Europe Tourist Traps

  Glaidators at the Coliseum
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  • Glaidators at the Coliseum
      Glaidators at the Coliseum
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  • Ready For The Horde Of Tourists!
      Ready For The Horde Of Tourists!
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  • modern art
      modern art
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  •   Tourist Traps
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  • Todi - on top of a hill, like so many others
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Most Viewed Tourist Traps in Europe

1.

Montmartre/Sacré Coeur   Paris

Montmartre/Sacré Coeur, Paris

 54 Reviews  On the way up to the Sacre Coeur, taking the main stairs right in front of the church, you cannot get around without seeing the African so called "bracelet guys". There young guys hang around on the... 

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2.

Tour buses   London

Tour buses, London

 16 Reviews  Dont be a sheep... These things are an extraordinary rip-off. They are often 25 quid or more for a ticket and the quality of the commentary is variable to say the least. Some don't even have a live... 

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3.

Coffee Shops   Amsterdam

Coffee Shops, Amsterdam

 25 Reviews  I must say I didn't feel trapped by any coffeeshop I visited, and my goal was to visit as many coffeeshops as I could in two weeks. I got to 33, some of them more than once. I have to say that I... 

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4.

Colosseum Gladiators   Rome

Colosseum Gladiators, Rome

 40 Reviews   As you walk along outside of the Colosseum, you will see many methods used to take your money – horses wait patiently with their carriages for their next fare, hawkers selling sunglasses, toys, and... 

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5.

Places To Avoid   Barcelona

Places To Avoid, Barcelona

 34 Reviews  If you tell Fernanda I wrote this I'm a dead man. I've been in Barcelona more than 30 years ago, in a rush to proceed to France and Germany. I got an excellent idea of the town, but, for one reason... 

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6.

Gondole   Venice

Gondole, Venice

 67 Reviews  I need to explain something about gondola service in Venice! The Gondola isn't a public transport, but a private traditional tour with "round trip" (alternative routes are almost impossible) , isn't... 

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7.

Wall pieces   Berlin

Wall pieces, Berlin

 12 Reviews  The last version of the Berlin Wall was over 140 Km in circumference, 3.6 metres high and 1.2 metres thick which makes for a total amount of concrete of around 604,800 cubic metres. For a... 

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8.

Little Mermaid   Copenhagen

Little Mermaid, Copenhagen

 31 Reviews  Take public transport as close as you can. Yes, the statue is small and unremarkable; however, the walk back toward the city is wonderful: the Anglican church, old fort, sailors' housing, etc. Stay... 

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9.

Street crime   Lisbon

Street crime, Lisbon

 10 Reviews  It's true Lisbon can be dangerous at night (especially certain areas) mainly the downtown, but a lot of it is exagerated. I've been to Rossio many times at night (not alone obviously) and have never... 

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10.

Restaurants around Grand' Place   Brussels

Restaurants around Grand' Place, Brussels

 42 Reviews  The Rue des Bouchers looks very tempting in summer with all the tables spilling out of it's restaurants onto the narrow cobbled street but try not to be tempted by the pushy restaurant owners trying... 

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11.

Temple Bar   Dublin

Temple Bar, Dublin

 20 Reviews  Nice area with plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants but definitely aimed at tourists & hence pretty expensive. Go & see it but if you want souvenirs, food or drink there's plenty of other places to... 

 See All 92 Tourist Traps in Dublin

12.

Eating & drinking   Madrid

Eating & drinking, Madrid

 13 Reviews  Do not be influenced by all the hype surrounding this restaurant. It does have a colorful historical past. Today it is surviving on its past laurels. If you are interested in food and quality then... 

 See All 60 Tourist Traps in Madrid

13.

Glockenspiel at the New Town Hall   Munich

Glockenspiel at the New Town Hall, Munich

 8 Reviews  Glockenspiel has it's own tower that now takes you by elevator to the top. Wonderful view but nothing compared with the view from St. Peter's tower of the Glockenspiel Clock in action. A magnificent... 

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14.

Nightlife   Stockholm

Nightlife, Stockholm

 7 Reviews  It will be you and other tourist if there are any in there at the same time as you. It is a small bar and they give you coats and gloves to wear. I cant remember but I think it was like $30 to get in... 

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15.

The Duomo   Milan

The Duomo, Milan

 14 Reviews  Be very careful with guys who come up to you and thrust corn into your hands to feed the pigeons in from on the Dumo. Even though this makes a fantastic picture with the dones eating from your palm...... 

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16.

Taxis   Athens

Taxis, Athens

 23 Reviews  To put it bluntly they are ba#%$^%&'s Rude, over bearing, arrogant, and out to prise every cent out of you they can. I found it best by far to NOT ask a price or bargin, but just to get in and get... 

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17.

Tourist prices   Moscow

Tourist prices, Moscow

 14 Reviews  Russia still has a sort of dual-pricing system, according to which foreigners are charged often 3 to 10 times more at theatres, museums or sights than Russian citizens. This price system is a relic... 

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18.

Sunset in Oia   Santorini Island

Sunset in Oia, Santorini Island

 5 Reviews  The sunsets in Santorini are awsome! However because of the crowds of people it is hard to enjoy them. The alleys are filled and people are found standing for hours waiting for the moment the sun... 

 See All 44 Tourist Traps in Santorini Island

19.

Wieliczka Salt Mine   Krakow

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow

 7 Reviews  Wieliczka caters to about 1 000 000 tourists a year (thats a VERY large amount) - during the summer months they average about 6000 tourists a day... by my rough calculations that equates to about... 

 See All 58 Tourist Traps in Krakow

20.

Popular Places   Crete Island

Popular Places, Crete Island

 5 Reviews   Usually most popular Cretean beaches are overcrowded in full season. This sometimes can make sunbathing and/or swimming annoying and tiring. Try and find less popular beaches. Ask locals -... 

 See All 21 Tourist Traps in Crete Island

21.

Restaurants too expensive.   Brugge

Restaurants too expensive., Brugge

 7 Reviews  I went to one of the brasserie/cafes where they have a table service on the main square with my nearly 60 year old parents. I can't remember the name any more because we were just passing by Brugge on... 

 See All 41 Tourist Traps in Brugge

22.

Not all that glitters is gold, don't pay too much!   Antwerp

Not all that glitters is gold, don't pay too much!, Antwerp

 4 Reviews  Beware of the jewellery stores situated under Central Station along the Pelikaanstraat. Not all shops are kosher. Prices may look interesting but if you are not an expert you might pay what you think... 

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23.

Kiasma (The Museum of Contemporary Art)   Helsinki

Kiasma (The Museum of Contemporary Art), Helsinki

 2 Reviews  This might be a nice modern building, but a waste of money and time if you will get to the exhibitions inside. In the summer, just sit at the terrace café, nice and peaceful place pointing to the west... 

 See All 41 Tourist Traps in Helsinki

24.

Dodgy deals / scams   Palma de Mallorca

Dodgy deals / scams, Palma de Mallorca

 6 Reviews  The Inca Market is something the tourist board advertizes as something to see. We went. It was nothing more than a large flea market at best. Nothing of real interest was sold here - leather purses,... 

 See All 20 Tourist Traps in Palma de Mallorca

25.

Taxis   Warsaw

Taxis, Warsaw

 6 Reviews  If I had to point a few very positive things in Poland, I would definetly consider the taxis. of course if you know the rules such as don't pick up a taxi from those guys waiting at the exit of the... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Ryanair & the Frankfurt HAHN - TRICK

by globetrott

Airport Frankfurt HAHN is 116km from Frankfurt/Main!!!The Airport Frankfurt Hahn might cause a lot of dangerous confusion, because you might expect it to be at least close to Frankfurt am Main. In fact it is in a distance of 116 km and driving from one to the other might take 2-3 hours depending on the way of transportation and the trafic-situation because you will go over highways and country-roads !But at least Frankfurt/Hahn is the BEST airport for travels in the Mosel-valley and partly also the Rhine-valley!!The counters of Ryanair at Frankfurt / Hahn will open 2 hours before and close already 40 min before departure !! ---------------------------------------------How to go from Hahn to the real Frankfurt:There is a daily and direct bus between Frankfurt Hahn airport and Frankfurt am Main Airport and Hauptbahnhof : it takes 1:45 hours, when trafic is no problem, a Single ticket is...

Sleep overs....

by Maryimelda

This is more a suggestion than a warning about a tourist trap, but this seemed the best place to put it.People complain a lot about places in Europe that are too "touristy" (how I hate that word.) In any event, most complaints are based on, amongst other things, the fact that when there are large numbers of tourists in a particular place, the lines are longer and it makes it more difficult to get around to see what you want to see. One solution to this problem, especially in the case of towns that are very popular destinations for day trippers, is to stay overnight. Have a sleep over, because when the hoardes leave town (usually about 4pm,) you have the whole place to yourself (just about!). This applies very especially to places like Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbuehl, Assisi, Fuessen, Colmar, Lauterbrunnen and Hallstatt to name but a few.

Colmar, FR
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It pays to find the alternative

by Maryimelda

All too often we head for the more well known, bigger (if you like) places to use as a base for our travels in a particular area. We fall for the trap of paying more for accommodation than we need to, when just nearby there will be a smaller place that has cheapr accommodation and is just as well located for the sights we want to see.A prime example of this is the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. It is widely believed that to see the Jungfrau, one must stay in Interlaken, which although a very attractive little city can be quite expensive when it comes to accommodation. Twenty minutes away lies a beautiful little town called Lauterbrunnen, which has several hotels which are markedly cheaper than those in Interlaken. It is also twenty minutes closer to the Jungfrau and is connected by train and/or cable car to several other villages which could serve the same purpose. These include Wengen,...

The beautiful Lauterbrunnen valley
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THE ETERNAL SHAME OF AKROTIRI (SANTORINI, GREECE)

by DAO

To be somewhat fair the local authorities, the last Tourist to visit was killed on site. A protective roof structure was being erected to protect the ancient ruins in 2005. Unfortunately part of it collapsed and killed a tourist. Fair enough, but they estimated it would be open by now. It’s been 5 years! I have been here twice and have only seen the closed sign (pictured). Every tourist map lists the ‘Excavations at Akrotiri and several Travel Agent websites actually list it as an activity – mentioning at the end that it is not currently open. It was supposed to open soon in2007. And in 2010. The crazy thing is several tour companies will tell you the closing time each day (3pm), the entry fee (3 Euros) and the parking situation. They even offer transport. THE PLACE IS CLOSED!!! HAS BEEN FOR 5 YEARS !!! Why is it so important? Akrotiri is the Pompeii of Santorini. The volcano covered,...

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Railpass as a tourist trap in Europe (2010)

by GyuriFT

Most people think, that all passes for Europe are either Interrail or Eurail - which is not the case and few passes are even making sense. These are Swiss Rail Pass varieties and certain (only certain!) forms of German Rail Pass.So to clarify with everyone:1) Some (a tiny minority) of passes are worth to consider under most circumstances. None of them is designed by RailEurope - but they are marketed by RailEurope, which adds to confusion.2) The EuRail pass for young (under 26) designed by RailEurope is MAYBE worth to consider if someone travels ALONE. The price structure (in Euro) in 2010 is roughly:- 340 Euro for 15 days- 440 Euro for 22 days- 550 Euro for one month- 780 Euro for two months- 950 Euro for three monthsHowever, we of course have the instant proof, that even these prices are inflated since the equivalent product called "Interrail" - but for European residents costs (I...

Benelux Rail passes offered overseas: a rip-off!

by GyuriFT

Any railpass involving Benelux and offered overseas (typically Eurail passes) are a major rip-off, even the "youth" passes.The proof... Let's imagine, you buy an international ticket between Amsterdam and Aachen (border point, till Aachen city it's 2.20 Euro extra). But at the same time you would like to visit:- Amsterdam- Leiden- Den Haag- Antwerpen- Gent- Brugge- BruxellesThe best solution is in such case to buy one-month international routing ticket covering all these cities.The picture of such routing ticket is here:http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1061/screenshot20100724at114.pngWhat it really covers and how wicked is the route can be traced here:http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/benelux/benelux.gifAnd yes, the total is 51.80 Euro.With such prices who needs Benelux railpasses with few limited days and starting at $147?Spend 51.80 Euro and travel 30 days in a...

point-to-point tickets: potential high rip-off!

by GyuriFT

Be aware: the so-often mentioned "point-to-point" international train tickets in Europe and Asia are in the reality "relation-tickets": train tickets allowing the bearer travel the relation fixed in the ticket for extended period of time and with unlimited stop-overs."True" point-to-point international tickets do exist - but Europeans use them only if there is a substantial discount. Typically, long-distance tickets costing 29, 39, 49 Euros in couch or 39, 49, 59, 79 (etc.) Euros in sleeper or couchette are indeed strictly airline-like "point-to-point" tickets: they are bound to particular train(s), valid only on a certain date and like with an airplane, the bearer is expected to enter the train at the start station and exit at the end.Such tickets are usually sold over the Internet or sometimes in grocery stores(!!!). But regular international tickets or regularly discounted...

P is for Prancers of Paris

by sourbugger

If ever there was a place that was living off past glories, it is the Moulin rouge.It does however still have a steady trade, relying on hoardes of rich tourists to fill up the theatre seats. For about 150 euros each they get a somewhat average meal from Seven O'clock and then a show from Nine O'clock, always featureing a bunch of East European Lovelies, with legs up to their armpits, pretending to be turn-of-the-century french courtesans dancing the can-can.It all seems to staid and formulaic compare to the "Va Va Vroom" expressed in the film "Moulin Rouge" where senses tingled with anticipation at a night spent here. In a similar night out in Lincolnshire UK, it will cost you about 12 quid. A quick meal at Wetherspoons (£5.50 for two), A bootle of Cava From ASDA (£1.99) and entry to a dodgy nightclub (£3 at after dark) to watch a bunch of long-legged Latvian strutt their stuff.

Don't get carried away when planning a trip

by deeper_blue

Europe is full of gems, some famous some not, just be careful not to overstretch yourself, when planning your itinerary. Sometimes it is better to focus on a specific region if you have limited time, otherwise you will be travelling all the time and spending very little time sightseeing. Have loads of money and time.

GROSS STUPIDITY – LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT

by DAO

“You are not welcome here Johnny Foreigner”! Well, they might as well put up a sign in the baggage claim area at Gatwick. I just recently returned to Gatwick from outside the EU and went to go use one of the free baggage trolleys for the bags in the baggage claim area. Problem is, they are not quite free anymore. In fact, it’s worse than that. You have to have a British One Pound Coin to free the chained trolleys. What do you mean you don’t have British One Pound coins in your pocket you Tourist from abroad? Oh well, you can use a 1 Euro Coin or a 25 Cent US Coin. Rest of the world – tough. Of course there is NO way to get said coins in this secure area. So you are stuffed. Welcome to Britain, go get some coins. Of course you cannot return to this area once you leave! What genius thought this was a good idea? Did this person or person work on Heathrow Terminal 5 as well?Well, if you do...

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Europe Tourist Traps

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