10 Annoying Things Travelers Get Ripped Off On

10 Annoying Things Travelers Get Ripped Off On –

As Travelers we sometimes feel like we are nothing more than walking, talking ATMs.
It seems like when you are on holidays, everyone has their hand out, just looking for that opportunity to separate you from your money. Ripped Off seems like the rite-of-passage for tourists. It gets pretty annoying and very tiring after a while. So while you can’t do much about it, sometimes being pre-warned might just save you a few dollars that you can put toward the things you want to enjoy, such as an extra poolside Margarita.

Here are the most common Rip-Offs:

Airports
Airports have a captive audience. They are a micro-economy onto themselves. Only at an airport would you pay $12 for a dry tuna sandwich that looks like it’s been sitting in the cabinet for a week. But you are stuck there sometimes for many hours so you best be prepared for it. Either don’t be shocked at the exorbitant prices or bring your own food.

Excess baggage
As annoying as they may be, most airlines are really cracking down on extra weight. So pack accordingly and invest in a set of luggage scales. This has saved us many dollars in the past. Also you are not moving continents, you don’t need to pack your entire wardrobe, just enough outfit combinations to make your Instagram pictures interesting. Also leave a little room for souvenirs.

Souvenirs
Avoid souvenir shops; they always charge too much. Plus they are usually so tacky that nobody ever sees them again once you get home. I always ask myself “away from this environment, in my home, will this look out of place”?
If the answer is yes, put it down!!! You are better off going to a local market and looking at purchasing some genuine, handmade souvenirs that will help a local person, not a company in China.

Water
It stands to reason that if a country doesn’t have safe drinking water, you will buy bottled water. But where you buy it from makes a difference. Never buy it in your hotel, rather got to a supermarket where the locals shop and you will pay at least half price to what your hotel charges. If the country has clean drinking water then take reusable bottles with you and save your money.

Hotel Minibar
We all know about the ridiculous price of minibars, so why do we fall for it so many times? Because hotels know that the munchies will strike you when no shops around you are open. So again, plan ahead! We know that when we are relaxing in a hotel room at night after a big day out we enjoy a couple of beers while watching a bit of TV. So on the way home we stop at a local supermarket and grab a few eats and drinks that will cost a lot less than a single bottle of beer from the minibar.

Hotel laundry
Do not ever use a hotel laundry service. Hotels charge ridiculous money for laundry such as $5 for a shirt, $4 for a pair of underpants and upwards of $10 to wash a pair of jeans. If you really need to wash your clothes while on holiday, see if there is a guest laundry facility in the hotel and if not look for a local Laundromat.

Hotel Breakfast
Unless you are the person who can’t function before a belly full of food, skip the hotel breakfast. Some hotels will charge you up to $25 per person for breakfast. Yet most hotels will have nice little coffee shops within walking distance where you can get a fantastic breakfast sometimes for half the price of the hotel. And a lot better coffee. Guaranteed!!!

Taxis
I can’t count the times a taxi driver told me he knew the address only to be calling friend after friend frantically while doing laps of the city. Now I have the address on my google maps and I give them directions. Also I ask ahead of time how much I can expect to pay and insist on the meter. If they don’t agree to this don’t get in the Taxi, there are millions of others waiting for you. Also if you feel like they are ripping you off, just get out. I have done this too. What are they going to do, call the Cops? I don’t think so. “officer I was trying to rip off this nice young lady and now she wants to get out of my Taxi”

International roaming
Who can live without their phone these days? But you don’t have to pay ridiculous prices for it. Forget buying international simcards from your local country, a lot of the times they won’t work anyway. Every country has a prepaid simcard you can purchase at a fraction of the price. Just make sure you have an unlocked phone and make sure it works before you leave the phone shop.

Food
When we travel we have a motto ‘Eat where the locals eat’. They know the best places to go to and they are usually not in the tourist areas. Ask the locals. We sometimes ask the taxi driver to take us to the place he eats at. So if you are not a fussy eater, up for an adventure, follow our tip. Some of our most memorable meals are in restaurants we can’t pronounce, eating meals we couldn’t imagine, at prices that are ridiculously cheap. Also the locals get a kick out of seeing two strangers sharing their favorite foods.