The paper looked at the cost of visiting 9 of each city’s most popular attractions plus the price of an open-top bus ride in London and 10 other cities around the world. In Europe, they also examined Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Cardiff and Berlin. The price for all of the surveyed London attractions was 163 GBP MORE than the price for the second most expensive city on the list, Paris. If a family of four visiting London wants to see Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Madame Tussard’s Wax Museum, take a ride on the London Eye, do London’s Original Sightseeing Tour, plus see 5 other popular attractions, they’ll need to cough up 586 GBP. In Dublin, the least expensive city surveyed, can see a family of 4 spending 180 GBP and experiencing Dublin Castle, Dublin Zoo, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a bus tour plus 6 other activities.

Another interesting fact uncovered by the survey was the difference in prices levied by the same company in different cities. For example, a trip to Madame Tussard’s in London costs 85 GBP for a family of 4, while gazing at the wax sculptures in Berlin is only 51 GBP for the same family.

Now some might say there’s no comparison between the Tower of London and Dublin Castle, or it could be your dream to visit Buckingham Palace, no matter the cost. And that’s great – budget accordingly and all your travel fantasies can come true. But let’s think about FREE attractions in nearly every city, that often offer a more authentic experience than the overcrowded “gems” the tourist folks like to promote. Why does it cost 12 GBP to visit Westminster Abbey, yet it is free to visit Notre Dame?

What has been one of your best free experiences in Europe – and which one was your most expensive, but so totally worth it?

You can see the full article here.

Photo Credit: kiki99@Flickr

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That’s me and my husband, hamming it up for the camera as we waited for our food at one of your basic tourist trap restaurants in Siena, Italy. Yes, I should have know but we were hungry and traveling with an antsy 2 year old. Plus, my husband just shrugged it all of with, “who cares… we’re on vacation”. Obviously, I have yet to forget.

It is pretty easy to judge tourist trap restaurants. Usually they have superb locations, right across the most famous landmark in the city and they offer ridiculously overpriced meals.

In this case, though, the meals were reasonably priced. BUT, the drinks were in the same price level as the meal. Imagine my surprise when I saw the final bill.

So… dear budget travelers, do not make the same mistake I did.

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Here’s why:

1. Shakespeare’s Juliet did NOT really speak from this balcony.
2. Even if there were 2 feuding families in Verona, no one has really proven the existence of their star-crossed children
3. You do not need a “symbol” to encourage you to write love notes to the person you love. You can actually do it anytime, anywhere.
4. Besides, those notes left outside look a lot like graffiti to me.

Anyway, unless you have a Verona Card, save your money (3Euros for general entry and 7euros for the whole tour) and just peek in from outside to see the famous “fake” balcony.
La casa di Giulietta
Via Cappello, 21
Verona, 37121
Tel: +39 0458035645

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Of course, unsuspecting tourists only realize that they have been had only in the end… after the money has disappeared into someone else’s pockets and they become part of a stupid-tourist-stories exchanged between dubious characters who are out there to pry on, well, stupid tourists.

Some are kinda obvious but, hey, some still fall into even the most obvious tourist trap.

Note, though, that the term “tourist trap” is ambiguous. What I classify as tourist trap may even be the highlight of your tour. They may not be in your list but they are in mine.

Buying Souvenirs – NEVER buy them in shops, kiosks or stalls located right outside a famous landmark. Yes, those key chains or mugs printed with the silhouette of the London Bridge may not seem to cost a lot but you can definitely get them for a fraction of the price in other places. Try going to the local department store. Too lazy? Then shop around (several shops are normally concentrated in one area) and haggle before you buy.

Have your portrait done. My very own parents thought that a trip to Paris is not complete without getting your portrait done on the streets of the city of lights. I have seen many American tv shows and movies that shows the same and I am sure that many people have the same Paris musts as my parents. Well, if you must, make sure that you check the artists’ work first. Not all of them (even those in Montmartre) are good. Take the time to observe some of them while they sketch. And then, before you sit on that stool and pose, agree on a price. Here is an old entry I wrote about this.

I am fine outside, there is no need to go inside. Some of the must-sees in several key cities have the wow factor when you look at them outside. Go in (or up) and you may end up being disappointed. The admission is surely not worth it as what wowed you from the outside is IT. And yes, you could have saved yourself some money.

In my opinion, the inside (or top) of the following sites are tourist traps: The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the majestic Dome in Cologne, Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Atomium in Brussels among others.

Love the view.  Let’s eat here. More often than not, those restaurants strategically located right in the middle of where everyone else goes to sightsee are ridiculously expensive. The further you go away from this kind of spots, the cheaper the food will be. Believe me, I know. I experienced this first hand in Sienna back in 2005. If you insist on being right in the midst of action while you take a break and eat, I suggest that you sit on one of those historical steps while you eat that bread or pizza you bought a few blocks away. Oh yea… if you do go in any restaurant, make sure that you check the price for food AND drinks. Prices for drinks are mostly jacked up way higher than they do with food.

Avoid Scenic Taxi Rides. Consult your map before you hail that taxi. Check out the street names and routes. Pretend that you know where you are going. Oh yea, before you get in, make sure that you make it clear that the taxi driver should use the meter otherwise, you are not going to get in. The best way to avoid being cheated? Take the train, bus, tram or better yet, walk.

Check out this site for common scans which could also be used on you.

The “I’ll take you to a nice cheap hotel which is run by my brother, mother, sister or friend” line. Sure, this offer could be the real thing from a very helpful local but, do you really want to risk it? You may end up paying a lot more than what you could probably get at that cheap hostel you found online. Or, you could even end up in the middle of nowhere, lost and robbed of all your belongings. Again, do your research before you leave. And don’t take people at face value. You can let other people earn their angel wings when you are more sure of your surroundings.

Guided Tours Only If You Have Moolah to Spare. Check the hour-to-hour plan and the price. There are tons out there which are definitely NOT worth it. Sometimes, you will even get more out of it if you go on a self-guided tour with dear old LonelyPlanet to help you out.

Check Virtual Tourist. Several travelers have posted their opinions on several key cities. Each listed city has several entries under “tourist traps”. Around 60% of them are quite helpful. My “crappy restaurant” list would have been a lot less full had I checked Virtual Tourist from the very beginning.

Eavesdrop to Find Out What Fellow Tourists Think. If you want to try a certain restaurant, museum or shop, walk around the area or stand nearby. Try to listen in on conversations of people who are just about to leave the establishment. Or, if they seem friendly, ask outright. When you hear “it’s awful”, that would be your cue to NOT go in.

The thing is, there is no sure way of avoiding tourist traps if you go somewhere where you have never been before. If you do your research, though, it could up your chances of avoiding these tourist traps to around 75%.

Remember: Read. Ask. Enjoy!

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Street artists flock to the city’s tourist spots. If you want one done, it’s easy to find an artist. Paris, with its wonderful ambience and numerous picturesque backdrops available, is perfect for this.

But… be careful.

There are some who are pretty good and you may be immensely happy with the result but, they may charge you the earth. Apart from watching artists at work to gauge the quality, it is also important to shop around. And when you finally find the artist you want, make sure that you negotiate the price BEFORE he even starts drawing.

[photo source: itsjakesblog]

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Tourist trap is a new category here at Europe String. Apart from tips on where to get the best prices, I’ll try to feature places that offers overpriced goods and services to tourists. Places we should avoid, at all cost.

More later…

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