Nothing turns a trip sour more immediately than getting into a tourist trap. Trust me, been there, experienced that.
But hey, what if we all learn to detect those very suspicious red flags and be ahead of whoever it is that’s trying to rip us off, putting our vulnerable vacationing selves to their advantage?
So when someone asked the dear world travelers of Reddit to share “some of the worst tourist traps you have encountered?” and “what can be done to catch it beforehand?” they unknowingly did everyone a public service. After all, we all deserve an enjoyable and authentic experience abroad, without being used by greedy locals.
#1
Sounds counterintuitive but when you go to Iceland, pick an airport restaurant and have a decent meal there, and stock up at the duty free shop. Don’t just sprint for the airport exit – Iceland will still be there in an hour.
Most people are in such a rush to get out of the airport they don’t consider that the international terminal is their final chance to dodge Iceland’s impressively high tax on prepared foods and alcohol. The airport in Reykjavik has some pretty good food, and there’s no tax in the international terminal.
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#2
Never take something that is handed to you.
Image credits: lmflex
#3
If you’re in a crowded area and anyone approaches you saying, “My friend, my friend” just keep walking.
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#4
As a general rule, avoid restaurants that are right near very popular tourist attractions (the Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Familia, the Colosseum). These places are probably there to lure in tourists who don’t know any better. There are some exceptions of hidden gems in touristy areas but unless you’ve done your research ahead of time, avoid these spots.
#5
If you’re wondering whether a restaurant in Italy is authentic or a tourist trap, look at the opening hours. Legitimate Italian restaurants that cater to locals will open for dinner no earlier than 7 p.m., while tourist traps will stay open all day. There are obviously some exceptions but this works as a good rule of thumb.
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#6
At the pyramids in Egypt, people with fake badges will tell you that you are required to pay them extra to see the Sphinx. It’s included with your park ticket.
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#7
Bring your own refillable water bottle.
Especially when travelling, but even just everyday, you’ll save a ton of $.
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#8
Fiji.
Walking along the street and friendly locals will greet you with “bula vinaka” (hello) and beautiful smiles. Every now and then one will start a conversation with you and ask you for your name. Before you know it, they are carving your name into ‘traditional’ wooden spears and shields etc then asking you for money for the work you never asked for. They will look upset when you tell them you don’t want it and they will explain that now they can’t sell the item because they carved your name into it already and they will follow you down the street reducing their price until you finally agree.
Best advice: be friendly, say hello, don’t give anyone your name.
Image credits: anonymous
#9
This is for Paris. Great city. Couple of tips.
The Louvre. There’s excellent art in L’Orangerie and the Musée D’Orsay, just a short walk away, without having two hundred tourists as part of the same tour group walking 40 abreast like a wall of humanity up the corridors. My recommendation is to make sure you have the Museum Pass (you can buy them online and have them shipped to you before you even head out) so you can enter museums when you like. Preferably later in the day when they’re all doing something else like trying to fit 200 people into a small café. If it’s too crowded, hit the next point of interest and come back another time. People pick the Louvre because it’s popular, which makes it more popular, which makes people pick it more…
Travel. There’s a travel pass that’s never pushed to tourists because it was never designed for tourism, it’s a Monday-to-Sunday-only weekly pass (there’s a monthly one too that goes from the 1st of the month for longer stays) called the Navigo Découverte. You need a photo for the photo card, that part costs €5 on top, but even with that it’s cheaper to buy that weekly Navigo that the Paris Visite card that’s aimed at tourists …and you look less like a tourist too so you’re less likely to be accosted by sneaky people. This video explains everything about it.
Image credits: Jackpot777
#10
Had some ladies pretend to be deaf in the plaza at the Louvre. They were deaf until I told them I had no money to give. They definitely heard that because they walked away pretty quick lol
Image credits: ZayaMacD
#11
If there is a host or hostess trying to lure you into a restaurant, walk away as quick as you can. Instead, ask the locals where they love to eat.
#12
If you want a guided tour, arrange it ahead of time. A lot of popular sites are surrounded by unofficial tour guides. They may have a badge or an official-looking uniform, but if they approach you and ask if you want to hire a guide, it’s best to politely decline.
A lot of them have no idea what they’re talking about.
I had a guide at Machu Pichu who claimed that the Inca were “an ideal Communist society,” then he took a break half-way through the tour to try and sell us essential oils.
Real tour guides won’t approach you and give you a sales pitch. If you want a guided tour, arrange it ahead of time.
Image credits: FutureBlackmail
#13
Navy Pier and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
If you’re a tourist in the city take an architecture boat tour instead and have a drink at the Signature Room in the Hancock and enjoy the view from there.
Image credits: -eDgAR-
#14
Do not go with the guy who says his friend is the owner of a nice hotel nearby. Most likely won’t be nice or nearby.
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#15
Women, if you plan to visit cathedrals I highly advise you to bring a scarf to cover your head. It’s just a rule of thumb always pack a scarf. I’ve seen it too many times where there are people at the front doors charging some absurd price like 15 euros for a cheap little scarf to be allowed to enter the religious place.
In Portugal specifically Lisbon pick pockets were rampant through the public transit. A family member was almost picked 3 times in the matter of a couple of hours. Keep your eyes peeled for people moving in tight groups and look like they’re up to no good.
In some countries I’ve visited, restaurants in tourist areas will have an English menu and a native language menu with cheaper prices. I usually ask for a native language menu then google translate the menu. Works most of the time in getting a better price.
Prioritize what you want to see. All tourist sites are technically traps I guess. If there’s one site where admission is super expensive try and save the money so you can see more or try to have a nicer meal one day. If you really want to see that one thing to say you’ve been there by all means go for it.
Always pay in the local currency when you can. A lot of restaurants especially in Europe will ask if you want to pay in USD or Euros and it’s usually cheaper for your credit card to pay in Euros. Just know what your bank and credit cards do when you’re abroad.
Image credits: 33Mastermine
#16
If you’re a young guy and some attractive women come out of nowhere thinking you’re cute and asking to go to a bar, don’t go.
There’s a very common scam where they’ll start ordering ridiculously priced alcohol for you all night. You only find out at the end of the night when you get a bill for hundreds of dollars.
Image credits: Mikeavelli
#17
We wanted to visit the Colosseum in Rome. All the way towards it from the tube station, there are dozens of people offering “discounted tours” – you join a group, they get you in for a reduced price, seems good. Except it isn’t. These tour tickets are about €20 per person, which seems reasonable until you get to the entrance to the Colosseum and see that it’s €12 for an adult, or €2 for a student. My wife and I got in for €14 because she still had a valid student ID.
The exact same thing happened on the way to the Vatican – people coming up to us insisting that it’s cheaper to get in if we buy museum tickets. It costs nothing to go into the Vatican! They rely on tourists who don’t know any better, see the queue for the Vatican museum and think it’s the queue to get inside the city. It isn’t.
Image credits: DarkNinjaPenguin
#18
If you go to Bangkok and are on the way to the grand palace, you will encounter very friendly guys falsely telling you that the grand palace is closed due to some ceremonies. They are very friendly and are good salesman. They offer to take you on a Tuk Tuk ride to other temples for a really good price. On the way to these other temples the Tuk Tuk driver will be very friendly and tries to win your trust.
After the second temple or so, he will start talking about some great promotion for a tailor that makes custom made suits, or about some promotion of emerald sales and will eventually drive you to one of those places and if you refuse to buy anything the friendliness changes. The Tuk Tuk driver will just take you the next temple and then disappears after you paid him.
How to avoid this scam: Be very suspicious of very friendly Thai people around the grand palace telling you that the grand palace is closed. The best is probably just to say thank you and not get involved into any conversation with them.
Image credits: TheBassMeister
#19
Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
Lovely city, but everybody hypes up this one street that’s crowded full of people. It’s practicallly highlighted in every tour guide of the city yet I still don’t understand the draw. Every restaurant and shop on the street is a tourist trap as well: overpriced and under-quality. It’s much more worth your time to stroll around the Gothic neighborhood if the city rather than Las Ramblas.
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#20
Always keep your belongings close when someone you don’t know approaches you in a touristy area. In Europe, especially in big cities like Paris, pickpockets have a technique where they distract you to steal your things. If a stranger approaches you to talk, focus on your pockets, your wallet, and your phone.
Image credits: Magic-Baguette
#21
A note on English menus: If the menu has both the local language and English next to each other then it’s probably fine, but if there is a separate English menu, make sure to compare the prices to those on the local menu.
Image credits: Jumponright
#22
Unlicensed cabs, always always use a registered company especially for safety never mind financially A lot of countries have Uber equivalent… Philippines has grab, Bali has blue bird too
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