While there are cost efficient vacations available – you can even staycation at home – it will cost you to pick up and go this summer. According to American Express, the average vacation expense per person in the United States is $1,145, or $4,580 for a family of four. When you’re calculating the cost of your vacation, don’t be fooled by the proposed cost on hotel rooms and airfare. What is often missing from those figures as you book can be significant: taxes. Travel-related taxes can boost your travel cost by more than 50%.