Money latest: Tourist tax warning - here are 10 cities in Europe where you'll need to pay (2024)

The day began with the release of the latest inflation figures by the Office for National Statistics at 7am.

Inflation fell to 3.2%, though economists had predicted it would ease further, to 3.1%.

We've dug into the ONS data, which shows that food prices were among the biggest drivers of the inflation drop in March.

This chart, updated with figures released today, shows food and non-alcoholic drinks fell by 0.11 percentage points last month.

"Once again, food prices were the main reason for the fall, with prices rising by less than we saw a year ago," Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS, said.

This helped bring inflation to its lowest rate for two-and-a-half years.

Other big downwards drivers included furniture and household goods, and clothing and footwear.

At the other end of the scale, the largest upward contributions came from communication and transport.

By Mickey Carroll, science and technology reporter

"I had just woken up and I got an email that said, 'We're going to have a company-wide meeting'. I knew right away."

James (not his real name) was visiting his family earlier this year when he saw the message.

"I started thinking about everything I was set to lose."

He had worked as a game designer at one of the UK's biggest video game studios for nearly a decade. It was a job he loved and had dreamt of since he was nine years old. But recently he had been worried.

All around him, friends in the gaming industry were being let go.

"My mind was racing, what could I do? I wasn't going to be the only one job-seeking at the moment because there were so many layoffs. They all happened at the same time."

He went to the meeting, where his worst fears were confirmed. The company's chief executive said around 25% of people at the studio would be cut. James was one of them.

Gaming is an anxious world right now. There's been more than 8,000 jobs cut globally since the start of this year and in March, the number of available jobs in the UK hit a record low, according to the report Games Jobs Live.

But in London, as the BAFTA Games Awards 2024 rolled around last week, gamers could just enjoy themselves.

Read the full story here...

B&M has said it will open at least 45 stores across the UK in the next year.

It comes after the discount chain recorded a 10.1% revenue increase in its 2023/24 financial year, with its UK arm seeing sales rise by 8.5% to £4.4bn.

The company currently trades from 741 stores in the UK under the B&M brand, 335 stores under the Heron Foods and B&M Express brands, and from 124 stores in France.

Chief executive Alex Russo said the group's "relentless focus on everyday low prices, great product ranges and excellence in operational standards" had chimed with customers.

Miss getting a Tango Ice Blast at the cinema? Well, its creator has announced it's releasing limited edition drinks in their iconic flavours.

The fizzy frozen treat has slowly been disappearing from cinemas since 2019 when Cineworld stopped selling it, and opted to replace it with the Icee product created by Vimto.

Fans have been disappointed by the decision since then and it seems its owner Britvic has finally produced a drink to satiate their taste buds.

The drinks company has unveiled its new Tango Raspberry Blast and Cherry Blast drinks, which will be sold exclusively in convenience stores.

The on-the-go, vegan friendly soft drink will be available from 22 April.

"Tango's latest launch will look to engage Gen Z shoppers with its bold flavours, striking colours and eye-catching packaging," Britvic said.

"We expect the launch to appeal to fans of the brand who have come to expect something bold and different from Tango, while attracting new shoppers too."

Some drivers are being charged nearly 40% APR when paying for their car insurance monthly, according to Which?.

The consumer champion asked 39 car insurers what APRs were being applied to monthly payments and, while many didn't respond, it found several that were charging similar interest rates to credit cards.

Among those that did respond, Which? found that 1st Central charges between 5% and 39.11%.

It gives customers a personal interest rate after a credit risk assessment, Which? said.

1st Central said: "We understand it is important to customers that we keep the price of insurance as low as possible - and benchmarking tells us that we are competitive for both annual premiums and for those that wish to pay monthly through a credit arrangement.

"We offer a range of APRs from 5% to enable us to provide credit to as many customers wishing to pay monthly as possible, including those with low or poor credit scores. Over the past quarter less than 2% of customers paid our highest APR."

The average rate offered by insurers was found to be 23.37%.

Only two car insurers asked - NFU Mutual and Hiscox - said they do not charge interest on monthly repayments.

What about home insurance?

Which? also looked into the rates being charged on home insurance and found some insurers were charging nearly 35% APR on monthly payments.

The highest rate in the study was from Co-op Insurance, which charges between 31.31% to 34.75% APR on monthly payments.

The average across the providers that charge a rate and disclosed it was 23%.

Co-op Insurance works with partners to provide insurance cover - and it said it is looking to reduce rates where possible. It added that it chose to share its rates with Which? as it is committed to transparency.

Fifteen home insurance providers surveyed said they do not charge interest: Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Hiscox, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, MBNA, M&S Bank, Nationwide Building Society, NFU Mutual, SAGIC, Sainsbury's Bank, Santander, TSB, Urban Jungle and Yorkshire Building Society.

Nearly one in five first-time buyers are now in their 40s, data from Santander has shown.

Around 6,000 agreement in principles were completed for people aged 40-49 by Santander in 2024 alone, its homeownership report found.

The oldest person to get their foot on the property ladder was 67 - nearly double the average first time buyer age of 36.

Graham Sellar, head of business development, mortgages at Santander, said there were a number of reasons more people were opting to rent or live with their families until later in life.

"At Santander, we know it can be challenging to save for a deposit and get onto the property ladder, especially for those also juggling rental payments," he said.

"However, we are here to help our customers in whatever ways we can - at whatever stage of life."

Every Wednesday we get Michelin chefs, top bloggers or critics to pick their favourite cheap eats where they live and at home.

This week we've got the popular food blogger Pam Gilmour, better known as Glasgowfoodgeek, who has more than 57,000 followers on Instagram.

Can you tell us your favourite places in Glasgow where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?

Ramen Dayo - if you're looking for cheap but delicious eats, you can't go wrong with a filling ramen, and Ramen Dayo is the best in the city.

Owner Paul lived in Japan for years, so he knows great ramen.

With massive bowls of soup coming in at around £13 I know I'm going to leave stuffed but so happy.

La Pastina - no one stuffs a sub like La Pastina, which makes sandwiches so big that you can keep half for dinner.

Packed with layers of cold cuts and toppings, this Italian sandwich shop is a great stop if you're looking for a to-go lunch.

The Bordain is a masterpiece, and definitely buy one of their made-in-house cakes.

El Perro Negro - if you're looking for the best burger in Glasgow you won't go far wrong visiting award-winning El Perro Negro, where you can enjoy a classic burger and side of fries for just £13.

The flavour and quality will absolutely blow your socks off. My favourite is the signature juicy Top Dog burger.

Read all our Cheap Eats recommendations around the UKhere...

Some Scottish Power customers are set to receive refunds and compensation payments after the energy firm was found to have overcharged them at the height of the energy crisis.

The energy firm charged 1,699 direct debit customers a higher rate between 2015 and 2023 - across 11 price cap periods.

The rate should only have applied to those who pay by standard credit, or on receiving a bill.

On average, each customer paid an extra £149 more than they should have.

Energy regulator Ofgem said Scottish Power was paying a total of £250,000 in direct refunds to affected customers as well as another £250,000 in goodwill payments.

This equates to an average of £294 per customer, and all payments will be made automatically.

Ofgem said Scottish Power reported itself to the regulator last summer, when it discovered that operational errors had led to the mistake.

Scottish Power has also agreed to pay £1m to Ofgem's Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Fund, which benefits charities and community projects that help vulnerable customers with energy-related support.

Travellers have been warned trips abroad will cost more this year as cities across Europe increase tourist taxes.

Tourism taxes range anywhere between less than €1 to almost €15 and can be charged per person per night.

People looking to book a trip abroad are being encouraged to incorporate additional costs into their holiday budget to avoid being left out of pocket.

Travel insurance expert Tiffany Mealiff said the fees allow cities to fund measures to attract more visitors, support local infrastructure and prevent problems caused by overtourism.

"If you’re taking a trip to any city in Europe this year, you must be aware of the potential additional costs to your holiday – which are often not obvious beforehand and normally due for payment when you check out of your accommodation," Ms Mealiff, from Quotezone.co.uk, said.

Here are some of the charges in popular European destinations:

Venice

Tourists visiting Venice for the day will have to pay a €5 (£4.27) entry fee to enter the city between the hours of 8.30am and 4.00pm. The scheme is currently going through a trial period, but it is expected to come fully into force in next year.

Manchester

The city introduced a £1 per room per night tourist tax across 73 hotels to fund improvement measures to attract more tourists.

Barcelona

A recent increase to the existing tourist fee means visitors now pay €3.25 (£2.78), up from €2.75 (£2.35), to stay in some accommodation.

Lisbon

The Portuguese capital enforces a €2 (£1.71) per person fee for every night tourists stay but it is only applied for a maximum of seven nights.

Athens

Tourist tax in Athens varies depending on the hotel category and the time of year, ranging anywhere from €0.50 (43p) - €10 (£8.54) per room per night.

Dubrovnik

Visitors to Dubrovnik must pay €2.65 (£2.26) per person per night throughout April to September. The Croatian government has temporarily reduced this fee to €1.86 (£1.59) for the rest of this year.

Paris

France charges visitors a tourist tax, which varies depending on the type of accommodation. The most expensive charge is €14.95 (£12.77). Those staying in a typical four-star hotel are charged around €8 (£6.83).

Prague

For visitors to Prague, tourist tax has increased from 21 to 50 CZK each day (71p - £1.69).

Budapest

Tourists staying in Budapest are charged an additional 4% each night, which is calculated based on the price of the room.

Berlin

Tourists must now pay 5% of the room price, excluding VAT and service fees.

Prices in March were 3.2% higher than prices at the same time last year, putting pressure on already stretched household budgets.

This figure, the lowest since 2021, is inching closer to the Bank of England's 2% target.

Food prices rising by less than they did last year was the biggest driver of March's overall inflation rate fall. That was partly offset by fuel prices rising this year when they were falling in March 2023.

A fall in inflation doesn't mean prices are coming down, but that they're rising less quickly.

Use our calculator to see how much your groceries, clothing and leisure activities have increased in cost.