Worst Tourist Traps: 2008
Many places are actually fun to visit just to watch the miserable tourists who don't know there's a less congested, crowded, over-priced, and polluted alternative. Help us avoid the worst of Europe's tourist traps with your hard-earned experience.
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Paris Museum Pass
Dolores may have misunderstood the configuration of the Pompidou Center (6/5/08 posting). The Museum of Modern Art is located on the 4th and 5th floors of the Pompidou. Other floors have a public library, restaurants, movie theaters, a concert hall, sometimes special exhibitions and a few small galleries. There is enough on those two floors in the Modern Art Museum to occupy several days of your visit.
Elizabeth
Bloomington, IN USA Sat 12/27/2008
Pere Lachaise cemetery, Paris
Be sure to walk past the old guy at the newspaper kiosk right next to the top of the stairs coming out of Pere Lachaise metro station. He will sell you a map of the cemetary for about five times the price other kiosks or shops in the neighbourhood will. The cemetery itself is highly recommended, though.
Phil
London, UK Tue 12/23/2008
Another defence for the Paris Museum Pass
Trying to buy the PMP at a big museum like the Louvre misses half the point. Find a smaller museum near where you stay that is in the scheme and get the Pass there, it's much less hassle. I got one last time from the ticket office at the Pantheon, and it took thirty seconds
Phil
UK Tue 12/23/2008
Anneliese Friese Shop/Rothenburg
I happened to wander into this shop in Rothenburg, and now in hindsight if I had seen all the pictures of Rick Steves plastered everywhere, I probably would have turned around and walked right out again. I walked to the back of the store and was approached by an old woman behind the counter with "Do you know Rick Steves? Do you have his book with you? If you show me his book I will give you a percentage off your purchase." I found this experience to be most unpleasant, its bad enough be hounded by sales staff, but to assume that I am Rick Steves disciple walking around with his book under my arm, just because I am an American left a bad taste in my mouth. I found Rothenburg itself to be a big tourist trap that Mr Steves has in his pocket. I saw his book displayed in another store window. Mr Steves has good ideas for travel however his philosophy of finding your own back door and then leading hordes of tourist to a town with shameless promotions of his business has the exact opposite effect (and I saw the Rick Steves faithful with his book in hand there) I found many shopkeepers to be hostile though I conducted myself with the utmost courtesy. I believe this to be the result of the influx of the so called "Back Door" tourists who have flowed into this town. Its a shame that some of these beautiful places are being turned into raging tourist traps. I say Go find your own back doors. Use Ricks books for general tips (which are quite helpful) but research your own places. I have had amazing trips to places in Germany where we shared our little nook with only Germans and other Europeans and to me thats good travel. It challenged us with our German speaking and our travel skills getting around. The people are friendlier, and more receptive, and there are many hidden treasures out there. That is far more rewarding than store after store of kitsch and hostile locals.
David Carlson
Berkeley, Ca USA Tue 12/23/2008
Enjoy Europe's major cities, stay away from Vegas
I really enjoy reading comments from the people who encourage visiting cities such as, Paris, Prague, London, Venice and Rome. Sure, there are many tourist traps in these cities. But as most of the positive comments point out, you have to be adventurous and get off the main streets to find the real culture.
You want to see real tourist traps?—visit the Venetian and Paris Hotels in Las Vegas. With prices higher than Europe and meals and beverages tailored to fit us Americans, it was almost sacrilegious. I had a tear in my eye when I couldn’t find a jambone and frommage on baguette at the Paris Hotel. Good thing I am vacationing in Paris this spring!
Shawn
Chandler, Az USA Mon 12/22/2008
Complain about VENICE?
Reading this section actually angers me. Who in their right mind would ever tell anyone to 'skip the Vatican' or 'pass on Pisa or VENICE'? When I walked into the entrance of Pisa I was stunned by the magnificence of the tower and baptistry. The Vatican contains some of the worlds most amazing art, and the Sistine Chapel blew me away with extreme reverence. I am not even going to address anyone who would say anything negative about Venice. IT IS MAGNIFICENT! I know exactly which ones you are when I am abroad; the big mouth American complainers poking fun at culture and language. You have no idea how ignorant you are for what you have posted here. I doubt that Mr. Steves intended this section for people to post that freakin Venice is not worth seeing because it is a tourist trap.
Susan
Hillsboro Beach, Florid USA Fri 12/19/2008
You're Only Trapped by your Ignorance
I have had the good fortune to travel over the past few years to most of Ireland (including several days in Dublin over two trips), Scotland, London, most of the major cities in Italy, Paris and Brussels. My expectations have met or exceeded in all of my travels because I have taken the time (too much time my wife might say) to plan my time to discern where I wanted to go, what I wanted to see and how I might best learn the culture/customs from the residents of all of these places. If you are from Kansas and want to see Kansas when you go to Europe-stay home Toto! Otherwise, enjoy the adventure you are on. Last word. I went to Brussels as a side trip from Paris. Brussels isn't highly regarded on the tourist trail. I went to enjoy Belgian beer and a great city with wonderful food broke out. A typical comment made by seminars from Rick Steves and his associates is "No grumps allowed." That says it in a nutshell.
TJ
Bothell, WA USA Thu 11/27/2008
Rome Eating outside of the city
When in Rome do as the Romans, eat just outside of the city. Rick Steves offers suggestions to travel in the area just outside of Rome. People are nice and indigenous. Food is better and more affordable. Also watch out for the 64 bus in Rome. The note about pickpockets is accurate. Got me one. Rome was more fun because of previewing Rick's book.
Mike <email>
Missouri City , Texas USA Sat 11/15/2008
Prague - tourist trap - Not!
Prague one big tourist trap??? The only "trap" is for those who want everything put in front of their faces. That can be said about anywhere.
It is expensive to stay & eat Prague's city center, but then again, it is expensive in most capital city centers, like Paris and London. The only way someone is "rushed" through the Jewish sites is if someone is visiting with a tour. I've been to all of the sites on my own & did them in one day without being rushed. The great thing is they can be covered all in one very reasonable price. Most all admission prices to sites are reasonable.
And there are plenty of reasonable places to stay and eat in Prague only a few minutes away from the center. Over the years friends and family have come with me to this beautiful city or I have helped them plan their trip to go on their own. The only folks I know that had a completely negative view are the same people that didn't put any effort into a planning process. My take on this is you get what you put into it.
Dfloyd
Sunnyvale, CA USA Thu 11/13/2008
Remember Prague!
I'm so sorry to see Prague called a rip-off! We're living here temporarily (my husband is teaching one semester here) and we have found just the opposite to be true! With the exception of the Jewish Museum, entrance fees are quite inexpensive: rarely more than $10. If you step a block or two off the beaten tourist path, you'll find great food at good prices, cheap beer and friendly people! Today we wandered into a restaurant on a side street less than two blocks from Old Town Square. We enjoyed a hearty lunch for two, with three beers, for about $14. We just took the chance, which is the best way to figure it all out.
It has taken some adjustment to learn that things simply are not always as we expect, but that's part of the adventure. Market forces are a bit different here, so some things, like clothes, are really expensive. We've used Rick's guide so much the map has fallen out of the front of it, but have also poked around on our own. If you go only to the heavy tourist areas, you won't see much other than other tourists and the shops that cater to them. (They wouldn't be there if people didn't buy that stuff!)
We've used the two-blocks-off-the-path approach everywhere we've traveled and found some wonderful little surprises!
Myra
Athens, GA USA Wed 11/12/2008
Europe in General
After reading a few of these comments I thought to myself where to begin, I myself work in Europe taking groups al over (for another company).
The thing that most forget when travelling abroad is what they are going away to gain/achieve out of there trip...
I know there are little ripoffs in Europe, as there is all over the world, sometimes keeping your common senses about you is all you need...
Love and ebrace the differences Europe has to offer you, do a bit of research of a few restaurants in a few areas which you intend to sight see, and go from there, try using a bit of local language is always a great icebreaker, and usually fun; know that in Italy 99.9% of all restaurants have free bread, eat away from main sights, where there isn't always an English menu (back to the adventure of travel).
Ask for recomendations from shop owners, cafes, or in supermarkets, they always know where to go for cheap, real local food!
That's all for know,
Have fun & remember, don't be a nieve traveller, be smart and embrace the differences!!!
Dave
Toronto, on CAN Tue 11/11/2008
Prague: one big tourist trap
We'd heard the raves: inexpensive food, great castle, extensive synagogue history, unspoiled Europe. Well, whatever it used to be, it's now the worst blend of capitalist money-grubbing and communist insensitivity. The food costs the same as anywhere else. The castle is a rip-off (you won't know that the free part is the only worthwhile part until you've already paid). The 5-part Jewish museum moves you through so fast you won't get most of it, and what you get is not much. The street from the Gunpowder Tower over the bridge to St Nicholas church is one big line of tourists walking by kitchy shops. Forget Prague! Spend your time and money elsewhere.
David Spencer <email>
Portland, OR USA Sun 11/09/2008
tourist trap
I don't know if Andech's Monastery was the worst tourist trap but it has become very commercialized. The food was also unappetizing. We did not stay. If you want a nice monastery to visit, go to Ettal and see the one there. We just got back from our trip to Germany (Oct 15th).
Marje Chavez
Sterling, VA USA Mon 10/20/2008
Tourist Trap
If in Rome and you cross the bridge Ponte San Angelo from Castel Sant Angelo into the street directly ahead called Via Banco Di Spirito - avoid the first eating place on the right. Disappointing food at high price and I got a padded bill.
Noel Donagh <email>
Athlone, Ireland Mon 10/13/2008
Defending the Paris Museum Pass
Delores wrote to say that this wasn't worth buying but it IS. I bought mine easily at a Metro stop, the one near the Musee d'Orsay, I believe. It got me easily into museums, past the lines, saving valuable time. It worked with all the museums I wanted to use it for. Yes, I think several floors of the Pompidou museum were closed when I was there but so what? I didn't really want to see the whole thing anyway. The pass saved me money and was a good buy!
Dorothy
New York, NY USA Wed 10/08/2008
Dublin is a complete waste of time.
September 2008 - just returned from my 2nd trip to Ireland, but 1st to Dublin.
Dublin is essentially the same as any other large European city - dirty, smoke filled, and the relics of history ignored and encroached upon by the 21st century concrete jungle.
There is absolutely no reason to go to Dublin. Despite what Steve's writes, there are NO 3-diamond sites, and everything he recommends in his guide book (Ireland 2004) is a rip-off.
I'll be happy to provide more of my impressions if you'd like to email me at: dennisireland08 AT aol DOT com.
Dennis <email>
Denver, CO USA Thu 10/02/2008
Louvre Audio guide
The new audioguide offered at the Louvre is a complete waste of money. It is not the cost, it is just the bad feeling you get when you know you have been "had". Very few and I mean very few paintings have audio explanations. You will be tempted to toss the useless guide down the marble stairs.
Dave Niven
St Albert, Ab Canada Sat 09/20/2008
Versailles
We went to the Palace at Versailles outside of Paris thinking it would be a fun trip and not too expensive based on our guidebooks that were all published this year... WRONG!!! We were so upset to find that we had to pay almost twenty dollars to get in the palace and another 8 euros to get into the gardens. The info desk said they just doubled their prices this year. Sure the palace was interesting, but I didn't care because I was so upset about the price!
Tripp
La Grange, KY USA Mon 09/15/2008
Finding local restaurants
One simple way to easily figure out wether a restaurant is a tourist trap, or a local eatery, is to simply look at the price of alcohol. Seriously, the locals do not pay more than 8-10 euros in Italy for a bottle of wine, or 1-2 euros in Prague for a beer. If the menu prices are higher than this, you can be sure the food will be over priced and no good.
Jared
Tacoma, WA USA Sun 09/14/2008
Europe in General-You're Not in Kansas, LA, or New York Anymore
It is so interesting to read the variety of comments here. We are going back to Rome in February 09. We spent 2 days there in late March of 2000 as part of a Milan, Venice, Florence, Sienna, Rome trip. We went to Italy to experience the Italian way of life and to see some amazing sites. We were not disappointed. The only place we encountered hawkers was Florence on our way to the Academia. We simply ignored them. No biggie. We hit St. Peter's when the Pope was speaking to a huge crowd as part of recognizing some Spanish martyrs. We joined the crowd, saw the pope, met some wonderful Spanish pilgrims, and took the crowds in stride. Venice was beautiful. We ate street food that was amazing and splurged on some wonderful meals at places that were not listed in any guidebooks, including Rick's. Some were so so, but some were wonderful. Different people have different tastes (Do I really need to point that out?) so what I may think was a delicious meal may not be palatable to someone else. That is true anywhere.
We spent a week in Paris in November 2002 and absolutely loved it! Not one single person tried to sell us anything anywhere, not even by the Eiffel Tower. We used the museum pass and found it easy to purchase since we actually read Rick's recommendation for where to do so. It was well worth the money. Our only complaint in Paris, and it is minor, is that there were tourists from another country, not the USA, who toured in large groups and were very noisy and disrespectful in the cathedrals even when there were many signs in their native language asking for quiet.
My sense of some Americans we have met who have complained about their experiences in Europe is that they want things to be like they are at home. If you want to have the same sort of experience in Europe that you would have traveling in the US or where ever you are from you will definitely be disappointed and should probably stay home. If however, you are adventurous and open to new experiences and can have a sense of humor about differences and faux pas you will have a great experience! Whenever we travel we try to learn at least some basics of the native language before we go. We usually travel very inexpensively staying in hostels, YMCAs, B&B's and some pretty flea bag type hotels, some Rick recommendations, but we have also found great deals on very nice hotels. We've been to London, all over the English countryside, Paris, Normandy, the Loire river valley, Germany, Austria, southern Spain, the aforementioned Italy trip, another trip just to Venice for a week, Greece, and Israel. I've peed into a small hole in a floor and in a bathroom in Paris where I had a choice of closing the door and standing up or sitting and having the door wide open because the room was not big enough to sit and close the door. We've slept in lovely hotels and B&B's and have slept on bunk beds or futons on floors in halls. It is all part of the adventure and experience. I love Europe and all of the unique experiences it brings. Oh, and by the way, we are middle aged, not teenagers.
Melody
Centennial , CO USA Sun 09/07/2008
Scotland - Uruquart Castle
There is no reason to pay to see Uruquart Castle on Loch Ness. They charge the current equivalent of $13/person to walk around a completely ruined castle. They won't even allow you to use the toilets in the "visitors center" until you've paid for a ticket. You can take very good photos from the car park and then move on. Spend your money to see Eilean Donan Castle instead, near the Isle of Skye. For $10/person you get to tour a fully restored castle (pretty much as it was in the 1300's) at your own pace. Scotland is expensive enough without getting ripped off on admission prices.
Linda
Aiken, SC USA Sat 09/06/2008
Eating in Venice, Crowds in Rome
My comments on a number of the posts. There are wonderful restaurants in Venice, just not at the Rialto Bridge. One of the best we ate at was on a side street in Lido. We found that a good time for all of the Rome attractions was to get there about 30 minutes before opening. The self-guided tour of the Vatican Museum is worth the money. Also, go to the Vatican on a day when the Pope isn't blessing the crowd and it won't be as crowded. We used Rick Steves' guidebook all over Italy and for the most part he was right on the money. We saw a lot of things and had a great time!
Steve Galiette <email>
Missouri City, TX USA Wed 08/20/2008
Rue Cler - Paris
We read that the Rue Cler market in the 7th Arrondissement in Paris was not to be missed. We stayed nearby, so we decided to check it out. The produce was way overpriced and the cafés were not very good. A small corner grocery store near it was a much better value and we found restaurants off of Rue Cler that were much better. The area seemed geared to tourists, not locals as we had read about before we arrived. Disappointing, to say the least.
Nancy Horisk-Sherr <email>
Hockessin, DE USA Thu 08/07/2008
London:
London: Avoid "The Original Tour" company for double decker tour buses. Or purchase your tickets in advance. On the street level, there is feirce and unprofessional competition trying to sell tickets to these tour buses. We were harassed by 6 men all shouting and trying to say they have the better deal and used profanities towards us (with our children around and 30+ spectators in disbelief). Ended up having to call the police. They still swipped my credit card, even though I refused the transaction. Still working to resolve. Never did receive tickets or service.
Jade
Portland, Oregon USA Sun 07/27/2008
Normandy Museums
I would not say that they are traps per se, but some of the smaller, almost road-stand type museums you will come across in Normandy are not worth the time or effort or money. You can see 99% of what they have in the smaller places at some of the larger ones. The one that comes to mind immediately is the one in Arromanches. Additionally, the displays are so cramped that it is difficult to really get a decent photo or to appreciate what it is that you are seeing. Pick a couple of larger museums and save time and money.
Pete <email>
Beacon, NY USA Mon 07/21/2008
Crystal World (Kristallwelten), Innsbruck
Avoid Swarovski Crystal World (Kristallwelten) in Innsbruck. Unless you are into abstract art containing very few crystals, you will be sorely dissappointed. The opening display was straight out of the Herbie Hancock "Rockit" video. Strange. Plus it was really pricey. If you are in Innsbruck, Austria & want to see some beautiful Swarovski crystals your better bet is to see the Crystal Room in the Old City Square. It's free, takes ony 5 to 10 minutes to go through and it is stunning. No wierd crystal-less displays.
Lauren
Ft. Walton Bch, FL USA Fri 07/11/2008
Rome-how to deal
If you want to avoid lines at the Coliseum just start your day at Palatino hill the same ticket gets you into both attractions and there is no line also the Palatino hill area gets hot in the afternoon so it is better to go there first.
If you want to see St Peter’s Basilica, go there first thing in the morning, there is no line and it is beautiful and peaceful and they open at 7am; then head over to the Vatican Museum line, skip the tours and get yourself a self-guided tour headset once inside. We found it easy to navigate the Vatican museum this way and we could linger where we wanted to. In the Sistine Chapel, there are benches around the edges, take a seat and look for a few minutes…if you hide towards the outside the guys won’t yell at you to move on and you can actually listen to the whole museum guide for the room.
Yes these places are tourist traps, but it you plan your day wisely you will enjoy your time much more!
Kristy
Tacoma, WA USA Fri 06/27/2008
Rome not so bad.
Rome was not so bad, but you have to plan it right. We did take a tour of the Vatican, through Angel Tours. Ken was our guide, Scottish, so he spoke English. It was only 15 euro for students, and then the museum admission fee. We got to skip the line, which was nice on the hottest day thus far this year.
So, the Ancient Rome section - we got there at 9:00, skipped the Collosseum and went straight to the Palatine Hill ticket booth. No one was there, so bought our tickets and wandered there until lunch. Then we ate nasty tourist pizza and hit the collosseum, only waiting about 10 minutes in line to get through security. We had so much extra time that my husband watched the F1 race in a bar (air conditioned!). So, ignore the salesmen and gladiators, and plan your trip wisely.
The real rip-off in is the food. You have to eat, and it's all expensive!
Anna
Cincinnati, OH USA Thu 06/26/2008
Morrocco Group guided tour
While in Cadiz, Spain we debated going to Tangier for the day on our own, with an individual guide or a group guided tour and opted for the group tour. It was nice to be met at the port and have transportation arranged but we walked through the streets and markets so fast there was no time to linger or shop for fear of being separated from the group. We did however spend an HOUR at two different shops of friends of the guide (from whom he must get a kick back) until there was a group mutiny and we moved on. Then we were driven outside the city for "views" where we stopped at a parking lot with 5 camels waiting for us to ride them once around the parking lot for a euro...another friend. We did have a nice lunch with several other tour groups but we were clearly a captive audience with little freedom to pursue our own interests. Glad we went and I think a guide is essential the first time but I would recommend going with a private guide so you could see what you want to see. Rick suggests being firm about what you want to do and it will take some very firm boundaries as the guides work with their merchant friends.
Laurie <email>
Portland, OR USA Tue 06/24/2008
Restaurant add-ons
Beware of restaurant add-ons that aren't on the menu. We were asked if we would like garlic bread after ordering our inexpensive dinners in Chamonix, France. We said yes. How much extra could it cost? We should have asked. Two slices of bread each cost $6 extra each for $14 dinners (total $20 each). And the bread wasn't good compared to the rest of the dinner. It was obviously a tourist scam.
J. Sinclair
Vallejo, CA USA Thu 06/19/2008
Venice restaurants (Reply)
How could you expect to trust anyone near the Rialto for a good meal unless it was a big restaurant? You can get a big hot dog and fries for $2 Euro just off the Rialto bridge. Nothing personal but really that is just stupid to travel to such a great place as Venice (which I use to live) and expect a good deal in the midle of it all and to expect it to be good. Have you ever heard of walking far far away from the main area to eat? This is not just Venice, but all places on planet earth have the same thing, ripping off people who think they know it all and believe what they read. Walk far far away and enjoy your next meal.
_______________________________________________
Venice restaurants
I wish I could find the receipt for this place in Venice. It is a small 6 table restaurant about 5 minutes from the Rialto and advertises "home cooking" and "reasonable rates". The menu in the window showed only the food prices which are reasonable. We asked for a half bottle of local wine (there was no wine list), that cost 16E, the bread was burned and hard (that's all we have) and cost 4E, the cover charge is 25% (that's what we charge)and when asked if I wanted ice cream or lemonchello for desert, I was charged 7E for lemonchello. Total bill for a small slab of lasanga 73E ($105).
Video
USA Thu 06/12/2008
INFLATED EVERTHING
The 'mis-named' restaurants, B&B's, flea markets and the touts. Resturants could cost US$50 a person, and watch for B&B's who advertise there are central heating... all the perks. For flea markets and touts, always carry a lightweight and strong umbrella in your hand...In many places, a slight tapping of this can bring the price down from an inflated price of 500% to a measly 5%. The umbrella can be used as a weapon too... Take the shaving sets from the airplane's toiletry drawers...
Wed 06/11/2008
Paris Museum Pass
Don't waste your money on the Paris Museum Pass. We were there just 2 weeks ago, and using that pass caused us nothing but t-r-o-u-b-l-e! First, we had to visit FOUR offices inside the Louvre before we found one that would sell us the blasted pass (with waiting in line, this wasted nearly 1.5 hours of our valuable 4 days in Paris); then several of the musueums listed as accepting the pass are now NOT accepting the pass; some the musuems which say they close on Tuesdays have now switched to closing on Mondays (our pass was for Sunday and Monday); only two of the 6 floors in the Pompidou Center is open to pass holders - you must pay to gain access to the other floors; etc. AUGHHHHHHH! Such aggravation - the pass defintely did not pay for itself.
Dolores
USA Thu 06/05/2008
Tourism
To quote the immortal genius of Clark Griswold in European vacation "Its a country, its not Wally World!" Traveling is about seeing other cultures and seeing how the locals do things. Just because a place may be lacking cheesy tours and cheap souvenier hawkers does not mean its depressing to everyone who visits!!
Tami Dunne <email>
Boulder, CO USA Mon 05/19/2008
Choose Options other than Bedford, UK
We noticed on the Trip Advisor that some travels visiting the Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK area, had problems with the swan population and potential aviary rash infection. We didn't know that before we left but some other guests during our stay had the same problem. Unfortunately, the tourist opportunities in the Bedford area or surrounding area are minimal and generally to us it is a very depressing location. We noticed very few tourists around Bedford and after being there a few days we understood why. The people are friendly but the site seeing, restaurant, and visitor options left us anxious to move on. We were very disappointed in choosing it as a destination. We stayed on a narrow boat near Bedford and thought it would be a unique experience. However, it was extremely cramped even with two bedrooms and the bathrooms were tiny, and the maintenance of the units was quite disappointing. If you want to experience the English countryside we suggest some of the suggestions in Rick's guidebook by going further north around Stratford-Avon or west toward Bath. We particularly enjoyed these two areas and found many interesting historical sites and tourist opportunities. We have made several trips to England over that last seven years and the Bedford area was by far our most disappointing experience.
searay
snoqualmie, wa USA Sat 05/17/2008
Religious Sites as Tourist Traps
Hmmm. I didn't find the comments about religious sites, possibly, in some cases, serving as "tourist traps," particularly offensive. I disagree, and agree with the fact that so much of Europe's greatest art is displayed in churches, and was even funded by the Catholic Church, which did help preserve so much of value through the Middle Ages...but I guess I can see, also, how some sites with no real artistic originality about them climb on board and try to portray themselves as more important, historically than they are. Provided it all goes to a worthwhile cause, though, I can live with that, once in a while. I just don't think anyone was challenging religious BELIEFS or the right to hold them. Churches ARE human institutions, and have, historically, been faced with greed and other base motives like all human institutions. Clearly, it is POSSIBLE for a religious site to be a tourist trap.
John
Chicago, IL USA Sun 04/13/2008
Respect for others
In my view using this site to slam a religion is simply in poor taste--especially since people who travel often pride themselves on being open minded. To me it betrays a very superficial knowledge of history as well as a real arrogance in pretending to know the motivations of people who lived centuries ago. As a member of an "organized" religion
I can say that we were at least taught to respect the beliefs of others by
practicing common courtesy.
Anne
Winchester, VA USA Sat 04/12/2008
Random Traps
Rome: Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum. Cheap touristy crap for sale, vagrants, and scammers trying to to give you bracelets or do magic tricks. Take your photos, and leave immediately. Be careful of where you eat too- I ordered a pizza once and what was brought to me by the fat, rash owner of the place was a 3-day old pizza from his display case for 10 EUR.
Salzburg: Mozart Dinner Concert at St. Peter's Stiftskeller. Dainty, but well-performed classical music from a troupe of musicians dressed in period clothing. Food was forgettable and was like cafeteria food. Eat a nice local meal and attend one of the free concerts in town instead. The food will be 100 times better, and there is not an inferior musician to be found in Salzburg.
Bryan
Atlanta, GA USA Wed 04/02/2008
London Theatre discount tickets
Unfortunately, I had a similar experience. And I had read Steves' advice to stick to the "official ticket centre" to avoid scams. But, well, I thought I could save a bit of money. I had ordered second category tickets but when I picked them up there were the worst seats in the house - the very last row. AND I had paid double the face value of the tickets. His argument was that the show was sold out and that was all there was to be had. After arguing he did give me a small refund in addition to the tickets. As it turned out, when we arrived at the theatre the show was anything but sold out and a friendly staff took pity on us and gave us MUCH better seats than our tickets would have allowed for.
Beatrix
Calgary, Canada Sat 03/29/2008
Hawkers - Different Perspective
There's another way to look at all of the hawkers in Europe, however. They are largely immigrant groups (some are even refugees from war-torn nations) simply trying to get ahead. I'm not saying they're not annoying (they are) or that they're always scrupulous (they're not), BUT I am saying that if you want the real Europe, the Europe beyond the tourism, these immigrants trying to make a buck and leave poverty behind, in any they can, well...it's not always about us. These people have bigger problems than us being annoyed because they're ruining the vibe at Trevi Fountain. Like avoiding the police and trying score enough cash to eat. No disrespect intended to anyone on this board; just another perspective.
John <email>
Chicago, IL USA Fri 03/28/2008
Hawkers
My husband, daughter and I went to Venice, Florence and Rome in July, 07. No tour, just "winged" it (altho we did have rooms booked). My main complaint was those annoying hawkers and sellers everywhere we went. Hands down, the worst places were at night by the Trevi Fountain (Rome) and St. Mark's Square (Venice). Every 15 seconds, someone came up to you with a rose, toy, etc. It really kills the mood! And, btw, the litter and filth at Trevi was beyond belief (even by a New Yorker's standard!)
Marianne
Long Island, NY USA Thu 03/27/2008
Well, I visited Paris in the wintertime and the people selling the cheap Eiffel tower plastics got to be too much. And just because someone is complaining doesn't mean they won't visit again. I will definitely see Paris again, if possible, but I will wear headphones or something when around the Tower, for example. You just want to be left alone to appreciate the moment and these people keep at it, it was so annoying, I probably said NO a few times, and even after ignoring them they kept bugging me. I really think it shouldn't be permitted inside a certain radius around the Tower. I mean, they go as far as to touch you, it's like, "you don't want to buy this, well I'll make sure you don't have a pleasant experience."
Min
PR USA Sat 03/08/2008
Marilynn, the board has many topics, this one is for rip-offs, or scams, I'm sure everyone here hasn't stopped traveling because of encountered annoyances. But, like I said, this is the section of the board to discuss these kind of topics.
I make the clarification, because having visited these boards for years, someone will always make a statement similar to yours once in a while. The same people complaining about certain things in this topic are raving about others in other topics of the board.
Min
PR USA Sat 03/08/2008
Expectations of Americans
As if getting scammed and ripped off doesn't EVER happen in the United States! Some of the problems are simply ignorance of local customs. For instance, being charged for "bar snacks" is common practice in a lot of places. In Portugal if you don't want to pay for the nice tray of appetizers some restaurants place before you when you are seated, simply don't eat any of it or you've bought the whole thing! I learned that the hard way. Oh, well. No big deal and now I know! (And by the way, eating at the bar is often cheaper than taking a table.)
Learning a little of the language goes a long way as well. And finally, remember that when you gripe about all the tourists and tourist traps, that you are one of the tourists patronizing the tourist traps.
Sorrento and the Cinque Terre are great places to visit and Rome is a nut house, but a fabulous not-to-be-missed experience.
Marilynn
Willits, CA USA Tue 02/26/2008
Failure to inquire before ordering or buying may make somthing expensive but not a rip off . accept some responsibility !!!
John Brangwin <email>
USA Sun 02/24/2008
Tourist Traps
Pisa was OK: As we approached in our rental I said "Wouln't it be great if there was a parking lot and a gas station right near the Tower?" There was! We filled up parked, wandered into the piazza for 15 minutes, drove off again.
Worst rip-off: While walking back to our hotel one night in Florence we decided to stop at a small, nice-looking bar for a glass of wine. There were a couple of bowls of nibbles on the table, and we grabbed a handful. Our bill came: 2 glasses of wine plus bar snacks: 22 Euros! Moral: don't touch the snacks!
Iain
Napier, New Zealand Mon 02/11/2008
Outside the Norm
The fact can’t be argued that certain places are tourist traps but does that mean they aren't worth seeing? So they sell Mozart garb in Salzburg, beer steins in Munich, and replicas of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. That's something most of us expect in addition to long lines at major attractions. Seems part of Rick's popularity hinged on a travel philosophy that was outside the norm. Sticking with that I’ve found visiting famous cities and sites in the winter is the best option. It might be cold but it's just you, the locals and a few tourists.
Mark <email>
Denver, CO USA Wed 01/16/2008
Why Churches Beg
There is a simple reason for fees and admissions and such. When these churches were built, religion ruled daily life and entire communities supported those churches. Rich merchants gave huge sums of money to buy salvation. Kings and dukes and the like poured cash into churches to show how holy they were and to keep the Church at Rome happy.
Today , there is no such support. These enormous and exceedingly costly to maintain structures are on their own.They cannot support themselves on the backs of parishioners anymore and there are no more nobles to endow them.
Ever try to paint your house without buying the paint or paying somebody to do it?
Paul n Sara <email>
Newburyport, MA USA Fri 01/04/2008
learn your history before complaining
those of you who have any basic knowledge about the history of the Catholic Church will know that churches have been hawking since the beginning of the religion. What do you think the selling of relics and the selling of indulgences were? Pilgrams used to go to various churches, and buy "relics" as a momento of their pilgrimage.
In fact, have y'all heard of the HOLY YEAR?? Origially the Church had one every 100 years. In 1450 there were so many pilgrims in Rome that the pope (Martin V) realized that Holy Years were hugge money makers, and so had them every 50 years. Now the Church has them every 25 years. How do you think Julius 2 and co built that Church? or any other church in Europe? It wasn't donations.
Americans are sometimes very ignorant about history and get angry when things in Europe aren't quaint and "european" as you want them.
GB <email>
Milan, USA Tue 01/01/2008