The secret extra charges catching out Brits this summer: The rip-offs you need to avoid - with tourists having to pay additional fees for everything from HP sauce, ice cubes to place mats on the table!

Daily Mail​

28-04-2025

With warmer weather on the horizon, thousands of Brits are arranging their summer getaways, eager to bask in the sun and explore exotic locations.
Once the flights are booked, the bags packed, and the hotel secured, few things can dampen the spirits of excited holidaymakers.
Sunburn, hangovers, and pickpocketing are all strong contenders, but a new kind of pitfall is threatening to wreak havoc on Brits abroad.
Recently, a string of rip-offs has plagued holiday hotspots, creating chaos in typically idyllic destinations and sparking fury from holidaymakers who have fallen foul of the 'tourist traps'.
Disgruntled sunseekers have now warned of the cunning ways they were swindled in a bid to try and save a fellow tourist's holiday from jeopardy.
From having to pay additional fees for everything from HP sauce, ice cubes, and placemats, here are the secret extra charges leaving Brits out of pocket this summer.
34p charge for ice cubes
Just days ago a British woman was left fuming after being billed extra for two ice cubes at a Costa del Sol beach bar.
Brit Viv Proops, who visited the Havana Beach Bar in Estepona, took to social media to rant about the extra cost.
'On Playa del Cristo beach today. Ordered an ice coffee at Havana Beach Bar and was charged for a coffee and charged extra for two ice cubes. Is that normal?', the Brit wrote.
'Is ice always an extra billable item? Seems a bit petty minded in my opinion!!', she added.
Ms Proops said she was charged €4.50 (£3.80) for a coffee, and an additional 50 cents (34p) for ice cubes.
Social media users were quick to come to the tourist's defence, saying the extra charge was 'not normal' and branding the beach bar as a 'rip off'.
Ms Proops wasn't the only tourist who felt fleeced after visiting Havana Beach Bar.
In September last year, someone else left a one-star review and called it a 'tourist trap'.
They wrote: 'The Havana beach has only the name. A tourist caught in all its glory. 2 coffees are 5.60 more expensive than in St Tropez or in front of Strasbourg Cathedral. To avoid.'
£1 place setting fee
Another tourist had a similar experience in Costa del Sol when she was charged a 'ludicrous' fee for place setting at a restaurant.
Commenting on Ms Proops' Facebook post Ceri Helena Ward said: 'Crazy! I couldn't believe it when we were charged at cover charge of €1.50 (£1.30) each in the area, and when we asked what it was for, they said 'cutlery, napkins, table mats'.
Another tourist had a similar experience in the area when she was charged a 'ludicrous' fee for place setting
'I said we didn't eat, only had drinks, they said they would take the charge off. BUT why is a restaurant charging for these items as a separate thing?!
'Are we to eat with our hands or take our own items with us?! We live in Cómpeta, and before that Mallorca, we've never seen such a ludicrous charge before.'
43p charge for HP sauce
A Briton lashed out after being charged a 'rip-off' fee for a sachet of HP sauce in Benidorm earlier this month.
The tourist was visiting the holiday hotspot with her family before stopping for a peaceful breakfast at The 4 Kings bar on Avenida Mediterraneo.
The 4 Kings bar on Avenida Mediterraneo where the tourist was charged for the sauce
But things took a turn for the worst when the bill arrived with an unexpected fee added on to the total.
The sunseeker was shocked to discover she had been charged an extra €1 for two sachets of HP sauce, making them 50 (43p) each.
The holidaymaker shared a picture of her bill next to one of the sachets on a Benidorm Facebook page.
She wrote: 'Be careful going for breakfast in this place, €1 for two HP sachets, rip off.'
The Briton's order consisted of two 'jumbo' breakfasts, a jug of orange juice, one coffee and two sachets of brown sauce, which came in at just €15.90.
£5 toast in Sevilla
A traveller was gobsmacked by the price of his breakfast in the heart of Sevilla.
Julio Escobar took to X to complain about his €8.50 (£7.20) bill at Bar Adriana, formerly Bar Gonzalo, this week.
He had ordered a small black coffee costing €2.50 (£2.10) and regular sliced ham on toast with olive oil priced at €6 (£5.10).
Typically this would not cost more than €5 (£4.20) in Andalucia.
But, the bar was right beside the Catedral de Sevilla in the heart of the historic centre, where prices are usually higher due to it being a tourist hotspot.
Escobar wrote a message on X directed at the Junta de Andalucia and Mayor Jose Luis Sanz.
He said: 'Armed robbery: old Bar Gonzalo. Breakfast: black coffee and toast with olive oil and york… The bill: €8.50. Is this the reality we want for Sevilla?'
He added: 'The Mayor has enough on his plate governing a city under brutal tourist pressure, inherited and fostered by all the business lobbies.
'He's certainly not to blame for the rising prices of establishments, but it's good for him to know about it.'
Some shared Escobar's outrage, and commented their thoughts on his post.
One person said: 'What madness! Did they put it in gold leaf?… A good piece of bread is worth €1 at most.'
Another added: 'The historic centres of cities, not only in Spain but in Europe, and if you ask me, all over the world, no longer belong to their inhabitants; they're a money-making machine left in the hands of a few. They have too many of us. They've taken it away from us.'
However a few claimed that high prices can be expected due to the location, where business owners face much higher rents.
One said: 'My darling you are in the centre and that bar has to pay tax. It's not going to cost you €2.'
£11 for two drinks
In Malaga a simple round in the sun triggered an intense debate about drink prices in Spain after a TikTok user revealed what he paid for a pint of beer there.
The video, posted by @enpatines1993 in April, shows a €13 (£11) bill for just two drinks – €8 (£7) for the pint, and €5 (£4) for the tinto.
'We've just been robbed in the centre of Malaga,' he wrote. 'What a rip-off. Won't be coming back,' the user added.
TikTokers flocked to the comments section to share their opinion on the prices.
Some were quick to point out that the pint in question wasn't your bog-standard lager, but a premium Paulaner.
Others leapt in to defend the bar, listing all the things your pint is really paying for such as terrace fees and VAT to wages and expensive city centre rents.
However, not everyone was convinced. with one person saying: 'They've put the prices up for Easter. It doesn't usually cost that much there. It's a rip-off.'
£130 for a takeaway
Just days earlier, in nearby Marbella, yet another row erupted over 'absolutely ridiculous charges' when a British man was left floored by a restaurant bill.
Harry, who posts on TikTok as @harrytokky, lives in Benidorm but recently visited a resort just outside of Marbella.
He took to the platform to talk about the high prices saying, 'The prices are absolutely ridiculous. For a meal in a restaurant here, you're going to be looking at anywhere between €50 (£40) and €75 (£64) for one person.
'If you're lucky, you might get a good meal for two people for around 70 to 80 quid. I went to a Chinese restaurant last night and spent nearly 150 Euros.
'Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely brilliant, but then on the other side of the spectrum, I could be in Benidorm and get three different meals at a Chinese restaurant for the same money. So it is very, very expensive, but it is a different way of life here.'
£44 for some sandwiches
A woman was shocked when she was handed a €52 (£44) bill for two sandwiches and two juices after having lunch with her son in Rome.
She said: 'On Tuesday I was with my son at Piazza del Popolo, he was hungry (he is 9 years old).
'I thought: 'Let's stop at Rosati and have a sandwich and a juice.'
'I knew Rosati as I had been there more than once with my husband. So we sat in the indoor room and order two sandwiches and two juices.'
She continued: 'Without a placemat or anything else, the toasts are served to us on a single plate with two paper napkins. For the modest sum of 52.37 euros (£44).
'If this isn't theft... With 8 euros (£7) just for the service... What service!?'
Locals are becoming increasingly fed up with the rise in costs in tourist hot-spots, arguing that holidaymakers are to blame for increased prices.
Earlier this month, tens of thousands of furious Spaniards took to the streets across the country to demand a solution to a housing crisis that they say has been fueled by mass tourism.
The demonstrations in major Spanish towns and cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca come as the country finds itself struggling to balance the promotion of tourism and addressing citizens' concerns over increasing housing costs.
Lunch for £85
A café near Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome has been slammed for being a 'tourist trap' by angry customers who claim they've been ripped off.
Tourists have been warned to stay away from the Italian diner, which serves a selection of food including sandwiches, pizzas and desserts. Coffees and other drinks are also available.
Bar Moretto (Caffe Moretto), located right by Vatican City, was accused of 'daylight robbery' in 2023, with dozens of disgruntled customers on TripAdvisor claiming that they'd been charged extortionate prices for food that tastes 'terrible'.
A tourist from Saudi Arabia shared their hefty receipt for €143, claiming that the bill comes up to much higher than what visitors are led to believe
Visitors also said that they felt pressured to tip, with one traveller telling FEMAIL that she saw customers get 'chased by an angry waiter' for gratuity.
'It was a classic waiters outside trying to get you in by being lovely, and then being charged over €100 (£85) for two rubbish pastas and two cokes,' she added.
'The menu's outside had prices (but the waiters ushered you in so quickly you couldn't see) and then the menu's inside were pictures only.'
Another tourist from Saudi Arabia shared their hefty receipt for €143 (£121), claiming that the bill comes up to much higher than what visitors are led to believe.
'To all tourists who will visit in Vatican...BEWARE of this restaurant,' he wrote.
Of 1,511 reviews on TripAdvisor, 648 rated the restaurant 'terrible', the lowest ranking available on the site
Of 1,511 reviews on TripAdvisor, 648 rated the restaurant 'terrible', the lowest ranking available on the site.
The café doesn't fare much better on Google Reviews, where it has an average score of 1.5 stars out of 5.
£340 for a snack
DK Oyster in Mykonos, Greece, faced a string of complaints from outraged tourists who said were overcharged for their meals and drinks.
Although the oyster bar boasts the 'ultimate luxury experience', several people received the shock of their lives when presented with the bill.
From a pair of honeymooners who say they were charged €29 (£25( per oyster, to a couple who paid almost €820 (£700) for drinks, appetisers and a salad - some customers say they feel fleeced.
Alex and Lindsay Breen, from Toronto, Canada, were supposed to be having the time of their lives while on honeymoon in Mykonos, Greece, in May 2022. The couple say they were charged almost €407 (£350) for a beer, a cocktail and a dozen oysters
One furious couple sounded the alarm after being slapped with an exorbitant bill for a 'quick snack' and some drinks.
Alex and Lindsay Breen, from Toronto, Canada, were supposed to be having the time of their lives while on honeymoon in Mykonos, Greece, in May 2022.
However, the couple, both 31, were soon living a nightmare when DK Oyster charged them almost €400 (£340) for a beer, a cocktail and a dozen oysters.
The Breens claim that restaurant staff failed to give them a drinks menu with prices before shocking them with the astronomical sum.
They also accused the restaurant of taking them to a back room to pay, rather than presenting them with the bill at the table.
And when they quizzed staff for a breakdown, they were shown a computer screen which was all in Greek.