Among major European destinations, Amsterdam charges the highest tourist taxes in Europe when measured as a percentage of the room rate, at 12.5% of the overnight price. For flat per-person charges, Paris tops the table at €15.60 per person per night in palace-classified hotels, and Barcelona reaches €12.00 per person per night at five-star properties starting April 2026. What you actually pay depends on the city, your accommodation category, how many people are in the room, and in some places the season.
Amsterdam Charges 12.5% of the Room Rate
Amsterdam’s tourist tax is 12.5% of the overnight price, excluding VAT.1City of Amsterdam. Tourist Tax (Toeristenbelasting) No other major European city takes that large a percentage. The rate applies uniformly to hotels, short-term rentals, houseboats, and every other form of paid accommodation, with no separate per-person fee layered on top.2Lokale wet- en regelgeving. Verordening Toeristenbelasting 2024
The math is easy to run. On a €200-per-night hotel room, the tax is €25 per night. On a €400 room, €50. Four nights at the higher rate adds €200 to your lodging bill before you’ve spent anything on the city itself.
Paris Leads at the Luxury End
French law lets municipalities set a nightly tourist tax (taxe de séjour) within a statutory range that varies by accommodation category. For palace-classified hotels, the national ceiling is €4.00 per person per night.3Légifrance. Code General des Collectivites Territoriales – Taxe de Sejour Paris sets its base at the top of that range and adds a regional surcharge earmarked for Île-de-France transit, bringing the total to €15.60 per person per night at palace hotels.4Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tourist Tax – Accommodation
The per-person structure is what makes Paris expensive. A couple staying in a palace hotel pays €31.20 per night in tourist tax alone. Lower-tier accommodations pay far less, but at the top of the market, Paris rivals Amsterdam’s percentage tax in absolute terms.
Barcelona Adds a €5 City Surcharge on Every Room
Barcelona layers a municipal surcharge on top of the Catalan regional tourist tax. From April 1, 2026, the combined per-person, per-night rates are:5Agència Tributària de Catalunya. Tax on Stays in Tourism Establishments in Catalonia
- Five-star and grand luxe hotels: €12.00 (€7.00 regional + €5.00 city)
- Four-star hotels: €8.40 (€3.40 + €5.00)
- Tourist apartments: €9.50 (€4.50 + €5.00)
- Youth hostels: €6.00 (€1.00 + €5.00)
- Cruise passengers ashore 12 hours or less: €11.00 (€6.00 + €5.00)
The €5.00 municipal surcharge applies to every accommodation type, which is what makes Barcelona unusual. Even a hostel bed carries €6.00 per person per night. Add that up across a family or a week, and the city moves into the same range as Paris and Amsterdam.
Greece Charges Per Room, and the Rate Triples in Summer
Greece introduced a climate crisis resilience fee in 2024 under Article 30 of Law 5073/2023. It is charged per room rather than per person, and it swings hard by season and hotel star rating. From April through October, peak-season rates are:
- One- and two-star hotels or apartments: €2.00 per night
- Three-star hotels: €5.00 per night
- Four-star hotels: €10.00 per night
- Five-star hotels and large villas: €15.00 per night
From November through March, rates drop sharply, falling to €0.50 at the budget end and €4.00 at five-star hotels. Because the fee is per room, couples effectively split the cost. A week at a five-star resort in July still adds more than €100 to the bill.
Venice Charges Day-Trippers to Enter
Venice runs a different model. Instead of taxing overnight guests, the city charges a Contributo di Accesso to anyone entering the historic center on designated days. The fee applies only on specific dates from April through July 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.6Comune di Venezia. Venice Access Fee
What you pay depends on when you pay, not when you visit:
- €5 per person if paid at least four days before your access date
- €10 per person if paid within three days of your access date
The amount is the same regardless of age or group size for those who owe it.7Venezia Unica. What Is the Venice Access Fee Payment runs through Venice’s digital portal, which issues a QR code you may need to show. Skipping the fee carries an administrative fine of €25 to €150 per person, plus the unpaid €10.8Comune di Venezia. Contributo di Accesso
Several groups are exempt from both the fee and the registration: residents of the Municipality of Venice, residents of the broader Veneto Region, children under 14, and holders of a European Disability Card. Exempt visitors still need identity documents or proof of status.9Venezia Unica. Exemptions on Venice Access Fee Venice also charges a separate overnight tourist tax to hotel guests.
Percentage vs. Flat-Rate: How to Predict What You’ll Pay
European tourist taxes use one of two structures. Percentage-based taxes take a fixed share of the pre-VAT room rate. Amsterdam’s 12.5% is the highest of these; Berlin charges 5% and Vienna 3.2%. Cheap rooms generate small taxes, and luxury rooms generate large ones.
Flat-rate taxes charge a set amount per person per night, usually scaled by star rating. This is the more common model. Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Lisbon, and most Italian and Spanish cities all use it. A hostel guest might pay €1 to €2 while a five-star guest pays €5 to €15. Family travel amplifies flat rates fast because every guest is charged.
Season matters in a few destinations. Greece’s climate fee is roughly three to four times higher in summer than winter. Barcelona’s rates hold year-round, but the €5 municipal surcharge applies to every room regardless of tier.
Exemptions and Night Caps That Reduce the Bill
Most cities exempt children, though the age cutoff varies. Paris, Budapest, and Prague exempt everyone under 18. Rome draws the line at under 10. Croatia exempts children under 12 and gives a 50% discount for ages 12-18. Venice’s overnight tax exempts under-10s and halves the rate for ages 10-16.10Scottish Government. Transient Visitor Levy Consultation – Annex B
Travelers with disabilities are commonly exempt or eligible for reduced rates, and in several countries a companion or caregiver is covered too.10Scottish Government. Transient Visitor Levy Consultation – Annex B Rome exempts anyone accompanying a patient. Lisbon exempts visitors traveling for medical treatment, plus one extra night for recovery.
Many cities cap the number of taxable nights. Lisbon stops charging after seven nights per stay. Venice’s overnight tax applies for a maximum of five consecutive nights. Book a two-week trip and you pay the same tax as someone staying a week.
How and When You Pay
Your hotel or rental host almost always collects the tax. It appears as a separate line item at check-in or on the final bill. Some booking platforms bundle it into the displayed price; others don’t, and you pay at the property. If the total on a booking site looks lower than expected, assume the tax is being collected separately on arrival.
Venice’s day-tripper access fee is the outlier. You register and pay through the city’s portal before you arrive, and you carry the QR code with you.7Venezia Unica. What Is the Venice Access Fee Exempt visitors can get their own QR code through a separate registration page or carry a printed substitute declaration.9Venezia Unica. Exemptions on Venice Access Fee
ETIAS Is Not a Tourist Tax, but It’s a New Cost
Travelers from visa-exempt countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia will face a new entry requirement when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) launches in the last quarter of 2026. The authorization costs €20 per application, is valid for three years or until your passport expires, and covers entry to all Schengen Area countries. Applicants under 18 or over 70 pay nothing.11European Union. Frequently Asked Questions – ETIAS
ETIAS is not a tourist tax, but it’s a mandatory cost that didn’t exist before, and it has to be approved before you board your flight or cross a Schengen border. Apply early enough that a slow review doesn’t cost you the trip.