10 tourist traps that leave you upset, angry, and ripped-off

10 tourist traps that leave you upset, angry, and ripped-off

I do not necessarily agree - I think that's it's cool to see some things, even the touristy ones, at least once. And, if they have Hollywood and SFO on there, I'd think Times Square and some others could also join the list...

Hollywood, Roswell and San Antonio I agree with. All the rest I object to, even Niagara Falls. Touristy, even excessively touristy does not make a place a rip-off IMO. Even San Antonio has some interest for me, but not enough to make it a destination.

Udaipur? Not a chance! San Francisco? not a chance!
These people are seriously confused!

The place that made me feel the most "upset, angry, and ripped-off" is Moscow.

Don't misunderstand me, Moscow is a great city with much to see and do regardless of your interests. What brings it to the top of this list in my view is how "currency unit" is being constantly and systematically to tip-off tourists and the huge gap in prices for tourists compared with locals even for the same services (all over the place).

They forgot Mystery Spot. Hate the mandatory bumper sticker. Seriously offensive.

I do not understand this point. I travel to Moscow several times per year, on business I admit, but I have never felt ripped off any more than Muscovites are. It is expensive, but not more so than my home city. Please explain because I think I am missing something significant.

It might have changed. Last time I was there (May 2005) hotel and restaurants listed prices in CUs (Currency Units) which we were told are the same as a USD or Eur depending on the place. When it was time to pay, the story was always:

• this is Russia you must pay in Rubles
• OK how many rubles?
• Today our conversion rate from CU to rubles is X (x always 15%-30% above the market rate)

My hotel was on a non-cancelable rate quoted in USD, when we checked in we were told that the charge is xxx CU per night and that each CU is the same as USD. The charge was 20%+ higher than quoted - The RUB/USD was in the high 20s (just under 28), the day we left we where told that each CU is 34. Same story in two other hotels some of my friends/family stayed in (all three hotels were "western" chains). In a restaurant we had the waiter tell us that each CU is USD when we got the bill they used 45 for the conversion telling us that each CU is EUR (the EUR rate at the time was mid 30s) and said that it costs them to convert RUB to EUR, So why didn't you take my EUR in the first place? Sorry, this is Russia we can only take RUB.

I'll add this to the Top 10 list of Top 10 lists that leave me angry, upset and ripped-off.

haha...got to love lists...of course, the author does admit some bias...

By the way, if the author feels ripped off by the Grand Canon in Nevada (I assume that's some sort of plastic recreation on the strip? ) I wold suggest visiting the real one... you know, the one in Arizona.

Yeah, I guess I feel ripped off by the Eiffel Tower in Vegas.

Stonehenge, anyone?

Have they heard of proofreading? I thought maybe the North Rim might be barely in Nevada, but it is not.

Who needs to proofread anything, in this day and age of instant publishing.

Written by guest author Adam Costa. Adam is the Editor in Chief of Trekity.com, (a killer new travel site) and Travel Blogger Academy, which helps travel bloggers write professionally.

Try Stonhenge II in Ingram TX. Wouldn't have gone except it was on the grounds and owned by the Hill Country Art Foundation. Not exactly a ripoff, as it's free, but certainly a waste of time.

Luckily it has. I had forgotten completely about that. It happens no more! Rip-offs ares till findable but no more CU's. IME, that is.

That is good news.

Thanks

Bizarre list - seems to try to fit round pegs into square holes and then complain when they aren't a perfect fit.

Proofreaders are out of fashion and spellcheck won't catch that because both Grand Canyon and NV are spelled correctly.

I feel ripped more by the fact that I actually wasted my time to (at least partially read) yet another stupid list some idiot traveller writer/blogger and generally BS artist manages to foist on us these days in guise of objective journalism.

The more I see of this stuff I really begin to wonder if the internet is a curse to mankind .

Personaly with the plethora of info out there any one who feels "ripped off" has only their lazy selves to blame

It's difficult to disagree with that conclusion.

The state that the North Rim is not barely in is Utah.

No, but Stratford-Upon-Avon for sure.

Who would go to Roswell expecting anything more? Did he want real aliens? Also who, besides Clark W. Griswold, would visit the Grand Canyone and not plan to do anything more than simply stop to look?

Strange article.

A lot of day-trippers from Vegas. But yes, it's really not the Grand Canyon's fault that some people don't have a ton of time to go hiking etc.

And their expectations are surely in-line with what they experience.

Tourist traps to avoid are places that don't live up to expectations, and most of this list should not qualify.

i have been to 7 of the 10 on that list, and how or why they listed those places as rip offs baffles me. i guess that sights mean different things to each person but the sheer beauty of several of those places amazes me.

as for Stratford-upon-Avon, heh! i have been there to see the RSC, walked around town, and avoided the touristy Shakespeare stuff. (the highlight for me was hanging out in the Dirty Duck pub after the plays with the actors.) i liked it for the most part but had i not gone for the RSC i don't know that i would have just to see the Shakespeare birthplace etc.