*Tip* take a photo of the taxi number plate/registration/licence and make sure the driver sees you do it. If he asks why, just say you’re always forgetting stuff. Make a joke, so they are not offended.
Don’t be shy about a firm no, walk away and if they insist say I will call the police. Stand your ground and use body language to show your discontent if language is a barrier. They know they are scammers and don’t want trouble if you make a scene. The same thing happened to me in Istanbul and with a simple but firm no and a firm hand gesture of STOP, he went away. My advantage over yours is that I knew about this particular scam. Good advice when you say, research before you go!
Thanks for all the great tips. Shoe shiner got my husband before too. In 2005, 2 men in Paris tried to pull another scam on me while traveling with my children. At steps of Sacre Couer, they started weaving bracelets onto their wrists. I told them to stop, and they kept saying “it’s a gift” while quickly weaving the bracelets. I was angry because they were also touching my children’s wrists, and that made me very uncomfortable. I took my children by the hand and quickly walked up the steps. No I didn’t pay them.
😂 Our favorite reply “we’re Canadian” Walked into a pub in Scotland, a group of kids stood up and started singing God Bless America. We told them we were Canadian (we’re not!) and they apologized! 😂
Excellent advice! I’ve seen numerous scammers during trips to 50 countries. Beware of anyone who approaches you or asks personal questions. Sometimes they’ll start a friendly conversation but eventually end up asking for money.
Also in outdoor areas, when eating or drinking don't put you bag on a chair, where it can be easily picked up. Instead but it on your lap, or between your feet on the floor. In really busy areas I put my leg through a strap.
We will be adding chapters from now on. The "auto" chapters don't work so we do it manually. We are going through older videos and adding to those as well. Thank you for noticing. 😊
When asked where I’m from I usually mention some lesser known country that will not be in obvious whether it’s a “rich” country or not… and not obvious whether English is the primary language. Even when traveling w someone else sat in the back of a cab - I’ll text my travel partner with what I want to communicate to them as lots of the drivers listen and understand it even if they say they don’t speak English
@@BrianandCarrie And we appreciate the love!! Earned from generations of friendly, respectful travellers that Brian and Carrie show that they are - they're Honourable Canadians!!
Very good tips. It can be difficult to say no and not feel like you are being rude, but I like how you say that you were not the one soliciting the help and, therefore, shouldn't feel guilty about saying no. Totally agree about skipping those blue and yellow Euronet ATMs...what a ripoff they are!
Use smaller bills to pay the taxi driver. My friend gave an 100 RMB to a taxi driver in Beijing China. He took the bill and returned it, saying that was a counterfeit. My friend gave another bill and was scammed three times like this by the same driver. The bill was not counterfeit but the one he gave you back was!
True, the tuk tuk drivers are even worse and a lot of them are not just over charging but also running scams against you. Alway agree on the price before you ever get in a taxi or tuk tuk. Keep some smaller bills of the local currency on you as often they can’t give change on big bill or say they can’t.
Much appreciated information as always!!! Carrie, I would LOVE a video in detail on how you research, select and book accommodations. I know you don't use Abnb anymore. And I know you've kind of gone into detail a bit on other videos, but it would be nice to have a video focused on just this, a list of the steps you follow. I'd pay for that! I mean, I have a pretty good idea, but it's always nice to hear what someone else does, we can all learn something. I know amenities, safety, proximity to airport and medical, all play a part, but get into the nitty gritty of where you actually search for the info. Which sites do you use, how do you balance comments when there's both good and bad for a property, etc. etc. Details - I love details!!! Thanks for considering.
Another tip is to pack laptops or tables into a backpack so that it's not so obvious what in the pack (e.g, put a towel or whatever under the item). Here in Ecuador, thieves will slash open the bottom of a backpack with a box cutter (from behind you) and let the contents drop out into their hands; hence, your good comment about putting the backpack on your front when in questionable, crowed areas. Another thing is that's it's important not to keep sensitive data resident on a device, like a phone, tablet or laptop, in case the device is stolen. There needs to be a strategy using cloud services to keep the sensitive stuff off of devices. I use Dropbox but there are many ways. This could be a whole video: how to use cloud services to improve data security while traveling.
Great info as always, really enjoying you sharing the do's and don'ts of travel. Recently traveled to Italy. One thing I saw was street vendors using toys to get kids to come over to buy. The toy was thrown to the ground and made a noise. But in reality, the street vendor was making the noise with their mouth. I don't have small children, but I can almost see the disappointment on a kids face after the buy it, and it doesn't work like they thought.
You both are great. Love tuning in each week. And Brian’s facial expressions to the camera absolutely kill me 😂 I love that you guys approach travel with so much humility.
We use safe words to inform each other if we think we are in danger or our partner isn't aware of something. For instance, "We should call my mom." Who died 10 years ago. Then I look around and become aware of what she sees that I don't.
My late husband and I always had a safe or key word that we used when traveling. Like "let's get a coffee". It saved us a few times from some unsavvy situations.
Scammers have been through their game thousands of times. For every question you might have they have an answer that sounds very reasonable. Regarding meterse in taxis: in Guayaquil, Ecuador, no cambies wanted to turn on their meter. Either they are all scammers or they said the truth that they don't use meterse anymore. General rule is to never take a taxi which randomly stops on the street and offers you a ride. At the airport in Quito, Ecuador, I wanted to take a bus into the city and waited for a while before finding out the bus does not run on that day. All that time cabs stopped and offered a ride but I said no because that's a nono. Later I found out from a local that that was normal and safe. Cabbies just try to make extra buck on their way from airport to the city because they can't stay there to wait for passenger and have to return
Excellent reminders. I would also add that in some countries, we are near people who are desperate for their next meal and our nice backpacks, jewelry, cameras, mean food for their families, and a good thing to remember is to do nothing that might tempt anyone.
I think the tagging in social media issue depends on the platform. I believe in FB, you can make your profile private (mine is). The issue is that you also want the posts you make private (only friends can see it). I think instagram is the same way. What I think shows up in a public listing is the name of the person who check in to a place. What a lot of people I know do is that they don't use their real name on FB. Still, what I suggest is to always delay posting for as long as you can so people can't really follow your location. I do this even when my FB is set to pretty much max privacy. I usually post after I visit a place. I don't always do it, but I try to do it as a general safety rule. You never know who is watching. :O I have like 500 friends on FB LOL
I love using my WISE card. Super easy and cheap to load and super cheap exchange rates - then I use it just like a credit card or debit card at a participating bank to withdraw cash. But if I need cash, I go to "Bank of Mama" 😂 My MIL takes our American cash and exchanges it for Lei at her bank for no exchange rate.
Very important from my experience is to check the amount before paying digitally. In my home country I am used to just use Apple Pay and hold my phone on the scanner without even checking the price. That also applies to wireless card paying of course. Generally its probably better to more use cash especially in dodgy places.
There is a Grab scam in SE Asia where the drivers solicit your business and stop you using the app. I experienced it in Hoi An, Vietnam. There are all these Grab pick up spots where you can book a Grab and meet them there, saves confusion. I booked a grab, went to the pick up spot, where there was already a different grab, he told me they don't need a booking from these spots, and that I needed to cancel my grab and get in with him. Stupidly, I did cancel (the booked grab ride was going to be 26,000VND. The grab driver there then said, OK I will take you, it will be 80,000VND. I said no, 26,000... this lead to a heated exchange, he eventually dropped to 60,000 and I walked away. The total price even at 80,000 would have been miniscule, but the point is he was trying to rip me off for almost 4 times the price, and also did one of his fellow drivers out of their rightful money! So no way I was getting in with him.
The only place we had issues was in front of the coliseum in Rome. Free bracelet! I knew better and walked away like 3 times. But it seemed like before I knew it he was back. I finally told him I have no Cash. Nothing to pay. He pushed the bracelet into my hand and then started to tell me about his family and how he needed money to go home to see them. I reiterated that I had no cash.. he got mad and took the bracelet back. 🤣I did notice that when the police walked by they all scattered!
I have learned very few things from this video. And I don't even travel that much. But the information these guys put forward is so valuable and Bryan and Carrie are the bomb for a plethora of information. Thank you so much guys! When you hear things like this several times you know the information spot on. If only my friends could hear Bryan and Carrie's cautionary words and valuable information. Even Rick Steves has been pickpocketed so HELLO! I have some dear friends that are very well off, they donated $10 million to a University. They were in Paris a month ago. They came back and now they are back in Europe again. My friend HAD a $5000 designer purse straddled over the back of the chair of the restaurant they were eating at. (how stupid is that?) Why even bring a $5000 purse when you're traveling through Europe. If you do straddle over the back have your hand around the strap. But again it's so stupid to even bring something like that. Same with expensive jewelry and designer luggage. You're asking for it if you're that stupid if you want to flash your wealth. in my friends case it was more naïve in flash. They don't read and soak up traveling information like I do. I'm not rich. Obviously they can afford the hit. But along with the purse went the passport and cash so they had to go to the consulate or whatever they did to get the passport replaced. What a freaking waste of time. I talked to Jane about it. (name is changed) and she admitted she was really stupid about it. But what if she watched Bryan & Carrie's videos? Friends are smart people and they are humble. But they are not travel smart and anybody can learn I don't care how much money you have. When they get back I'm going to tell them about the channel. I'm not going to tell them about my post here, lol
Great video, thanks to you both. Good and very timely tips. I left Australia for Thailand and had the reverse happen, that is to say, I was always on high alert at home and it took me a hot minute to calm down and relax in Thailand. I'm still aware of my surroundings, but, as you know, it's super safe here. I feel I might be a little bit too relaxed now especially if I was to travel somewhere else now! I always enjoy your videos and always learn something new.
I got the shoeshine scam back in 1987 in Mexico City. The shoeshine was free then he wanted $10 for the special wax he put on, I gave a few dollars and walked away. No more street shoeshines.
We got scammed in Panama right in the airport when we arrived. A guy told us he had taxi for us, then he grabbed 3 other friends on the way. He basically walked us to a taxi, not his. Then he insisted for tips for all and I did not even realize with all his people he did that to another person in my party. So scammed both of us for tips. Live and learn - I will never fall for that again
On the subject of scams; last winter we visited Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines for 3 months. We did I feel 100% safe everywhere we went and dealt with people, but geez Vietnam kept us on edge all the time with the amount of scammers we had to navigate around. Beautiful country, impressive hard working population, but if anyone smiles in your direction and tries to communicate with you , they’re trying to sell you something. Our conclusion after 1 month = smiles come at a price. We encountered the exact opposite in the Philippines ; the most welcoming, helpful warmest people we so far have encountered travelling.
We experienced some of that in Vietnam as well. We would rather have someone try to sell us something than have someone try to scam us. Either way, it can be annoying. We do plan to go back to Vietnam though. 😁 Thank you for watching, Richard!
This is why I am a bit scared to travel solo. I am less intimidated when I am hiking 16 miles trail in North Carolina in complete wilderness! Done this and even saw black mama bear with her cubs, I quickly retrieved and she quickly continued her journey. Animals have more common sense and decency than humans. Maybe this is why people are booking expensive tourists travel vacations where they constantly surrounded by a tour guide. But I dislike it as well. I guess...I will give it a try (solo travel) and I will just wait for my partner to show up one day and we will travel together more comfortably :) Thank you for the tips and time codes! You are always helpful to share your experience!
To @LK-hy5jz- Don't be scared to travel alone. I'm female and in my 60s and went out into the big world solo at 17/18, starting in the 1970s and when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth. LOL! Thank goodness for not having helicopter parents. They were fearless and encouraged me to take it on solo. I have been out nearly every year up to when I came home in Feb 2020. I plan to also get back out there. I've been on 6 continents. Put mind over matter, use common safety sense, and just do it. I prefer to travel solo and not feel like I'm on a travel partner's plan or trip. I'm out solo 90-95 percent of the time as are my friends who have also been traveling the world since teens. Sometimes we meet up somewhere in the world if our paths cross, but that's only for a day or a few days and then we go our separate ways as we have our own things to do. I have been out and traveling from 1 week to 12 weeks straight depending on the time of the year or where I decide to zip off to in the world. Sometimes, I'll go to a place for a week to try it out and if I like it, I can just go back again at some point. If I don't like it, I was only there for a week. Greetings from Los Angeles
@@d.y.e3803 thank you! I relocated from my country to US at the age of 21. I knew at that time 30 words in English :) I spoke German and Russian and French. No one cared for it! I had to learn a new profession, new language and find a job. I am not intimidated by traveling but I am now 53 and hearing all these tips makes me feel as if i am stepping into a dragon pit!! Is it even worth to explore if I have to always watch out and pay attention and don’t talk to strangers and refuse help if it looks suspicious! You traveled since you were very young and by now you have all of the tricks already learned so you are more comfortable! For me it will be a first time after many years of only traveling within US. I don’t count cruises and resorts as they are all designed with more or less safety.
I would have to say I was a bit intimidated before I started solo travel, but if you just apply some common sense, and have a basic awareness of your surroundings, you will be fine. Brian and Carrie give some great advice, watch for these types of points from them and others, and get out and live life, you won't regret it.
When you can also try to use an ATM that is attached to a bank. Couple of years ago travelling in Southern India i went to an ATM on the evening to get some cash as was travelling onwards the next day. The ATM gave me the cash but did not return my card. It was attached to the outside of a bank so went there first thing the next morning, showed my passport in the bank and they returned my card. Minimal inconvenience. If it had been a stand alone ATM then no idea how long it would take to get my card back, if even possible to do so. When travelling with someone else consider getting a duplicate card that they can carry so if lose one you are not stuck.
More common sense travel advice. Hard to consider paying $1 for a "free" shoeshine a scam. As scams goes that one is not expensive. Now I personally witnessed on the Ramblas in Barcelona the card game scam where the unsuspecting tourist puts down money to pick the proper card that is shuffled. 50 Euro in that case was lost. Recognize that these occur everywhere and the adage of using common sense to deals that appear too easy or good to be true holds. Cheers to both!
Me and my mother were in London walking back to our hotel one afternoon . Two guys started talking to us and for whatever reason they were saying they were cops and wanted to see our passports. I said we don’t have it , but started scaring us and about being in trouble due to drugs or something. I think they want us to give them money. We were walking away from them and when I noticed that we were in front of our hotel that had cameras, I pointed that out. They quickly run away. We reported it to the hotel employees.
Traveled five months this year in Peru and Ecuador. Cash is king there, you can use your credit card at hotels and better restaurants only. Peru especially its common to add 5% or so to use my credit card. Take your bank card and withdraw $ at bank ATMs.
I get free samples while shopping at Costco. But I guess I pay for them by way of a membership fee. And let's not talk about free wine-tasting events. LOL Great tips...Thanks!
The place I felt most unsafe of all the countries we have visited was actually New Orleans, Louisiana. Some little kid scammed me out of a couple of $, not so bad but was followed by a couple a young guys in a side street in the French Quarters and will be forever grateful to the 4 people who stepped out of a door right in front of me and I guess the old adage that there is safety in numbers still hold. I will never know what was up but my gut told me it wasn’t good.
Great points. So my best take away is eat lots of beans and eggs🥚 on sight seeing days. Maybe even skip a few shower days.😮😳🤔😉🤢 Pro tip: stick toilet paper smudged with chocolate 🍫 in your back pockets and bags 🎒 😂🤣 I just got an idea 💡 for a video. WORST travel tips ever... feel free to use mine.😊
Wear sneakers if possible. The shoe shining scam happened to me in the late 1990s in Istanbul. But, I knew about it before I went there and had avoided it up to when it unexpectedly happened. What happened was that a guest at my hotel in Sultanhamet and I decided to team up and go out one day. She had already been in Istanbul for quite a few days. I had been there around 2-3 days at that point. We went all over Istanbul and while at the big mosque on the hill, we decided to sit outside on a nearby bench before making the big trek back down the hill. As we were talking, we were suddenly surrounded by kids. It was as if they had come out of nowhere. And before I knew it, one had plopped a big piece of shoe polish onto my right boot. I was NOT a happy camper. It was spring time when it rains which is why I was wearing knee boots. Plus, I was also spending my usual springtime in Paris and also needed them there. Well, we tried to get the kids to go away and also remove the blob of shoe polish, but the kid just rubbed it in and started shining the one boot. I then stood up, but when it was over, the kid demanded money. Just scream! These types of aggressions send me into orbit and I've experienced them in one way or another on six continents depending on the country/city/town. It's been many decades of such. Tiring. But, I always have to mentally shake it off and move on. Greetings from Los Angeles
Apologies if this has been asked before but what camera and microphone do you use please? P.S. Great videos, loads of useful info and really inspiring our travel plans!
For this style of video, we use the Canon M50 with MJI mics. When we shoot videos of destinations, we use the GoPro 11 with the same mics. Here is a link to a video that we did last year that explains how we do it and what we use. 😊 czcams.com/video/JQ5YY_fBecM/video.html
Haha the shoe shiner scam in Istanbul. We’re here now and and got caught up in the exact same scam two days ago. Right easy when they insisted on cleaning our shoes I knew we had been sucked in. We have them equivalent of 75 cents as that was all we had in small denomination and they weren’t happy..,,obviously we walked away. Had to laugh when the first scam you bought up was this one….we’re both suckers 😂😂😂
Great advice but all this stuff makes me worry if I can go to Thailand by myself (I'm a fit 75 yr Canadian) I'm not that great tech-wise and don't use many apps. I usually use cash & only credit card for tours. I have been a TH sitter for 5 yrs but honestly it's impossible to get popular sits like Asia, Mexico, Spain, etc Gate1 wants over $1000 for solo now on their 18-day Thailand. Is it better to get an agent to book things? txs
As a long time viewer and experienced traveler, I'm finding some of your more recent videos, less interesting. I like the focus to be on the destination, your Airbnb, what you did and ate. You know, the fun stuff. Also, any logistics, how you arrived at your destination etc. A more recent packing video would be nice as well. This video seems to be aimed at newbie travelers. Cheers!
We are home on "vacation" until September 1st visiting family. Our next destination will be Mexico. We will be doing a packing video soon, and yes, we are again packing differently this next time! 😁 Thank you for watching! Cheers!! 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie happened in Turkey, owner had the second key to the door and was watching and waiting for us to leave and someone came in and was on our laptop. Some of the cameras are just a pinhole.
@@mariagillinson8527our apartment in Turkey where we are staying right now has a little foyer where two apartments come off (ours is one) it has a camera in there and I’m sure the owner can obviously see us come and go. It’s freaking me out knowing it’s there and we may be being watched.
*Tip* take a photo of the taxi number plate/registration/licence and make sure the driver sees you do it. If he asks why, just say you’re always forgetting stuff. Make a joke, so they are not offended.
Thats a great idea!!! Love this!
Love that tip!
Don’t be shy about a firm no, walk away and if they insist say I will call the police. Stand your ground and use body language to show your discontent if language is a barrier. They know they are scammers and don’t want trouble if you make a scene. The same thing happened to me in Istanbul and with a simple but firm no and a firm hand gesture of STOP, he went away. My advantage over yours is that I knew about this particular scam. Good advice when you say, research before you go!
Thanks for all the great tips. Shoe shiner got my husband before too. In 2005, 2 men in Paris tried to pull another scam on me while traveling with my children. At steps of Sacre Couer, they started weaving bracelets onto their wrists. I told them to stop, and they kept saying “it’s a gift” while quickly weaving the bracelets. I was angry because they were also touching my children’s wrists, and that made me very uncomfortable. I took my children by the hand and quickly walked up the steps. No I didn’t pay them.
When kids are involved it's a next level!! 😠
😂 Our favorite reply “we’re Canadian” Walked into a pub in Scotland, a group of kids stood up and started singing God Bless America. We told them we were Canadian (we’re not!) and they apologized! 😂
That sounds like something we would do!! 🤣
I love Brian’s sense of humor! 😂
Thank you, Margie! 🤣
Excellent advice! I’ve seen numerous scammers during trips to 50 countries. Beware of anyone who approaches you or asks personal questions. Sometimes they’ll start a friendly conversation but eventually end up asking for money.
Also in outdoor areas, when eating or drinking don't put you bag on a chair, where it can be easily picked up. Instead but it on your lap, or between your feet on the floor. In really busy areas I put my leg through a strap.
My bag I clip and I clip in around my body and it stays on my lap. They would have to drag me.😂
Brian, you are hilarious - you opened a stranger’s backpack in a train, grab all his stuffs out…ha ha, thanks for the good laugh 😂😂
😁
Another great video Brian and Carrie!
Also thanks for the awesome chapters!
We will be adding chapters from now on. The "auto" chapters don't work so we do it manually. We are going through older videos and adding to those as well. Thank you for noticing. 😊
When asked where I’m from I usually mention some lesser known country that will not be in obvious whether it’s a “rich” country or not… and not obvious whether English is the primary language. Even when traveling w someone else sat in the back of a cab - I’ll text my travel partner with what I want to communicate to them as lots of the drivers listen and understand it even if they say they don’t speak English
Smart!
You had me at "Everybody loves Canadians".
Everyone does love Canadians! 😊
@@BrianandCarrie Awww, thanks guys! Here, let me give you my credit card number. Let me know if you would like my debit card number as well;)
🤣
@@BrianandCarrie Thank you 😀
@@BrianandCarrie And we appreciate the love!! Earned from generations of friendly, respectful travellers that Brian and Carrie show that they are - they're Honourable Canadians!!
Very good tips. It can be difficult to say no and not feel like you are being rude, but I like how you say that you were not the one soliciting the help and, therefore, shouldn't feel guilty about saying no. Totally agree about skipping those blue and yellow Euronet ATMs...what a ripoff they are!
Canadians always say, 'I'm sorry ...'
We Canadians are renowned for this. We also tend to be quieter, and less showy. Of course an over simplification and generalization.
Use smaller bills to pay the taxi driver. My friend gave an 100 RMB to a taxi driver in Beijing China. He took the bill and returned it, saying that was a counterfeit. My friend gave another bill and was scammed three times like this by the same driver. The bill was not counterfeit but the one he gave you back was!
😱
Great tip!
In Thailand, ONLY use Grab! The taxis throughout Bangkok are thieves!!
True, the tuk tuk drivers are even worse and a lot of them are not just over charging but also running scams against you. Alway agree on the price before you ever get in a taxi or tuk tuk. Keep some smaller bills of the local currency on you as often they can’t give change on big bill or say they can’t.
‘Too helpful’ got us at the tram station in Nice, France last year when they implemented the new reusable tram/bus tickets!
Much appreciated information as always!!! Carrie, I would LOVE a video in detail on how you research, select and book accommodations. I know you don't use Abnb anymore. And I know you've kind of gone into detail a bit on other videos, but it would be nice to have a video focused on just this, a list of the steps you follow. I'd pay for that! I mean, I have a pretty good idea, but it's always nice to hear what someone else does, we can all learn something. I know amenities, safety, proximity to airport and medical, all play a part, but get into the nitty gritty of where you actually search for the info. Which sites do you use, how do you balance comments when there's both good and bad for a property, etc. etc. Details - I love details!!! Thanks for considering.
Thank you for the suggestion, Debbie. We will try to come up with a way to shoot that video. 😊
Another tip is to pack laptops or tables into a backpack so that it's not so obvious what in the pack (e.g, put a towel or whatever under the item). Here in Ecuador, thieves will slash open the bottom of a backpack with a box cutter (from behind you) and let the contents drop out into their hands; hence, your good comment about putting the backpack on your front when in questionable, crowed areas.
Another thing is that's it's important not to keep sensitive data resident on a device, like a phone, tablet or laptop, in case the device is stolen. There needs to be a strategy using cloud services to keep the sensitive stuff off of devices. I use Dropbox but there are many ways. This could be a whole video: how to use cloud services to improve data security while traveling.
Thank you for adding this to this channel, John!! We appreciate the support!!
Always enjoy ur tips & tricks. Very sound ✅️
Thank you!! 😊
Great info as always, really enjoying you sharing the do's and don'ts of travel. Recently traveled to Italy. One thing I saw was street vendors using toys to get kids to come over to buy. The toy was thrown to the ground and made a noise. But in reality, the street vendor was making the noise with their mouth. I don't have small children, but I can almost see the disappointment on a kids face after the buy it, and it doesn't work like they thought.
You both are great. Love tuning in each week. And Brian’s facial expressions to the camera absolutely kill me 😂 I love that you guys approach travel with so much humility.
Thank you, Anthony!! 😊
We use safe words to inform each other if we think we are in danger or our partner isn't aware of something. For instance, "We should call my mom." Who died 10 years ago. Then I look around and become aware of what she sees that I don't.
Great idea!!!
My late husband and I always had a safe or key word that we used when traveling. Like "let's get a coffee". It saved us a few times from some unsavvy situations.
Scammers have been through their game thousands of times. For every question you might have they have an answer that sounds very reasonable. Regarding meterse in taxis: in Guayaquil, Ecuador, no cambies wanted to turn on their meter. Either they are all scammers or they said the truth that they don't use meterse anymore. General rule is to never take a taxi which randomly stops on the street and offers you a ride. At the airport in Quito, Ecuador, I wanted to take a bus into the city and waited for a while before finding out the bus does not run on that day. All that time cabs stopped and offered a ride but I said no because that's a nono. Later I found out from a local that that was normal and safe. Cabbies just try to make extra buck on their way from airport to the city because they can't stay there to wait for passenger and have to return
Excellent reminders. I would also add that in some countries, we are near people who are desperate for their next meal and our nice backpacks, jewelry, cameras, mean food for their families, and a good thing to remember is to do nothing that might tempt anyone.
It is best to be as discreet as possible. We don't carry a big camara anymore and this is one of the reasons why.
Exactly! No jewelry, no flashy brand clothing. Just try to blend in
I think the tagging in social media issue depends on the platform. I believe in FB, you can make your profile private (mine is). The issue is that you also want the posts you make private (only friends can see it).
I think instagram is the same way.
What I think shows up in a public listing is the name of the person who check in to a place. What a lot of people I know do is that they don't use their real name on FB.
Still, what I suggest is to always delay posting for as long as you can so people can't really follow your location. I do this even when my FB is set to pretty much max privacy. I usually post after I visit a place. I don't always do it, but I try to do it as a general safety rule. You never know who is watching. :O I have like 500 friends on FB LOL
I love using my WISE card. Super easy and cheap to load and super cheap exchange rates - then I use it just like a credit card or debit card at a participating bank to withdraw cash. But if I need cash, I go to "Bank of Mama" 😂 My MIL takes our American cash and exchanges it for Lei at her bank for no exchange rate.
Very important from my experience is to check the amount before paying digitally. In my home country I am used to just use Apple Pay and hold my phone on the scanner without even checking the price. That also applies to wireless card paying of course. Generally its probably better to more use cash especially in dodgy places.
There is a Grab scam in SE Asia where the drivers solicit your business and stop you using the app. I experienced it in Hoi An, Vietnam. There are all these Grab pick up spots where you can book a Grab and meet them there, saves confusion. I booked a grab, went to the pick up spot, where there was already a different grab, he told me they don't need a booking from these spots, and that I needed to cancel my grab and get in with him. Stupidly, I did cancel (the booked grab ride was going to be 26,000VND.
The grab driver there then said, OK I will take you, it will be 80,000VND. I said no, 26,000... this lead to a heated exchange, he eventually dropped to 60,000 and I walked away. The total price even at 80,000 would have been miniscule, but the point is he was trying to rip me off for almost 4 times the price, and also did one of his fellow drivers out of their rightful money! So no way I was getting in with him.
The only place we had issues was in front of the coliseum in Rome. Free bracelet! I knew better and walked away like 3 times. But it seemed like before I knew it he was back. I finally told him I have no Cash. Nothing to pay. He pushed the bracelet into my hand and then started to tell me about his family and how he needed money to go home to see them. I reiterated that I had no cash.. he got mad and took the bracelet back. 🤣I did notice that when the police walked by they all scattered!
Same thing happened to me but by the Trevi fountain
We did witness that as well! Just say no and keep walking!!
same happened to me but at the Trajan's column...:)
I have learned very few things from this video. And I don't even travel that much. But the information these guys put forward is so valuable and Bryan and Carrie are the bomb for a plethora of information. Thank you so much guys! When you hear things like this several times you know the information spot on.
If only my friends could hear Bryan and Carrie's cautionary words and valuable information. Even Rick Steves has been pickpocketed so HELLO!
I have some dear friends that are very well off, they donated $10 million to a University. They were in Paris a month ago. They came back and now they are back in Europe again. My friend HAD a $5000 designer purse straddled over the back of the chair of the restaurant they were eating at. (how stupid is that?) Why even bring a $5000 purse when you're traveling through Europe. If you do straddle over the back have your hand around the strap. But again it's so stupid to even bring something like that. Same with expensive jewelry and designer luggage. You're asking for it if you're that stupid if you want to flash your wealth. in my friends case it was more naïve in flash. They don't read and soak up traveling information like I do. I'm not rich. Obviously they can afford the hit. But along with the purse went the passport and cash so they had to go to the consulate or whatever they did to get the passport replaced. What a freaking waste of time. I talked to Jane about it. (name is changed) and she admitted she was really stupid about it. But what if she watched Bryan & Carrie's videos? Friends are smart people and they are humble. But they are not travel smart and anybody can learn I don't care how much money you have. When they get back I'm going to tell them about the channel. I'm not going to tell them about my post here, lol
Thank you!! ❤️ We appreciate your support!!
Great video, thanks to you both. Good and very timely tips. I left Australia for Thailand and had the reverse happen, that is to say, I was always on high alert at home and it took me a hot minute to calm down and relax in Thailand. I'm still aware of my surroundings, but, as you know, it's super safe here. I feel I might be a little bit too relaxed now especially if I was to travel somewhere else now! I always enjoy your videos and always learn something new.
Thank you, Donna! We appreciate you watching the channel and supporting us. ❤️😊
I got the shoeshine scam back in 1987 in Mexico City. The shoeshine was free then he wanted $10 for the special wax he put on, I gave a few dollars and walked away. No more street shoeshines.
We got scammed in Panama right in the airport when we arrived. A guy told us he had taxi for us, then he grabbed 3 other friends on the way. He basically walked us to a taxi, not his. Then he insisted for tips for all and I did not even realize with all his people he did that to another person in my party. So scammed both of us for tips. Live and learn - I will never fall for that again
We haven't heard of that one! Thank you for the tip!!
Good info, things to think about. Thanks!
Thank you for watching and the comments!! 😊
On the subject of scams; last winter we visited Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines for 3 months. We did I feel 100% safe everywhere we went and dealt with people, but geez Vietnam kept us on edge all the time with the amount of scammers we had to navigate around. Beautiful country, impressive hard working population, but if anyone smiles in your direction and tries to communicate with you , they’re trying to sell you something. Our conclusion after 1 month = smiles come at a price. We encountered the exact opposite in the Philippines ; the most welcoming, helpful warmest people we so far have encountered travelling.
We experienced some of that in Vietnam as well. We would rather have someone try to sell us something than have someone try to scam us. Either way, it can be annoying. We do plan to go back to Vietnam though. 😁 Thank you for watching, Richard!
This is why I am a bit scared to travel solo. I am less intimidated when I am hiking 16 miles trail in North Carolina in complete wilderness! Done this and even saw black mama bear with her cubs, I quickly retrieved and she quickly continued her journey. Animals have more common sense and decency than humans. Maybe this is why people are booking expensive tourists travel vacations where they constantly surrounded by a tour guide. But I dislike it as well. I guess...I will give it a try (solo travel) and I will just wait for my partner to show up one day and we will travel together more comfortably :) Thank you for the tips and time codes! You are always helpful to share your experience!
Solo travel is amazing and the confidence you will gain will be priceless. You can drop me in any country and I am off like a bunny!❤️
@@bw5911funny you! :)
To @LK-hy5jz- Don't be scared to travel alone. I'm female and in my 60s and went out into the big world solo at 17/18, starting in the 1970s and when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth. LOL! Thank goodness for not having helicopter parents. They were fearless and encouraged me to take it on solo. I have been out nearly every year up to when I came home in Feb 2020. I plan to also get back out there. I've been on 6 continents. Put mind over matter, use common safety sense, and just do it. I prefer to travel solo and not feel like I'm on a travel partner's plan or trip. I'm out solo 90-95 percent of the time as are my friends who have also been traveling the world since teens. Sometimes we meet up somewhere in the world if our paths cross, but that's only for a day or a few days and then we go our separate ways as we have our own things to do. I have been out and traveling from 1 week to 12 weeks straight depending on the time of the year or where I decide to zip off to in the world. Sometimes, I'll go to a place for a week to try it out and if I like it, I can just go back again at some point. If I don't like it, I was only there for a week.
Greetings from Los Angeles
@@d.y.e3803 thank you! I relocated from my country to US at the age of 21. I knew at that time 30 words in English :) I spoke German and Russian and French. No one cared for it! I had to learn a new profession, new language and find a job. I am not intimidated by traveling but I am now 53 and hearing all these tips makes me feel as if i am stepping into a dragon pit!! Is it even worth to explore if I have to always watch out and pay attention and don’t talk to strangers and refuse help if it looks suspicious! You traveled since you were very young and by now you have all of the tricks already learned so you are more comfortable! For me it will be a first time after many years of only traveling within US. I don’t count cruises and resorts as they are all designed with more or less safety.
I would have to say I was a bit intimidated before I started solo travel, but if you just apply some common sense, and have a basic awareness of your surroundings, you will be fine. Brian and Carrie give some great advice, watch for these types of points from them and others, and get out and live life, you won't regret it.
When you can also try to use an ATM that is attached to a bank. Couple of years ago travelling in Southern India i went to an ATM on the evening to get some cash as was travelling onwards the next day. The ATM gave me the cash but did not return my card. It was attached to the outside of a bank so went there first thing the next morning, showed my passport in the bank and they returned my card. Minimal inconvenience. If it had been a stand alone ATM then no idea how long it would take to get my card back, if even possible to do so. When travelling with someone else consider getting a duplicate card that they can carry so if lose one you are not stuck.
More common sense travel advice. Hard to consider paying $1 for a "free" shoeshine a scam. As scams goes that one is not expensive. Now I personally witnessed on the Ramblas in Barcelona the card game scam where the unsuspecting tourist puts down money to pick the proper card that is shuffled. 50 Euro in that case was lost. Recognize that these occur everywhere and the adage of using common sense to deals that appear too easy or good to be true holds. Cheers to both!
BTW Brian not all of us Canadians are nice. Without a coffee in the morning this Canadian is not nice.
Make sure Ann gets coffee!!! 🤣
Me and my mother were in London walking back to our hotel one afternoon . Two guys started talking to us and for whatever reason they were saying they were cops and wanted to see our passports. I said we don’t have it , but started scaring us and about being in trouble due to drugs or something. I think they want us to give them money. We were walking away from them and when I noticed that we were in front of our hotel that had cameras, I pointed that out. They quickly run away. We reported it to the hotel employees.
So scary! You handled it perfectly!!
I might answer a server question, but not any other person.
Off topic, but Carrie your arms arm amazing girl!💕
Thank you 😊
Traveled five months this year in Peru and Ecuador. Cash is king there, you can use your credit card at hotels and better restaurants only. Peru especially its common to add 5% or so to use my credit card. Take your bank card and withdraw $ at bank ATMs.
Good to know, Byron! We will be traveling to Peru next spring! Thanks for to tip!!
@@BrianandCarrie I loved Peru. So many Inka ruins to see, a culturally rich experience.
We are really excited for the next 6+ months!
I didn’t hear about the money cup tipped over scam. I always look up scams before I go.
I get free samples while shopping at Costco. But I guess I pay for them by way of a membership fee. And let's not talk about free wine-tasting events. LOL Great tips...Thanks!
🤣 Free lunch at Costco!!
The place I felt most unsafe of all the countries we have visited was actually New Orleans, Louisiana. Some little kid scammed me out of a couple of $, not so bad but was followed by a couple a young guys in a side street in the French Quarters and will be forever grateful to the 4 people who stepped out of a door right in front of me and I guess the old adage that there is safety in numbers still hold. I will never know what was up but my gut told me it wasn’t good.
"I bet you I can tell you where you got those shoes." 🤦♂ You brought back some memories of N.O. I forgot about those scammers from years ago.
We are asked all the time "Is it safe?" Every place that we have been we have felt just as safe as when we visit any place in the US.
Agreed, New Orleans iffy. I felt less on edge in Baghdad.
@@bss-rp5pl yes that one too
Great points. So my best take away is eat lots of beans and eggs🥚 on sight seeing days. Maybe even skip a few shower days.😮😳🤔😉🤢
Pro tip: stick toilet paper smudged with chocolate 🍫 in your back pockets and bags 🎒 😂🤣
I just got an idea 💡 for a video. WORST travel tips ever... feel free to use mine.😊
All good ideas!!! 🤣
Wear sneakers if possible.
The shoe shining scam happened to me in the late 1990s in Istanbul. But, I knew about it before I went there and had avoided it up to when it unexpectedly happened.
What happened was that a guest at my hotel in Sultanhamet and I decided to team up and go out one day. She had already been in Istanbul for quite a few days. I had been there around 2-3 days at that point. We went all over Istanbul and while at the big mosque on the hill, we decided to sit outside on a nearby bench before making the big trek back down the hill. As we were talking, we were suddenly surrounded by kids. It was as if they had come out of nowhere. And before I knew it, one had plopped a big piece of shoe polish onto my right boot. I was NOT a happy camper. It was spring time when it rains which is why I was wearing knee boots. Plus, I was also spending my usual springtime in Paris and also needed them there.
Well, we tried to get the kids to go away and also remove the blob of shoe polish, but the kid just rubbed it in and started shining the one boot. I then stood up, but when it was over, the kid demanded money. Just scream! These types of aggressions send me into orbit and I've experienced them in one way or another on six continents depending on the country/city/town. It's been many decades of such. Tiring. But, I always have to mentally shake it off and move on.
Greetings from Los Angeles
That's one that seems to get all of us, they are quick. Cheers!!
@@BrianandCarrie Yep! They're very quick! They arrive like magicians and disappear like magicians.
Greetings from Los Angeles
Apologies if this has been asked before but what camera and microphone do you use please? P.S. Great videos, loads of useful info and really inspiring our travel plans!
For this style of video, we use the Canon M50 with MJI mics. When we shoot videos of destinations, we use the GoPro 11 with the same mics. Here is a link to a video that we did last year that explains how we do it and what we use. 😊 czcams.com/video/JQ5YY_fBecM/video.html
@@BrianandCarrie Amazing, thanks so much for answering
Haha the shoe shiner scam in Istanbul. We’re here now and and got caught up in the exact same scam two days ago. Right easy when they insisted on cleaning our shoes I knew we had been sucked in. We have them equivalent of 75 cents as that was all we had in small denomination and they weren’t happy..,,obviously we walked away. Had to laugh when the first scam you bought up was this one….we’re both suckers 😂😂😂
Thats about what I paid too! He wasn't happy with me at all, but I did get a nice shoeshine!! 😊
Good advice!
Thank you for watching guys!! 😊❤️
Great advice but all this stuff makes me worry if I can go to Thailand by myself (I'm a fit 75 yr Canadian) I'm not that great tech-wise and don't use many apps. I usually use cash & only credit card for tours. I have been a TH sitter for 5 yrs but honestly it's impossible to get popular sits like Asia, Mexico, Spain, etc Gate1 wants over $1000 for solo now on their 18-day Thailand. Is it better to get an agent to book things? txs
We found Thailand easy to travel through. You won't have any problems with bookings.
Thanks
Baby formula scam in Colombia.
Once the quid is accepted, the pro quo follows. Best not accept gifts.
As a long time viewer and experienced traveler, I'm finding some of your more recent videos, less interesting. I like the focus to be on the destination, your Airbnb, what you did and ate. You know, the fun stuff. Also, any logistics, how you arrived at your destination etc. A more recent packing video would be nice as well. This video seems to be aimed at newbie travelers. Cheers!
We are home on "vacation" until September 1st visiting family. Our next destination will be Mexico. We will be doing a packing video soon, and yes, we are again packing differently this next time! 😁 Thank you for watching!
Cheers!! 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie You're on "vacation" from your "permanent vacation"? 🤔😆
Are you getting your IDP?
When we are home, we don't shoot videos, so it does seem like a vacation. but we understand what you are saying. 🤣😁
Sorry @tammyvig8253 but for me I find their videos quite informative. Maybe its just me....
@@richcosta1163 good for you! I feel differently.
What about hidden cameras in places to stay at?
Scary to think about!! CNN just did a report about that. 😳
@@BrianandCarrie happened in Turkey, owner had the second key to the door and was watching and waiting for us to leave and someone came in and was on our laptop. Some of the cameras are just a pinhole.
Crazy story! 😔
@@mariagillinson8527our apartment in Turkey where we are staying right now has a little foyer where two apartments come off (ours is one) it has a camera in there and I’m sure the owner can obviously see us come and go. It’s freaking me out knowing it’s there and we may be being watched.
I recommend you don't visit third world countries 😉
The countries you visit are cheap for a reason 😉
These scams happen in every country in the world.
This is a crazy comment, Paris, Athens, Rome, London, Vegas are rife for scams. Scams happen everywhere