When entering a restaurant in Rome, you should only order when you have been provided with the menu and know the price.
In her latest videos, travel blogger Chiara Igoef shows the tourist traps you should watch out for in popular destinations, as well as how to escape if you suspect you've fallen prey.
Chiara Igoef often makes travel tips videos or highlights the culture shocks that travelers may experience while abroad.
Traveling to Beijing, China, visitors should pay attention to receive change when buying goods in small, dark streets because they may be giving you fake bills. Besides, the city is full of scammers posing as monks to ask for money or sell lucky charms. You just have to refuse them.
Many beggars on the streets of Athens, Greece used a trick to take money from tourists. That is, they deliberately use money cups with colors that easily blend in with the surrounding landscape, and then place them far away from where they sit. Those who are not paying attention will accidentally break these cups and feel guilty. They will then give these beggars some money to "compensate". Igoef says that in this case, you don't need to feel guilty because they deliberately set up a trap for tourists.
Others also offered a solution to this case: "The best way to avoid being trapped is instead of keeping your eyes on your phone, put it away and use your eyes to watch the street."
When you walk into a restaurant in Rome, Italy and the waiter doesn't give you a menu, be careful. Maybe, the dishes you are ordering are very expensive, 2-3 times higher than the regular price. Therefore, what you need to do is ask them to give you a menu with specific prices.
"My uncle and aunt went to Rome and had the same situation. They asked the waiter for the menu 3 times and finally got up and left after waiting 45 minutes and no one brought the menu. I think they are. Agree with your advice," a reader named Cybermelin2000 shared.
When you come to Rome, order after being given a menu with prices printed on it to avoid being "hacked". Photo: Flickr
"I once met a similar case in the Grand Square in Brussels, Belgium. I just helped that beggar pick up the money that fell out of the cup I knocked over and I didn't give them any more", one someone else said.
In Madrid, Spain, you can meet an elderly gypsy woman holding a necklace of lucky beads. As soon as she gets the chance, she'll approach and start doing your fortune telling. In the end you will be asked to pay 5-25 euros. The way to not lose money is to simply refuse to talk to strangers. "I met this in Seville," commented one person named Marilyn Ransberry.
"I've had this happen many times too, but instead of a bead necklace, people give you a sprig of rosemary and say it's a good luck charm. If you don't take it, you'll have bad luck," another shared. shall.
Be careful when taking a taxi in Istanbul, Turkey as driving may take you longer distances than it actually is. Therefore, when you want to go from point A to B, ask in advance the distance and price.
"Honestly, don't trust taxi drivers in Istanbul because even locals don't trust them. Try to use public transport instead," said one named Cigdem Kanburoğlu.
Chiara Igoef is a travel enthusiast, born in Argentina, to a French father and an American mother. As a child, she had the opportunity to live in many places due to her father's specific job such as Argentina, USA, France or Panama. Growing up, she often traveled around and shared her travel experiences on her personal Tiktok.
The moment she decided to start sharing information and experiences to avoid being scammed while traveling was when she witnessed a pickpocket scene on the subway. Even though Igoef wasn't a victim at the time, the incident helped her realize that even one small incident can lead to someone's entire vacation being ruined.
She believes that tourist traps are a problem that exists in any country in the world. And the best way for you not to become "prey" of the bad guys is to stay up to date with information and situation about the country where you are going. The more knowledge you have about the place, the more confident you will be and the easier the trip will be.
Besides, Igoef has a tip that always applies when traveling, which is not to dress too prominently. She always tends to dress in accordance with the style of the people there, so that it is difficult for scammers to detect that she is a tourist. The young girl hopes her sharing can help other visitors have more experiences. However, she also encourages people not to be too afraid of the world around them. Instead, travel more to broaden your knowledge, learn about different cultures around the world.
