Avoid These Tourist Scams in Italy! 🚫🇮🇹
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- čas přidán 25. 05. 2024
- Avoid scams while visiting Italy! Discover the hidden charms and celebrated wonders while avoiding common tourist traps. Join me as we navigate through the pitfalls and highlight must-see destinations, from food markets and palaces to small village streets. Learn how to protect yourself and make the most of your Italian adventure.
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I wanted to share a recent (10 days ago) experience I had with a taxi driver in Rome. I attended a Three Tenors concert at a beautiful church really close to a Metro station, which is how we got to the concert. When the concert ended we discovered the Metro A Line was closed for maintenance, so we walked to the Termini train station to find a taxi back to our hotel. The fare was $13 Euros, so I gave him my last $20 Euro bill and told him to keep the change. He handed me the change and I re-explained that the change was for him. He smiled at me and said "It's ok.", and gave me the change. So you can get an honest taxi driver who really just wants to get you from A to B.
That is great to hear, and thank you for sharing the story
@@pelekeososhio5627 About sixty years ago my cousin and I were camping near Gaeta (in the south). We took the local bus to town (about six miles away) to have an evening meal. The return bus had finished very early so we had to take a taxi to get back to our campsite. The elderly driver spoke excellent English and explained he had been a prisoner of war in the UK. When we arrived at our campsite the driver refused to accept any payment, saying he loved England and its people, but knew that he would never manage to return there. Instead of accepting any payment, he asked us to kiss the English ground for him! We felt so very humbled by his great kindness and of his only time in the UK, as a prisoner of war! We wept as we walked back to our little tent. I have never forgotten him and that incredible experience!
Most taxi drivers in Rome are quite honest.
Italy eating rule #1: Good restaurants NEVER ask you to come in or sit down. They don’t need to do that.
EXACTLY
True, and the REAL restaurants also dont have Pictures of the food on the menu..,,
Simply stated but very true
My best advice about paying by credit card in other countries is this: Always choose the local currency and NOT U.S. dollars or wherever you’re from. The credit card terminal gives you an option. When you choose local currency, you pay exactly that amount and your credit card will always give you the best exchange rate per the going market rate. If you choose your card’s currency, for example US dollars, the vendor or restaurant or whatever you’re paying for will calculate the exchange rate and may charge you as much as 30% extra!! That can be huge if you’re paying for something expensive like a rental car. Always choose local country’s currency! Your credit card will take care of the rest. Also, make sure to use credit cards that don’t charge foreign transation fees, which can be around 2%. Visa signature cards don’t have them but check with your credit card first.
Yes, always choose the local currency option and not USD. good advice.
100 this!! Watch out for merchants who try to push you to do the transaction in your home currency - they claim it's a convenience for you but really they just want to manipulate the exchange rate for their own benefit!
A big tip: most of the guided tours I did in Florence tended to give me a verified list of restaurants/gelato places which were not tourist traps, and tended to be down some of the side streets. They will also explain a lot of these scammer methods along the tour
My wife and I were in florence last month, while she was waiting in line at the academia and i grabbed our tickets. There were tons of "painting in the ground" scams. As I was getting out from the ticket area they moved it right in my path, and i stepped on it, guy was like "whoa whoa, watch out" i knew exactly what was going on.
I immediately starting yelling and cursing randomly like it was their fault and started a small scene and I just kept walking away without apologizing, the confusion on those guys' faces were priceless. They didnt know what to say as I kept walking away i just started laughing my ass off.
15:45 "Me, I don't do that" This is the dude that got me last week! Caught me while I was eating, "for my baby, please" The brecelet broke after 30s
I'm Italian, l take taxi only when I am abroad, in Italy try to avoid them whenever possible....
I’m glad we went on a tour. Airfare, hotel, breakfast and dinner were included as well as all our tours were pain for. Last on the list the hotels were including tax on everything. It was a dream to see the top spots as well as free time to browse. Our tour company gave us maps shopping and best bang for your buck lunches. I had the time of my life. 2 weeks in Italy was my best trip with the Portuguese Azores.
@@winkpinky1445 what company did you do this all in one tour ?
I can’t remember the name but they were out of Boston. Fantastic 7 or 8 course meal atop a treacherous mountain road. We were out at the isle of Capri. That cavern was so popular. All oh us lying on the boats of the waves. When you splashed water it looked handfuls of precious gems., what a trip.
I agree to all what you have discussed. I have been and experienced some of these scammed. Right there in Piazza’s. From then on I learned to get away from these scammers in Europe. Keep it up.👍
Lots of great tips!! I knew about some of them but it’s good to be reminded. Thank you for the video 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the advice :) you included tips I hadn’t seen anywhere else especially about the train tickets
I'm glad that helped out and funny about the train station. Because that guy scammer I filmed afterwards, The 2 of us had an argument.
Great video! Thorough, accurate, and entertaining!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your videos are always well made, I’m so excited to go to Italy 🇮🇹
Glad you like them!
I’ve visited Italy twice. Everything you said was true. I never buy anything from a person on the street. Always buy from a shop. I told a tall black man no thank you in Italian and he persisted to make the sale. I gave him a firm NO! Then he says “You don’t like black people. You are a racist!” He’s screaming this over and over while following me. I was in shock. Thankfully a woman stepped in and told him to leave the man alone.
Sorry to hear about that experience, Richard. Stay safe out there! 🚫
Back in March, we spent a week in Florence and then a week in Cetara and Gregor's video were super helpful to get around and know what to do (as well as helpful phrases). Love the content!
Great to hear! Thanks so much!
Great video! Cheers from Italy 🤗 in Piacenza you’re my guest…and believe me, I won’t charge you 🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👋🏼
Great video great tips
Definitely will keep this in mind next time I come back to Bella Italia, Thanks Mate!
Please do!
This is a great list of known scams Gregor! One I would like to add is young people hanging out near the entrance to public pay toilets. Since it usually costs €0.50 and many people don't have coins on them, there is a bill breaker machine right outside. The young people in a large group will be pretty pushy asking for money. We observed that at the Florence Train Station, and made a U-turn to the Bus Station toilets instead. Keep change on you, unlike in the States, it can actually help a lot!
Thanks for adding to the list, Joe!
This is a very useful video, as I will move to Italy in August. First time visiting the country. Totally in love with your sunglasses by the way. Love that color. So stylish and with personality at the same time.
Brilliant video Gregor everyone should take your advice, I have had the change scam in Rome 2 years ago when buying a bottle of wine from a small general store, cost was 8 euro, I gave him a 20 but he gave change of a 10, I spotted this at once and he gave me the correct change after I pointed out his mistake.
thanks so much Peter and thanks for sharing your advice
U are fantastic sooo helpful !! Good work dear learnt a lot before my trip !!!!!
My pleasure 😊
I second the recommendation to use the ATM in a post office. I’m partial to the one in Florence, near the Mercato de Porcellino.
Gregor.....We just got back from Italy and it was awesome....thank you for the tips and tricks...that lampredotto in florence is unbelievable 👌....already planning on our next visit..Grazie mille......to La Dolce Vita 🍷
Wonderful!
Nice video thanks:)
No problem 👍
Great tips mate 👍
Glad you found the tips helpful. 👍
Excellent tips.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic Tip Video Thanks For Info On Post Office Money Exchange
Most welcome
Great tips and appreciate your info!
Using an ATM in Siena, a message came up saying it was going to charge me 15% markup for the exchange. Clicked cancel, and it did the conversion using my bank rather than the atm, at 2.1%. So watch out for that one, don't just hit Continue
Yes smart man
When my wife & i travel we visit the local supermarkets to buy some groceries and occasionally visit a restaurant or cafe, and we want a menu with prices and definitely avoid eateries with no priced menus.
Not sure if my comment will be seen or not, but just to check, in Rome you don't need to buy tickets so long as you have a tap credit card right? AFAIK, ATAC tap&go makes it so that you can just tap your credit card to either enter the subway or to validate a bus and it will automatically deduct the proper fare from your card without requiring you to get a ticket. Is this correct? I believe the system only works in Rome, but assuming that's accurate it would be a nice addendum for your video since tap credit cards are pretty common nowadays.
@quintonhoffert6526 Tap and Go, or contactless as we call it in the UK, works elsewhere besides Rome. I used it in Bologna for the Marconi Express to and from the airport and on buses around the city.
I visited Italy and encountered some of these scams myself! I even shared it in my channel to help tourists to be informed and to be alert. Great tips for making the most out of a trip to Italy.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! It’s great to help others stay informed and alert. 🙌
Regarding currency exchange. I went to post office in Naples. Terrible exchange rate, about 20% less than actual Forex rates. Never found a good place to get cash in Italy.
Not like Thailand, where exchange booths everywhere, with close to worldwide exchange rates.
Dual pricing is everywhere. But when it is made public, it is acceptable. For example, the airfare cheaper for frequent fliers, hotel room discount for travel companies over individuals, VIP discount at KFC restaurants, etc. But when it is not made public, they call it a rip-off, overcharging, scam, etc.
I loved using the Taxi app when in Rome last month. Hard to get a taxi during tourist summmer season in Rome. I heard the government was going to add more taxi licenses to help.
You are right; there are more taxis. But Italy does have a taxi problem overall, and they are too expensive.
Thank you 🙏 ☕️🌺🍷🍕
Always welcome
Every taxi I've taken in the past few years has taken ccs. Never had a problem.
It still happens to me that some drivers will ask if I can pay cash when I try to offer credit card at first but I know enough to insist.
I had the same thing happen to me in Pakistan LOL when I was leaving and waiting to catch my flight back home at the airport a man kept coming up to me and asking me what I wanted. He got me food and other things (that I could have gotten myself) then he charged me a crazy amount … I never fell for that again!
That's wild! These scams pop up everywhere. What was your favorite part of your trip to Pakistan?
I'm almost afraid to travel overseas, but glad I am aware of these scams and tactics just the same!
It's always good to be aware! Knowing these tactics will help you feel more confident and prepared when you decide to travel. 🌍✈️
Don't worry about travelling overseas. You'll love it. Worse can happen at home!
my first day in Rome, I arrived in the train station and with my luggage I made my way out into the city. I ended up leaving through a side door and not the main door. I was dragging my luggage up the small hill... I realized I couldn't walk the 30 minutes with my luggage. I was very sick and just got into the first "Taxi" I saw. I knew what the taxis looked like and were to find them. we drove for what seemed like 30 minutes and my cost was 30 euros.... i didn't have anything less then a 50... he did the I cant break it line. Also I don't remember ever seeing a meter... but i was sick and really just wanted to lie down in a bed.
the next week I took a taxi back to the train station at the same time of day and the same day of the week. that guy only charged me 18 and it was a 15 minute drive. Lesson learned.
they know tourists are vulnerable when they are with big suitcases. it's OK, lesson learned, we've all been in that position before.
Watch out when you buy a drink on the train. Count your change.
Your phone on the table made me nervous!
They still do the classic shell game, with up to 10 accomplices!
Yes, they do! Always good to stay alert and avoid getting caught in those scams. 🚫🎩
Thank you for sharing…….the most professional pick pocket in the world
Remember they pretend like tourist…..will ask you something….just walk away.
🧔🏻♂️🧔🏽♀️
Be careful to check the menu for coperto charges as well. I was charged in Rome (later on i learnt that coperto is illegal in Lazio), I dont know if this charge was in fine print somewhere tho.
@@pyt6631 Coperto is not illegal, it’s just illegal to have it written on the receipt. As we, italians, arr masters of “tricking the law”, restaurants found a way to make you pay by writing “servizio” instead of “coperto”, and that’s completeley legal, is just the same thing but written in another way. Anyway, I’m not pride of what I said in the first lines, that’s a shame to pay 2-3€ more than the effective “legally-illegal”. I’m sorry, I hope I’m making myself clear
Please help with the food guide pdf u promised
Link is in the description for the e guides 👍
Where do you find these scams? I’ve lived outside of Palermo for 4 years now, commuting almost daily on the train. Although I must say that I’ve never taken a taxi here. 😂
ps… you need to learn to haggle here. Always negotiate.
Avoid any restaurant that has advertisements for their food in English. They are tourist traps.
Yes but also not... now everywhere the menu are write in 4 or 5 lenguages...as Italian my advise is to go at restaurants away from the turistic point of interest, that usually is where the italians go, and to don't choose restaurant with hundreds of dishes. More is short the list, more is fresh the food.
Ask for the menu. Check at the bottom of the menu; if there is a note telling you that “some products are frozen”: go for some place else. It is a legal requirement for restaurants to tell that.
If there are (sorry) a lot of shabby, not italian looking waiters (nepali) hanging around in the restaurant, it is usually a moneylaundering place. Go somewhere else.
As an italian, if you see outside the restaurant a sign with Imagine and writing of most famous italian dishes, probably Is a Tourist scam and low quality.
be aware : price on item might be for a local but for a tourist it could be much higher - had that experience in a small shop in Pisa
Never accept a torn bill / Euro as change. I was given change after a purchase that included a $50 Euro with a small rip. No one would accept that bill assuming it was a possibile counterfeit. Finally we found a bank that would exchange with the help of the hotel. Concierge.
good tip
To add on to the first scam, I was almost scammed by a ticket official in Circumvesuviana Naples station believe it or not. Essentially one of those ticket helpers approached me when I seemed to have trouble with the ticket machine and told me to go to the staffed ticket office to get the tickets. Little did I know, he was in cahoots with the staff. The staff asked me to pay in cash which was sus because there was a card reader right in front of her. Anyway, I just assumed the card reader was faulty and I paid her in cash. When I was expecting my change, she immediate told me to "go go go". Luckily, I knew the train schedule and it was not time so I insisted on my change. She then gave me part of it and hesitated to give the remaining, even consulting her colleague in Italian. Eventually, she did give the remaining change probably because it was a small change and it probably wasn't worth it to scam me. And I think she splits the profits with the ticket helper at the beginning.
TLDR: Be warned, do not trust any ticket officials at stations who ask for cash, all of them accept cards now.
VENICE: google does not work properly for directions just fyi.
Also the real authentic restaurants DONT have pictures of the food on the menu...
true
while in Florence I kept get.. "Hi you from Africa" ... Im sorry Im a pale redhead... lol... I just act like I dont hear people when im out in very tourist city.
Is this the same Gregor reporting on the Giro? You are everywhere 😊
haha, yes!
Used Uber a lot in Rome and Florence!
yeah, did you have good availability of cars?
@@GregorBrown Worked well for me in 2018 and more recently in August 2023.
Beware of the slow count. You pay with a large bill and the cashier takes out a large coin hands it to you then stops like transaction over. If you walk away then you’ve been had. Just wait until you’re sure they have returned all your change before leaving. Happens when you’re rushing trying to make travel connections. Good idea is wait until the cash register door is closed. My wife wanted to slap a girl who slow counted her at a shuttle station. I had to urge her to wait for all the money before walking away. She waited, did not get ripped, but man she was pissed.
Do i bring US dollars (cash) to exchange at the post office or just use my debit card and withdraw?
Using the a t m and debit card is an easy solution
@@GregorBrown thank you, Gregor!
If I step on your floor painting I will stand my ground.
You can hear a woman's reaction to receiving her for bill for a cappuccino @6:57
I don't remember who was that screamed, but that's funny.You noted it
Great tips! Although I wouldn’t classify paying more for an outside table a scam.
Yes, and I tried to explain that in the video, although some places take it to an extreme
I almost got robbed in Milan. We were in the Starbucks Roastery and I had just ordered my Tiramisu and butterscotch coffee. I came to my seat at the bar around the roasting machine and placed my bag on the table to settle down. Out of nowhere, a guy in green shirt asks us where is the toilet. When we told him, he kept saying he couldn't hear us. Suspecting that something was up as I heard about these kinds of distractions, I then turned to secure my bag. At the corner of my eye, I saw my bag just moved. I quickly grabbed the guy's hand who was about to stuff my bag into a bigger rucksack. He then dropped it and walked into the crowd, pretending nothing happened. My friend then tried to shout to the guard to catch him, but to no avail. If I did not know of such crimes, I may have been a second late and lost my bag.
TLDR; Keep your bags on you at all times and keep a hand and eye on your bag if possible. Even better is to have your bag be inside your clothes.
Thank you for sharing your crazy story. And I'm glad everything worked out okay. And I hope this can also help the community to always be vigilantThank you for sharing your crazy story. And I'm glad everything worked out okay. And I hope this can also help the community to always be vigilant.
What Visa did you use to stay in Italy
Where is the pdf file you mentioned? Please share
You got to pay for it - it's in the video description
linked below! In the description.
in Italy how much should I plan to spend on food per day
That depends.And it's kind of hard to answer here in the comment.And maybe I'll make a video about it in the future
It depends on where you're going and what your tastes are.
Following a trip to Bologna with a day trip to Venice, my experience was this. In an osteria or trattoria expect about 13 euros for a pasta dish, 7 euros for a beer, 7 euros for a starter, 25 euros for a decent bottle of wine and about 9 euros for dessert.
Breakfast was about 5 euros for a cappuccino and a croissant, 1 euro for an espresso. Beer is about 6 euro in a bar. A sandwich about 7 euros. Had a pizza the size of a dinner plate for 10 euros.
These prices were pretty much what I paid in Rome last year.
Avoid eating in tourist spots and the prices drop. For example, a beer in Piazza San Marco in Venice, over looking the canal and lagoon was 15 euros! Mind you, you nearly always get nibbles with drinks - crisps, nuts, olives.
@@seamusoflatcap thank you, this info will help.
I got ripped off at a restaurant in Venice. Saw the price for a piece of fish. €20 or something like that. When the bill arrived it was closer to €100 😮Turns out that in very small print the price was per 100g. So read the menu carefully, otherwise you're writing an open cheque and incentivising them to give you the biggest piece of fish they can find. Same issue with ordering steak
Thanks for sharing
It's quite typical to charge for fish per its weight. You didn't get ripped off.
Never get a taxi
How did you get around?
We're going to Sorrento in March
Something that I just experienced for the first time in Italy. Are the “sign this petition to x (usually something for children) and someone else will donate the money”. This is obviously a scam and they get super pushy after you decline to pay them money.
Just tell them to get the police and they will back off really quick. It’s a big thing in Paris and was a bit surprised to see it in Verona too.
Yes, you gotta be careful for that one
I always carry an extra empty wallet to show to beggars and con artists talking me up in the streets, because I hate to act unfriendly and cold, that way I can have a short friendly conversation, and when its time for them to ask for money, I show them the empty wallet, and always get to keep all the "free" gifts like bracelets and figurines they hand you in advance. I love acting all naive and pretend I gave my last money for someones baby daughter a short while ago xD
So scammers aren't just those people outside Italy but italian themselves??? Since restaurant owners themselves scams tourists by overpricing their menu.
Dual pricing is because tourists are one-time customers and local people are frequent customers. Tourists and locals are not the same.
Persol?
Yes
649 model
Do you really just sit down at an empty spot or aren't you supposed to go up to a host and ask first? 😀
depends
Like eating at McDonald’s you have to take out a loan😥😰😨😱😶🌫️🤬🤯😳🥵🥶😡😠😤😭😢
I don’t get why I need to pay extra for my bags in taxis, Like my brother in christ i’m paying you for your entire car its not like i’m taking someones else’s space in the back.
Use uber
I’m going with a tour group. It’s amazing how horrible people act towards tourists. Tourism literally makes your country a better place, don’t bite the hand that feeds.
Tourism is a very small part of Italy’s GDP, so no they would be fine without tourists. People/tourists that think like you are actually the problem. You need to be grateful you get to go experience their culture. If you show your appreciation the locals might treat you better.
I spent almost half my Life on ft.myers beach fl. The locals do get fatigued.
Such is the life in the tourist town.
Why go to a country and worry about being robbed, stolen, scammed all the time ? That's not a holiday !
, don't worry.It's not such a big hassle and a problem.But you just need to be aware of your surroundings and trust me.You will enjoy italy because it is one of the greatest country to visit and spend time for a holiday
It may be wise to avoid Italy…. Yes the food is good But it has more scams, pickpockets and the hotels are at a lower standard than the neighboring countries in Europe
Amsterdam, Prague, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Copenhagen are better cities to visit
I would agree that Italy has issues and is not as clean and organized as some nearby countries, but to avoid it would be a mistake because it has so much history, delicious food, and beautiful landscapes. 🇮🇹🍝🏞️
@@GregorBrown Absolutely agree! Italy might have some issues, but the history, food, and beautiful landscapes are worth it. Have you been to any other countries with similar experiences?
@nillbrasky8860 Absolute rubbish, sorry. I've experienced pickpockets and scams in many cities not just Italy. Their hotels etc are as good or as bad as any other countries.
Where do you find these scams? I’ve lived outside of Palermo for 4 years now, commuting almost daily on the train. Although I must say that I’ve never taken a taxi here. 😂
ps… you need to learn to haggle here. Always negotiate.