Common Travel Ripoffs

Little is more frustrating than carefully reviewing all ofyour cheap traveloptions, including cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, whenplanning an affordable trip only to be later taken advantage of whiletraveling.

The following are among the worst travel ripoffs and whatyou can do, according to Jamie Beckman:

• Avoidchecked baggage charges by packing less and taking into account that at manyhotels or nearby laundry mats you can have clothing cleaned for less thantaking more and paying baggage charges.

• Tripinsurance can be worthless unless the purchaser first carefully reads andcompletely understands the policy.

• Shadytaxi drivers have been known to take advantage of tourists by trying to collecthigh unstated charges, taking less than efficient routes, and returningincorrect change. Before grabbing a cabcheck the following: 1) Is the cabclearly marked as a cab? 2) Is a license or permit easily visible in the cab?3) Is a price chart available? 4) Is the taxi parked among other taxis or offto itself? And 5) Is the driver with the cab or hustling elsewhere?

• Eatinglike a tourist (namely eating at the most popular tourist dining spots) is asure way of overpaying. Keep an eye outfor incongruous cuisines, such as an Italian restaurant next to a Caribbeanbeach, or restaurants that tout their exquisite panoramic vistas. To avoid overpaying for sub-par food, speakto locals, not necessarily the hotel concierges, to find out where they eat.

• Manhattanhotels are famous for not offering their guests much. Often tourists end up staying in older tinyrooms. Some experts regard Manhattan asthe worst value in travel. Beforemaking a reservation research exactly what you will be getting and considerstaying at reputable hotels in other boroughs.

• AirportAirline clubs are often not worth their pricey day rates. Travelers are increasingly finding that anairport club can be just as crowded and loud as airport departure gates. Keep in mind that the benefit of any airlineclub membership depends largely on how often you will use it and the cities youwill frequently visit.

• Uniformedguides at airports look official in dress, but are often paid to taketourists to high priced, touristy locals. If you need help in finding your way in a city, research yourdestination online before departing or seek out guides from official citybureaus.

• Changingmoney on the Black Market is thought by some as a great way to beat thesystem, namely getting a better exchange rate than offered by banks. This rarely actually happens. Tourists are often taken advantage here. Do a little research on exchange rates beforedeparting to avoid being surprised at a counter.

• Minimumfees at restaurants or clubs tend to be fees that only tourists pay,particularly in Europe. Before acceptingany water or bread in a restaurant, understand whether you will be paying forit, or its free, as is common in the U.S.

• Insanelyhigh liquor taxes are charged in some countries, such as India. When visiting such countries skip thecocktails at restaurants and opt for delicious virgin refreshments instead.