Travel Tips: Overcharging Tourists is Nothing New--How to Protect Yourself
One of the greatest horrors of travel is to sit down to what seems a casual, comfy café for a quick little meal only to find yourself with a bill that is way beyond what you had budgeted. It happens frequently. Sometimes, we just don't pay attention to the location or the menu. But sometimes, it is because we have been spotted as a tourist and we will be charged higher tourist prices.
"No," you say. "That cannot be, not in a modern Europe." "That only happens in places like China or South America."
Sorry.
It can happen anywhere and does.
Cases in point:
Madrid, Plaza Mayor
Ah, the lovely Spanish summer has begun and as my companion and I make our way through the streets to the famed Plaza Mayor, we feel the desire to sample those famous tapas--little nibbles of food for a good price. Warmly invited to a café, we sit down and say, "Oh, we'll just have some shrimp, some mushrooms, some olives...." You get the picture. Then, one hour later, the bill arrives and it is nearly $100. "What!" We scurry through the menu and realize that we were given the most expensive type of each item. (And, by the way, don't bother with tapas in Madrid--they are always overpriced. Enjoy them in Seville. They originated there and the prices are far more reasonable. To make your own at home, see my "Tapas made simple".)
Rome, Piazza Navona
Again, a major tourist location, so you should expect to pay higher prices anyway. But be careful of the overfriendly waiters inviting you to sample a 'tourist' menu. Sometimes these can be a value, but in this case, it was anything but. The food was good, but by the time we had finished, we were out well over $100 per person. (And, by the way, there is a small, welcome relief from excessive prices near here: gelato at Tre Scalini is very good and decently priced. See my post: Where to Go for Gelato in Rome?)
Prague, Staromestske Namesti
The Old Town Square has charm. No doubt about that. It's got that famous clock that has the interesting skeleton chiming the bells, and it has hoards of tourists. But it also has excessive prices and separate menus for tourists.
Sitting down for a comfortable dinner you find the menu is littered with glitzy pictures and English, German, French and Italian (and more). They will follow the menu all right, but bets are good that the table just down two from you where the locals are dining (if they are at all) will pay half as much as you do.
Ok, enough examples...
Some among you may want to point out that the places I have listed above are tourist traps. They are the most well-known and most well-visited places in each of these cities. Very true. But the point is that you can still get a good priced meal in those places without being taken for a ride.
Read more about this situation in a recent article: New York Times, "Diner Beware: Turisti Pay More in Roman Restaurants".
How can you protect yourself?
1. Ask your hotel personnel for recommendations and be clear that you want a place that will not overcharge.
2. Ask around, use the internet or use a guidebook to get some feel for what price you should expect to pay.
3. Insist on seeing the menu. True, you may get a 'tourist' menu that has higher prices, but at least you can then make sure the prices compare to what is on your bill.
4. If the bill comes with only numbers, ask for an explanation of each charge.
5. Watch out for hidden cover charges and gratuities--read the fine print!
6. Make a list of what your table has ordered so that by the time the bill does come you can quickly compare. (One place I sometimes go really appreciated it when I had a large group of travelers: they used my list for the orders!)
Some other considerations when dining while traveling:
"No," you say. "That cannot be, not in a modern Europe." "That only happens in places like China or South America."
Sorry.
It can happen anywhere and does.
Cases in point:
Madrid, Plaza Mayor
Ah, the lovely Spanish summer has begun and as my companion and I make our way through the streets to the famed Plaza Mayor, we feel the desire to sample those famous tapas--little nibbles of food for a good price. Warmly invited to a café, we sit down and say, "Oh, we'll just have some shrimp, some mushrooms, some olives...." You get the picture. Then, one hour later, the bill arrives and it is nearly $100. "What!" We scurry through the menu and realize that we were given the most expensive type of each item. (And, by the way, don't bother with tapas in Madrid--they are always overpriced. Enjoy them in Seville. They originated there and the prices are far more reasonable. To make your own at home, see my "Tapas made simple".)
Rome, Piazza Navona
Again, a major tourist location, so you should expect to pay higher prices anyway. But be careful of the overfriendly waiters inviting you to sample a 'tourist' menu. Sometimes these can be a value, but in this case, it was anything but. The food was good, but by the time we had finished, we were out well over $100 per person. (And, by the way, there is a small, welcome relief from excessive prices near here: gelato at Tre Scalini is very good and decently priced. See my post: Where to Go for Gelato in Rome?)
Prague, Staromestske Namesti
The Old Town Square has charm. No doubt about that. It's got that famous clock that has the interesting skeleton chiming the bells, and it has hoards of tourists. But it also has excessive prices and separate menus for tourists.
Sitting down for a comfortable dinner you find the menu is littered with glitzy pictures and English, German, French and Italian (and more). They will follow the menu all right, but bets are good that the table just down two from you where the locals are dining (if they are at all) will pay half as much as you do.
Ok, enough examples...
Some among you may want to point out that the places I have listed above are tourist traps. They are the most well-known and most well-visited places in each of these cities. Very true. But the point is that you can still get a good priced meal in those places without being taken for a ride.
Read more about this situation in a recent article: New York Times, "Diner Beware: Turisti Pay More in Roman Restaurants".
How can you protect yourself?
1. Ask your hotel personnel for recommendations and be clear that you want a place that will not overcharge.
2. Ask around, use the internet or use a guidebook to get some feel for what price you should expect to pay.
3. Insist on seeing the menu. True, you may get a 'tourist' menu that has higher prices, but at least you can then make sure the prices compare to what is on your bill.
4. If the bill comes with only numbers, ask for an explanation of each charge.
5. Watch out for hidden cover charges and gratuities--read the fine print!
6. Make a list of what your table has ordered so that by the time the bill does come you can quickly compare. (One place I sometimes go really appreciated it when I had a large group of travelers: they used my list for the orders!)
Some other considerations when dining while traveling:
- If you do not speak the language well, do not insist on speaking louder or acting exasperated. Try your best to communicate calmly and ask for an explanation of the charges. If it fails, pay the bill and then tell your hotelier. They may very well pass the word of disappointment on.
- Remember that by sitting down for a meal instead of taking it away, you are going to pay more.
- 'Hot spots' for tourists are always going to cost more. If you are exhausted after a morning of walking and 'just don't care, I just want to eat', then be prepared for the higher prices.
- You do not need to feel compelled to eat in the most popular locations. Often just around a corner is a place with as good or better food for lesser price and a place that won't overcharge.
In the end, some places are just out to make the quickest money possible. There will always be places that overcharge tourists, and, though it is hard to admit, all of us will, at one time or another, be caught by the trap. Perhaps we were with a large group that was unruly due to hunger or perhaps we had a magnificent moment in front of a Renaissance painting and were too overwhelmed to question the restaurant. Remember that next time and try not to let it happen again.
Most of all, don't let this stop you from enjoying your travels! It is part of the adventure and one of those memories that we can recount for a very long time to come!
Tom
Sign up for my newsletter
Labels: Travel Tips
posted by Tom - Ubiquity International at 7:23 AM Permalink
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home