Don't get screwed!

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25 euros for an ice cream, it will happen to you. It happened to a Taiwanese tourist in the ice-cream shop Coronas Cafe, a renowned address in Via dei Calzaiuoli, in the heart of Florence. Protests by the indignant victim were to no avail – 'Our ice cream is expensive because good', was the defense – but the tour leader of the Taiwanese group did not let it go. He made a report to the municipal police, who subsequently carried out an inspection, which showed that the tourist was very right.

Big fine

The ice cream parlor's price list was barely visible tucked behind the counter and also provided the link between the size of the cone and the amount to be paid. The prices of drinks and sweets were not even indicated at all. The operator of Coronas was faced with a fine of 2.000 euros and a check by the tax authorities, because things didn't seem right with the receipts either.

Strong stories from tourists

The Florentine incident is not an isolated incident. Every year the Italian tourist season is good for some tall tales, like that of those Japanese students who come to Venice for three steaks and a fish fry. a bill of 1.100 euros were presented, or tourists who had paid a deposit for a B&B, which turned out not to exist on arrival.

Last summer, a Roman swindler even managed to to sell bus tickets as entrance tickets to the Colosseum! A story reminiscent of a legendary scene from the movie Totòtruffa '62 in which comedian Totò manages to sell the Trevi Fountain to an American tourist:

Rules of thumb to avoid a 'tourist trap' in Italy

Of course, these are extreme cases and most Italian restaurateurs are very honest, but still, if you want to make sure that you don't get screwed, stick to a few simple rules of thumb.

Price card menu

1. Check eateries to see if they have a menu with prices hanging outside. This is required by law, but not everyone adheres to it and if they do, they may have something to hide.

Coperto e servizio

2. Don't assume that the price of a meal in the menu is also the amount you pay. Often there is another covered (couvert, aka tablecloth, plates and cutlery) of a few euros or else 15-20% extra post-sales service (service).

The Municipality of Rome once covered banned, with the only result that it promptly returned in most restaurants as pane and coperto (bread and place setting). whether and how much bread, covered en post-sales service should cost is impossible to say. This is different in every region or city, so it is a good idea to first consult the menu where everything should be indicated.

At the bar or on the terrace?

3. Many cafes charge different prices for standing (to the bank) or sitting (al tavolo) consumed drinks. A cappuccino at the table can therefore become quite expensive, so check the price list first.

Receipt

4. It often happens that you do not receive a ricevuta fiscal (receipt), but a tattered piece of paper with some illegible hieroglyphs and a total amount. That is of course to cheat the tax authorities, but unless it is really a friend price, it is better to ask for an invoice (account) with receipt, to be able to check if necessary and because formally the customer should also have the proof of payment with him when leaving the restaurant.

Expensive specialties

5. Beware when the manager offers specialties that are not on the menu. There is a good chance that it concerns very expensive delicacies. So don't hesitate to ask what that may not cost.

Expensive wine

6. Specialties are sometimes less special than they seem. For example, the waiter of a well-known restaurant in the center of Rome (Hostaria Costanza, an authentic restaurant) recently praised tourist trap) to me with a conspiratorial look at the house wine as 'Montepulciano'. Now the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is indeed an internationally renowned Tuscan top wine, but in this case it turned out to be a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a pleasant, but much less highly regarded wine that has nothing to do with the Nobile.

This is a deliberate misunderstanding that some restorers like to cultivate. Furthermore, if you truffle tagliatelle (truffle paste), it is quite possible that it is not or hardly prepared with real truffles, but that the typical truffle flavor comes from a test tube. And the frittura di calamari often does not consist of calamari, but of squid, a different kind of squid, which is lighter in color and less tender and therefore costs only half on the market.

Don't eat in the most touristy places

7. Avoid the most touristy locations if possible. Just outside the center you usually eat better and cheaper.

Good and cheap in Italy: it's possible!

8. Nevertheless, Italy remains a country where you can find good almost everywhere and – as the Germans say so beautifully – inexpensive can eat and drink.

Chef Erik exposed all tourist scams in Italy

Other known scams that locals warn you about

Outside of the "food and drink" category, there are other well-known scams that locals are happy to warn you about. Anyone who visits Italy more often has certainly experienced one from the following list:

People asking you to sign a petition for a good cause. Whether you want to sign against animal cruelty. If you do (why not?) a donation is aggressively demanded. Or the scammers take the opportunity to roll your pockets.
Another well-known scam is the one in taxis: they don't use the meter, but charge a fixed rate. You can find this trick all over the world.
Another well-known trick: someone comes at you with a pizza box, which blocks the view from your waist. Another then rolls your pockets (and that happens faster and more unnoticed than you think). For this you also have to be aware of busy places such as the metro.
Roma are known to drug babies or small children to make them appear unconscious. In this way they hope to increase sympathy and pity among tourists.
Someone offers you a rosary, a bracelet or some other kind of amulet 'free' and if you accept it, he or she wants money for it.

In general, you should watch out for people who approach you about surveys, donations, or who simply get too close to you. Be on your guard and don't go into smooth stories. In busy tourist areas and in public transport you should always take extra care of your belongings.