Tourist traps are defined as establishments that cater to tourists, charging particularly high prices and drawing large crowds of foreigners. Most people want to avoid tourist traps, favoring a more authentic local experience instead. So if you have a trip to Italy planned soon, here are some tourist traps you should know about and avoid.
Restaurants on Big Squares
A general rule of thumb you can follow is to avoid restaurants located in big, popular squares or near tourist attractions. Most of these restaurants, with waiters outside beckoning people to sit down and photos of food on the menu, are definite tourist traps with mediocre food and high prices.
Torture Museums in Tuscany
Scattered all around various Medieval towns in Tuscany are various torture museums, which are built specifically to attract, scare, and scam tourists. They’re not that interesting and not worth your money.
Venice
Unfortunately, a lot of things in Venice are tourist traps including extremely overpriced gondola rides and souvenir stores on every corner.
Fish a la Carte
Watch out for ordering seafood a la carte, as the prices are often listed per 100 grams rather than per plate and your meal may come out to cost much more than you expected.