It’s the New Year and with it comes new travel fees for tourists. To be frank, this is profoundly unsurprising. There’s little else that local, regional, and national governments love more than levying a tax on tourists. There’s quite a bit of sense to it, they raise additional funding and they don’t anger their voter base. Before you cast me off as some anti-taxing cynic, I’m far from that. As tourists we are using the infrastructure of the area and are, quite honestly, often causing headaches for the locals as we swarm over their picturesque plazas and plateaus – we should probably help support the things we love to visit so they stay lovely to visit. With that, here’s a few substantial changes that you should know about.
England
The most important change starting February 25, 2026 is an entry fee/authorization from the United Kingdom. For many years, visitors from 85 countries have been able to enter the UK without a visa. Among that list are the United States, Canada, and France. Starting on the above date, visitors from those countries will need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA before their visit.
A prompt to obtain an ETA will be sent by air carriers before travel and the fee will be £16. The ETA is good for two years or until passport expiration, whichever is sooner. Once the ETA has been approved, the traveler can visit as many times as they wish until expiration of the ETA. Importantly, the need to acquire an ETA applies to those simply traveling through the United Kingdom on their way to another destination.
Lest you think that this can be paid upon entry, no, it must be paid for and approved before travel. If you do not have an ETA, you will be denied entry into the UK. The British government recommends that you allow for a minimum of 3 business days before your travel to obtain an ETA. They do note that most people currently receive a decision within minutes, but I would err on the safe side and give at least those 3 business days.
Mexico’s Archeological Sites
The ancient Mayans and Aztecs constructed some of the most stunning cities in all of history. Their beauty and complexity never cease to amaze visitors and impress upon them the scale of the society they built. Each year they attract tourists from all over the world to bask in their wonder, including us. This year it will be more expensive than before if you want to visit Mayan or Aztec sites in Mexico.
Nichole at Kohunlich Mayan Ruins in Mexico. (It was very bright that day)
Reportedly, the travel fees to enter the sites are increasing from 104 pesos to 209 pesos. Exchange rates shift but, at the time of writing, this is around $12 US. The stated increase appears to be for the most popular sites, like Chichén Itzá, Tulum, or Cobá. Other sites may see different increases in their price. Typically, these fees are rolled into the booking cost of excursions to the sites. Travelers to the locations will likely see an increase in the cost of booking the excursion rather than paying any fee when arriving at the park.
Rome’s Trevi Fountain
Although hardly the oldest structure in the city, Rome’s famed Trevi Fountain has certainly made a splash with tourists since its completion in 1762. Every day, the breathtaking Baroque water feature draws in thousands of visitors. That, it seems, has become a bit of a problem for the locals.
Starting this year, Rome will assess a €2 fee to enter the fountain. Before you read into that phrasing, no, you cannot enter the waters of the fountain. This also isn’t the only site in Rome that will introduce entry fees this year. The Napoleonic Museum, the Giovanni Barracco Museum, and the Villa of Maxentius will all be assessing entry fees.
These new fees come as European nations are grappling with ever-rising complaints about over tourism. Italy, in particular, has seen tourism explode in recent years. Popular ports like Venice and Rome have seen huge increases in the number of visitors. These fees are introduced to curb mass visitation or, at the very least, generate revenue to build infrastructure to better handle the massive influx of tourism.
I doubt that we’ve seen the last of these fees and, let me reiterate, I understand why many of them are being assessed. The more people travel, the harder it becomes to maintain an area. That being said, if you’d rather travel somewhere a little more off the beaten path, you may want to check out one of my favorite places in the world.
