These are the cities in Italy with the highest tourist taxes, and what you need to know and should do before you travel.
Tourist taxes can go unnoticed
When planning a holiday in Italy it’s easy to fall for the beauty of Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice. But one detail that can go unnoticed until the final bill is the tourist tax. So, what exactly is it and why do tourists have to pay it? Tourism brings enormous economic benefits for a destination, but it also comes with social and environmental costs. Italian cities, overwhelmed by millions of visitors each year, use the tourist taxes to fund public services, urban maintenance, transportation, safety, and cultural initiatives, ensuring that tourism doesn’t weigh solely on residents’ shoulders.
Taxes have risen this year
This year several Italian cities have updated, and in some cases doubled, their rates. Milan now charges up to €7 per night per person in luxury hotels while Rome, in anticipation of the Jubilee, raised the cap to €10 per night in 5-star hotels. Florence is close behind with €8 for high-end stays, in Bologna the maximum is €7, and in Venice the tax varies seasonally reaching €5 for stays in 5-star hotels. This means that for a couple on a four-night holiday in an Italian art city the spend could tot up to €80 just on tourist tax.
Reductions for children and long stays
These tourist taxes also apply to short-term rentals, holiday homes, and B&Bs are also subject to these charges. Some cities do offer reductions for children, longer stays, or travelers visiting for health or study reasons. Others cap the number of nights subject to tax like Verona where the tax ranges from €1 to €5 depending on the hotel category, while vacation rentals pay a fixed fee. In Venice, the system is even more layered: in addition to the regular tourist tax, there’s also an “access contribution” or daily charge aimed at limiting overtourism.
Plan ahead by calculating the cost
So, the advice is to plan ahead by using the right tools like the Holidu calculator (https://www.holidu.it/magazine/citta-piu-care-al-mondo-per-tasse-di-soggiorno) to know exactly how much the tourist tax is going to add to a holiday. And then enjoy worry-free stays because Italy, with all its wonders, always delivers.
