What Are the Extra Costs at Hostels? City Tax, Late Check-In & More
You found a dorm bed for €12 a night. Brilliant. Then you get to checkout and somehow the total is €18. If that’s ever happened to you, you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not being scammed. There’s a real, fairly predictable gap between the price you see when browsing and the price you actually pay at a hostel, and almost all of it comes down to a small handful of extra costs when booking a hostel that most travellers only learn about the hard way.
The good news? None of these costs are hidden if you know where to look. City tax, towel hire, late check-in fees, lockers, breakfast add-ons and booking fees follow patterns that repeat across almost every hostel in Europe. Once you know the pattern, you can budget properly and stop being surprised at the front desk. For a full breakdown of what a trip actually costs day to day, our guide on backpacking through Europe: how much does it cost is worth a read alongside this one. Let’s go through each extra cost.
💶 What Is City Tax and Why Do Hostels Charge It?
City tax (also called tourist tax or occupancy tax) is a small charge that local governments add to overnight stays, and hostels are required by law to collect it just like hotels. It’s not a Hostelworld fee and it’s not something the hostel keeps. It goes straight to the municipality to help fund tourism infrastructure, waste management and, increasingly, housing and crowd-control measures in overtouristed cities.
Most of Europe charges it one of two ways:
- A flat fee per person, per night (common in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal), often scaled to the accommodation type or star rating
- A percentage of the room price (used in the Netherlands and parts of Germany), which can add up fast on longer stays
It’s almost always collected in cash, at check-in or check-out, so keep small change on hand. Hostel dorms are typically charged at the lowest available rate, but the tax still isn’t included in the price shown when you search, which is exactly why it catches people off guard. Scroll down to our country-by-country city tax guide before you book, so there are no surprises at the desk.
🧺 Do You Need to Pay for Towels and Linen at a Hostel?
Bed linen is included at the vast majority of hostels today. It’s towels where things get inconsistent, and this is one of those genuinely 50/50 situations depending on where you stay.
Here’s the general pattern:
| What | Usually included? |
|---|---|
| Bed sheets and pillowcase | Yes, almost always |
| Blanket or duvet | Yes |
| Bath towel | Often extra (€1 to €3 rental, or bring your own) |
| Beach towel | Rarely included anywhere |
Our honest tip: pack a quick-dry travel towel. It weighs almost nothing, dries overnight, and saves you rental fees at every single hostel on a multi-stop trip. Our full hostel packing list covers exactly what’s worth bringing and what to leave at home, towel included. If you forget, most reception desks rent one for a couple of euros, sometimes with a small deposit that’s refunded when you return it.
🌙 What Happens If You Check In Late at a Hostel?
Late check-in fees exist for one simple reason: someone has to stay awake to let you in. Many hostels run reception until 10pm or midnight, and arriving after that cutoff often triggers a fee, anywhere from €5 to €25 depending on the property and how late you actually are.
A few things worth knowing before you land at 2am with no plan:
- Check the listed reception hours before you book, not after.
- Message the hostel directly if your flight or train lands late. Many will waive the fee if you give notice.
- Some hostels use a lockbox or self-check-in code for late arrivals instead of charging extra.
- Missing the cutoff entirely without warning can, in rare cases, mean losing the booking altogether.
Booking a hostel that offers 24-hour reception removes this problem completely, and it’s worth the small price difference if you’re arriving on a red-eye. If your travel plans change last minute, our guide on what to do if your flight is cancelled has useful steps for finding a bed at short notice.
🔒 Are Lockers Free at Hostels? Locker Fees and Security Deposits
This one genuinely varies hostel by hostel, and it’s one of the most googled questions on the topic for a reason.
Some hostels build a locker into every bed as standard. Others charge a small daily fee, usually €1 to €3, or ask for a refundable deposit on the physical padlock. Bring your own combination lock if you can. It avoids deposit hassle entirely and means you’re not relying on the hostel having one spare when you check in.
A quick reality check: lockers are usually sized for a daypack, passport and laptop, not a full 60L backpack. If security is a top priority for you, filter for hostels that specifically list “lockers included” rather than assuming it’s standard everywhere, because it genuinely isn’t yet.
🥐 Are Hostel Breakfast Add-Ons Worth It?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends entirely on what’s on offer and what it costs locally to replicate yourself.
A basic continental spread (bread, jam, coffee, maybe fruit) for €3 to €6 is usually worth it purely for convenience, especially if you’re catching an early train. A big hot buffet at €10+ competes directly with a proper café breakfast in most cities and isn’t always the better deal.
Quick gut check before you add it to your booking:
- Is there a supermarket within a five minute walk? If yes, self-catering usually wins on price.
- Are you leaving early and want zero friction? Paying for breakfast wins on convenience.
- Does the hostel kitchen let you cook your own eggs and toast for the cost of ingredients? That’s almost always the cheapest option of all.
💳 What Booking Fees and Cancellation Costs Should You Expect?
Booking fees on hostel platforms are typically small, often a percentage of the total or a flat amount added at checkout, and they cover payment processing and the platform itself rather than being extra hostel profit.
Cancellation policies matter more than the booking fee itself. Broadly, you’ll see three tiers:
- Free cancellation up to a set date (often 24 to 48 hours before arrival)
- Partial refund policies, where you lose the first night or a percentage
- Non-refundable rates, usually a few euros cheaper upfront in exchange for zero flexibility
If your plans are even slightly uncertain, the free cancellation rate is worth the small price bump nearly every time. Losing a full non-refundable booking because of a delayed flight costs far more than the few euros you saved choosing it. Our guide on planning a budget trip has more on the tools that help you compare policies like these before you commit.
📱 How Does Hostelworld Show You the Total Price?
Transparency has become a bigger focus across travel booking generally, and Hostelworld is designed to show you as much of the real cost as possible before you commit. Booking fees and any platform charges are shown clearly before payment, so what you see at checkout is what leaves your card that day.
City tax is the one cost that typically can’t be shown upfront, simply because it’s collected locally by the hostel itself rather than through the platform, and rates change by city, season and even room type. That’s exactly why we’ve built the country breakdown below. Check it before you travel, keep a bit of cash aside for it, and the “surprise” at checkout stops being a surprise at all.
🌍 How Much Is City Tax in Europe? Country by Country
Rates shift often, sometimes mid-year, so treat this as a planning guide rather than gospel. Always confirm the exact amount with your hostel directly, since city-level rules can differ from the national picture.
| Country | Typical hostel city tax | How it’s charged |
|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | Roughly €0.20 to €2 per person, per night | Flat fee, varies by city and can carry regional surcharges (Paris is on the higher end) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Roughly €1 to €4 per person, per night | Set by each comune (city council), Rome and Venice sit near the top |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Roughly €0.50 to €4 per person, per night | Regional, with Catalonia and the Balearics charging more than most other areas |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Around 5% of the room rate in cities like Berlin | Percentage-based in most participating cities |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Around 12.5% of the booking total | Percentage-based, among the highest in Europe |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | Around €2 per person, per night in participating cities | Flat fee, set locally (only some of Portugal’s municipalities currently charge it) |
| 🇬🇧 UK | No nationwide tax yet, though Edinburgh introduced a 5% visitor levy in 2026 | Varies by nation and city, still evolving |
🇫🇷 Backpacking France
From Paris to the beaches of Hossegor, France’s hostel scene spans big cities and coastal towns alike. Budget a small amount of cash per night for the local tourist tax on top of your room rate. Our roundup of the best hostels in France is a good place to start planning where to stay.
🇮🇹 Backpacking Italy
Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan all charge their own version of city tax, usually collected in cash at checkout. Rates are generally higher in the most visited historic centres. Check out our guide to the best hostels in Italy for options in every one of those cities.
🇪🇸 Backpacking Spain
Barcelona and the Balearic Islands currently charge more than most other Spanish regions, so factor that in if your route runs through Catalonia. Our best hostels in Spain guide covers the cities where it’s most worth budgeting for.
🇩🇪 Backpacking Germany
Because Germany’s tax is often a percentage of the room price rather than a flat fee, it scales with what you’re paying, which usually keeps it low for hostel dorm rates specifically. See our list of the best hostels in Germany, including our dedicated best hostels in Berlin guide.
🇳🇱 Backpacking the Netherlands
Book Hostels In The Netherlands
Amsterdam’s tax is percentage-based and one of the highest in Europe, so it’s worth checking the exact total before you book rather than after. Our guide to the best hostels in Amsterdam is a great next stop, and if nightlife is the priority, the best party hostels in Amsterdam also flags the local city tax rate to expect.
🇵🇹 Backpacking Portugal
Not every Portuguese town charges city tax, but Lisbon and Porto both do. It’s a small, flat, predictable amount. Browse the best hostels in Lisbon or our wider Portugal travel guides for more on where to stay.
🇬🇧 Backpacking the UK
The UK doesn’t have a nationwide tourist tax yet, though that’s actively changing city by city, so check the latest local rules before you travel. Have a look at the best hostels in the UK or our best hostels in London list to start planning.
The Bottom Line on Hostel Extra Costs
None of these costs should stop you booking a hostel. Once you know the usual extra costs at hostels, budgeting for them takes about thirty seconds: a few euros for city tax, a couple more if you skip packing a towel, and a clear read of the cancellation policy before you commit. Do that, and the price you see when you book ends up matching, or coming very close to, the price you actually pay at checkout. That’s the whole point of knowing this stuff in advance: fewer surprises, more money left over for the parts of the trip that actually matter. Ready to book? Browse hostels worldwide on Hostelworld and see the full price breakdown before you confirm.
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❓FAQs: Extra Costs at Hostels
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