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title: "Travel budget: how to work it out properly | Gigapass"
description: "Flights and hotel are half of it. How to estimate the other half, which line always gets forgotten and how much slack to leave."
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# Working out a travel budget: the method that does not miss

> Flights and hotel are half of it. How to estimate the other half, which line always gets forgotten and how much slack to leave.

[Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › Working out a travel budget: the method that does not miss

Money and insurance

Flights and hotel are half of it. How to estimate the other half, which line always gets forgotten and how much slack to leave.

**Claudia Ferrán** 10 Aug 2026 6 min Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash

In this article › The six lines › The average day trick › The slack › And keeping track without souring the trip

Almost every travel budget goes wrong in the same place: you count what you book and not what you spend. Flights and accommodation get written down precisely, and the rest gets estimated with optimism.

## The six lines

| Line | How to estimate it |
| --- | --- |
| Long-haul transport | Real price with luggage and seats included |
| Accommodation | With tourist taxes, which are paid separately |
| Local transport | Airport transfers and daily journeys |
| Food | An average day's cost times the days, with no optimism |
| Activities and tickets | The ones you already know you will do |
| Fixed costs of the trip | Insurance, permits, data and adaptors |

That last row is the one that never appears and always gets paid: insurance, the entry permit, the data plan and the four things you have to buy before you leave.

## The average day trick

Rather than estimating line by line, estimate a full day of spending at the destination: breakfast, lunch, dinner, transport and one ticket. Multiply it by the days and add 20%. That number is far closer to reality than any line-by-line sum.

> A travel budget with no slack is not a budget: it is a wish list.

## The slack

- 15% for ordinary surprises: an unplanned taxi, a pricier ticket, a pharmacy.
- And a separate reserve for the serious stuff: an early flight home or an extra hotel night.
- That reserve is not touched during the trip, which is why it is best kept in another account or on another card.

## And keeping track without souring the trip

Writing down every coffee ruins a holiday. Checking your balance every two or three days is enough to correct course in time, and that is all it takes.

For the data line, which is the easiest one to get wrong, see [how much data you really use on a trip](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/how-much-data-do-i-need-to-travel).

City tourist taxes are nearly always paid at the accommodation and separately from the booked price. On trips through several cities they add up more than you would think.

Know where you're going?

Pick your destination, days and data. Install it before you leave and pay once.

[See destinations](https://getgigapass.com/en#destinos)

Claudia FerránLong trips and remote work

She has worked from wherever she happened to be for six years. She works out the data for a trip the way you'd work out the petrol, and she rarely gets it wrong.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I work out a travel budget?**

Estimate a full day of spending at the destination, multiply by the days and add 20%. Then add long-haul transport, accommodation and the fixed costs of the trip.

**Which line always gets forgotten?**

The fixed ones: insurance, entry permits, the data plan and the purchases before you leave. Plus the accommodation's tourist taxes.

**How much slack should I leave?**

15% for ordinary surprises and a separate, untouchable reserve for the serious stuff.

**Do I have to write down every expense?**

You do not: checking your balance every two or three days is enough to correct course in time.

## Keep reading

- [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/vat-refund-for-travellers) | VAT refunds for travellers: how it works and when it is worth it | 5 min
- [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/working-from-another-country-tax) | Working from another country: the tax questions to ask yourself | 6 min
- [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/customs-shopping-abroad) | Shopping abroad: what you can bring back and what has to be declared | 5 min