Holiday costs are on the rise. Package break prices were up 4.2 per cent on average this summer compared to the previous year, for example. Then there are the admin expenses: UK passport fees rose by 25 per cent between 2023 and 2025, while AllClear Travel insurance found that more than one in five people would travel without cover rather than face expensive policies.

But there is one risk-free way to save money when travelling to the EU – claiming back VAT. Since the UK left the bloc, UK passport holders are entitled to claim VAT refunds on goods bought in EU countries. Yet, a survey by Abta , the travel association, found that only 41 per cent of Britons are aware they can do so, and just one in four know how to make a claim.

Typically, travellers can claim back VAT on eligible

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