How to Make Your Holiday Cash Go Further: Avoid Overspending at Tourist Traps
Share
How to Avoid Overspending at Tourist Traps and Make Your Holiday Cash Go Further
Many of the world’s most visited cities contain iconic attractions that visitors flock to see in their millions, but if you decide to stop for food or a drink nearby, you might want to pay extra attention to which establishment you choose.
The high footfall in these areas often leads to tourist trap restaurants springing up nearby, offering poor quality food and service at eye watering prices.
Tourist traps can be an expensive and frustrating side of visiting a city, but thankfully there are plenty of giveaways that indicate whether or not you should steer clear of a particular business. Maria Hughes, travel expert at Goodtogo Travel Insurance, has shared her advice to help travellers avoid spending their hard earned cash in tourist traps.
Avoiding tourist traps starts BEFORE your trip
Maria says: “Conducting research into restaurants before you travel should be your first step to reduce the risk of falling for a tourist trap. Advanced research allows you to shortlist places based on recommendations and reviews, helping you to screen out options that might be poor quality or offer bad value for money.
“When researching, look for restaurants that have large numbers of positive reviews, and pay particular attention to reviews left recently. Other indicators of quality, like Trustpilot or local awards, will also provide you with increased assurance that a business is trustworthy.
“Personal recommendations are also worth their weight in gold, so if you know someone who has been to the same destination as you recently, ask them for their thoughts.”
Maria adds: “Of course, you may not always be able to plan ahead and choose a restaurant based on reviews and recommendations. So how do you avoid a tourist trap when you’re stopping for an unplanned drink to take in a beauty spot, or making a spur of the moment decision? Thankfully, there are warning signs to look out for.”
- A seat with a view… and a large bill
Maria says: “If you’re stopping for refreshments at a busy tourist hotspot or well known attraction, it will likely be challenging to find somewhere that’s good value for money, and you may find that many of the restaurants in the area will offer sub quality food and service for premium prices.
“Even good quality establishments in these locations will be expensive, so if you’re stopping for a drink in St Mark’s Square in Venice, or next to the Eifel Tower, you should expect to pay a premium. Of course, you may be happy to spend the extra money to relax in a beautiful location, but prepare for a larger than usual bill.”
- Aggressive salespeople
Maria expands: “You’ll often find that tourist traps will be quite pushy in their sales techniques, trying to persuade you to come into their restaurant or bar.
“Whilst these tactics don’t always indicate a tourist trap, you should be cautious, and avoid agreeing to anything without doing more research. Take time to review your options, read the menu, and if in doubt, walk away.”
- Menu warning signs
Maria shares: “If you’re considering visiting a restaurant, ask if you can see the menu before sitting down. Many restaurants will have menus clearly displayed for you to view upon your arrival, but if one is not visible, make sure to ask a waiter, and take it as a warning sign if they are reluctant to show you.
“Once you view the menu, you will of course want to check the prices, but there are other indications that a restaurant might be a tourist trap. A menu in multiple languages is a clear indication of a restaurant catered to tourists, and the same is true if a menu displays prices in different currencies.
“Similarly, a wide variety of different types of cuisine and food is another indicator of a potential tourist trap, especially if the types of food are very different. You may also find that the menu features pictures of each dish. It’s true that in some cultures this isn’t unusual, but in many cases it’s a red flag that you’ve entered a tourist trap.”
- No locals
Maria comments: “Tourist traps tend to rely solely on tourists for their business, and for this reason it doesn’t really matter to them if a customer has a bad experience, because they are unlikely to return anyway.
“If locals avoid a particular establishment, it’s probably because it’s a known tourist trap with high prices and sub par food. So if you’re deciding whether or not to visit a restaurant, take a moment to examine the customers and listen out for anyone speaking in the local language.”
- Is that the time?
Maria says: “Understanding local eating customs can be a huge help when it comes to dodging tourist traps, and you can often tell which restaurants locals avoid by whether or not they are busy at certain times.
“In Spain for example, people tend to eat their evening meals at 9pm, so if you happen to notice that some restaurants are very quiet around that time, it’s a good indicator that the restaurant caters primarily to tourists.”
For more information about Good to Go travel insurance, including cover for pre- existing medical conditions and over 60’s, please visit: https://www.goodtogoinsurance.com/travel-insurance-pre-existing-medical-conditions
