.20) in 2019.
The new tariffs are part of updated seasonal beach services issued by Palma Council.
However, the price of premium loungers will soar to astronomical amounts – increasing from €30 (£26) to €45 (£39) per day, according to a study from the council.
Meanwhile, Balinese beds – luxurious, four-poster outdoor daybeds – will reach €70 (£60) in comparison to €45 (£39) previously.
Public beaches in Palma have been revealed to be charging up to €70 (£60) per day to use premium facilities.
Sunbeds and umbrellas are becoming a regular paid-for extra across Europe’s beaches
Extra plates and meal sharing
Sometimes, holidaymakers may opt to share a meal if they don’t feel up to eating a full portion, particularly if dining with a child who won’t finish everything.
But, this behaviour is being clamped down on and a family dining out in an Austrian pizzeria were left stunned after learning they would be charged €11 (£9.50) for sharing a single plate of food.
The unnamed father said he had taken his wife and children to a popular pizzeria in the Grieskirchen district in April, expecting a routine meal.
With the two children too young to finish a full portion of food, the parents planned to order one pizza for them to share.
But after scanning the menu more closely, they noticed an unusual policy.
‘Our pizzas are charged per person’, the restaurant noted, effectively prohibiting shared meals.
Sharing a meal can also add extra fees onto bills, as one family discovered in Austria (stock)
But with pizzas at the restaurant starting at €11, and prices rising to nearly €20 (£17.30) depending on toppings, the family would have faced a nearly €40 (£34.60) bill for two children to eat.
The move is part of a broader shift across Austria, where restaurants are increasingly introducing surcharges for shared dishes – referred to as ‘stolen dishes’, ‘thief’s plates’, or ‘freeloader plates’.
Customers requesting extra plates to divide a single meal can now face fees of up to €8 (£6.90), though businesses can enforce their own charge, or choose not to apply any at all.
In another case, a bar in Italy’s exclusive Lake Como sparked outrage in 2023 after it was revealed it charges customers an extra €2 (£1.70) just to cut their sandwiches in half.
One disgruntled customer shared a photograph of a receipt online as proof of the baffling charge.
The printout clearly shows the bar had charged them €2 for the privilege of cutting their sandwich in two.
Listed as ‘diviso da meta’ it translates into English as ‘divided in half’.
The total pushed the already pricey €7.50 (£6.46) ‘toast vegetariano e patatine’ – or veggie toast and crisps – up to €9.50.
Would you like ice with that?
Another tourist found herself paying extra for ice in her coffee in Spain
When paying for a drink, it’s often expected that any garnishes, like perhaps a slice of lemon, and ice are included in the price.
But that’s not the case in one Spanish beach bar in Costa del Sol.
Holidaymaker Viv Proops bought an iced coffee and found herself paying 50 cents extra for two ice cubes back in April, bringing her total bill to €4.50 (£3.90).
‘On Playa del Cristo beach today,’ she wrote in a Facebook group.
‘Ordered an ice coffee at Havana Beach Bar and was charged for a coffee and charged extra for 2 ice cubes. Is that normal?? Is ice always an extra billable item? Seems a bit petty minded in my opinion!!’
David Ramirez, who is a spokesperson for Havana Beach Bar according to The Independent, commented on the post: ‘You’re absolutely right that ice itself isn’t expensive, but what many don’t see is the real cost behind it.
‘We use a professional industrial ice machine that cost us over €9,800, and it consumes a significant amount of electricity daily.
‘On top of that, there’s the staff who prepare and serve the drinks, and the furniture and shaded seating we’ve invested in so our guests can enjoy their coffee comfortably right on the beach.
‘It might seem minor, but in this setting where everything is brought close to the sea with comfort in mind, small extras help cover the high operational costs….’
Bedding and towels
When paying for a hotel room, most tourists would assume bedding and towels are included in the price.
But some holidaymakers have found themselves caught out and charged extra for the basic necessities.
One tourist described on Tripadvisor their ‘rather odd situation’ they found themselves in regarding a booking they had made at a hotel in Florence.
They checked the booking details beforehand and initially made sure it had ‘AC, a safe’ and other key amenities. They ‘didn’t pay close attention to sheets and towels having an extra fee’.
Another holidaymaker claimed they were charged €34 (£29) ‘for sheets and towels for three people’ during a stay in Rome.
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