Tourist Traps - Being bamboozled legally by local shops & businesses

Where ever there are tourists, you should expect some kind of hype to get them to buy overpriced tickets and tacky souvenirs.

Listed below are some of the most popular tourist sites with their tourist traps.

St Mark’s Square – Venice

This place is absolutely choc-a-block with tourists all year round. Sometimes the sea comes in too and it can smell. Most photos of this square are taken in the wee hours when all are sleeping.

The Tower of London – London

You are going to spend hours waiting in line for just a momentary glimpse of the crown jewels. A better option is to witness the Ceremony of Keys but to do this you will need to book well in advance.

Winston Churchill’s Britain at War Experience, London

This is another heavily publicized tourist trap. Thousands of tourist visit it and all they see are a couple of mannequins. Instead, visit Churchill’s bunker from WWII which is just around the corner.

Venice Gondola Ride – Venice, Italy

A 40 minutes ride in a gondola will put a $110 dent in your wallet. It’s romantic and if it’s been your dream, go for it.

Nanjing Dong Lu, Shanghai, China

Known as the best shopping street in China, it’s very much like any other shopping district in any big city with its ubiquitous brands seen everywhere.

Forbidden City – Beijing

This Emperor of China’s palace complex consists of 1000 buildings and is heavily advertised. The only way you will beat the rush is to arrive 30 minutes early and hit the main attractions before the crowds.

Benoa, Indonesia

Benoa is supposedly a prime location for snorkeling and scuba diving but the waters are now murky and fishes not to be seen. It’s also very crowded.

Old Town, Prague

Old town section of Prague is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destination and the cobbled streets are packed. A better idea is to cross the Vltava River for a better view of the skyline and the numerous spires that have made it the City of a Thousand Spires.

Walt Disney World,Orlando, Florida

Only for die-hard Disney fans, others will feel let down. Very crowded with long queues and the food and snacks are overpriced.

Many travellers end up buying cash instead of taking their forex in forex cards. This leads to higher conversion charges. Make sure you carry bulk of the money in a forex card to avoid frauds as these cards are chip and pin protected. Also it’s easier to carry a forex card as compared to bulky cash in your wallet when roaming overseas. If you need cash simply withdraw it form an ATM when you need it. So when you travel this year make sure you carry a multicurrency travel forex card from EbixCash World Money and a small amount of the local currency in paper notes for travel expenses.