What was your biggest waste of money on your trip?

Waste was an upgraded ticket purchase for Eurail passage from Prague to Vienna. We paid for a private cabin, but when we arrived, the attendant informed us there were no private cabins and we had to stay in coach (hot summer day, no AC and in a smoking car.) When approaching Eurail for a refund of the upgrade price, we were all but told to pound sand.

Buying a gelati next to the Spanish Steps in Rome. There was an extremely better gelati shop down one of the nearby alleys. Just goes to show: don't buy things where all the attractions are.

Not a penny has ever been wasted. I either paid for the experience or for the lesson.

Meals in Venice that are severely overpriced and mediocre in the large restaurants by the canal. You can go to the bars and eat much better for cheaper with more selection. The bars have a kind of appetizer selection and you pay for the ones you choose or pay for a plate. It was much much better. I got ripped off one late night at a "nice restaurant" when I wanted to just have a salad and hot tea. I got charged a service charge of 3.40 Euro plus their tax/gratuity because I did not have a full meal. When I tried to contest that, it became a major issue.

Also, many of the hotels with "breakfast" are not worth the breakfast at all and you can get the same type of rolls fresher, tastier at the local patisserie around the corner. You can sometimes negotiate a lower price for the room if you say you will opt out of the breakfast.

If you are a teacher, you can get an international teacher card before you leave the US (check local student travel abroad offices at a local University). This pass let me in free for almost all the museums in Paris including the Louve and Musey D'Orsay.

A travel pass on the buses and underground in London saved me $$$ this last week. If you plan it right, you can do this instead of taxis from the airport and save a bundle.

A temporary apartment we stayed at in Brussels for a month after the lease on our regular apt. expired and we didn't renew. It cost 3000 euros for the month, which was ridiculously high (it was only a studio apartment with sleeping alcove). And the phone/Internet charges were astronomical. If we had looked around more carefully,we could have gotten a nice place for less than half that. Or gone off and stayed in a hotel or vacation rental home in France (this was November, not high season). Live and learn.

Getting fined 400 KC on the Prague subway because an Australian couple (who had been to Prague 3 or 4 times) told us that 2 pasma meant 2 passengers when it really meant 2 zones!!

"Getting fined 400 KC on the Prague subway because an Australian couple (who had been to Prague 3 or 4 times) told us that 2 pasma meant 2 passengers when it really meant 2 zones!!"

Ouch. The weirdest thing was the guy who spot checks tickets on the platform (with his secret badge he keeps in his hand and flashes it only when prompted.) At first I thought he was a holdover StB agent from the communist days.

Yes, chanle51, but beware. Many of those "secret agents" flashing a badge and demanding a fine in cash on the spot especially when you fail to validate a ticket are not hired by anybody. They are crooks who make a business out of watching for tourists who don't validate, charge them cash, and then pocket the money. How many tourists would know a real badge from a fake one?

In Florence, I very stupidly paid a rediculously expensive sum for a leather coat without bargaining a penny. My family and I met this charming (gorgeous!)gentleman at lunch on the Piazza della Signoria. He gave us his card for a leather shop ("Redi") he owned very close by. We went in after lunch, they plied us with wine and I walked out with this very expensive coat!! To add insult to injury, we never received our VAT refund, probably because of an error we made in submitting the paperwork. Needless to say, I bungled this one from A-Z, and it still stings to this day!!!

I wish I never paid for most of the off-shore excursions I took on my first Caribbean cruise 11 years ago. But it was my first time leaving the continent and I still had a lot to learn.

While I agree that "big waste of money" is probably the wrong expression, as ira says...

... one always encounters places/attractions/purchases, etc. which seem to be relatively better or worse value (than other things) for the price paid.

From this last trip I'll rate the 9 euros admission price to the Guggenheim Bilbao (reduced price from normal 12 euros, because so many of the galleries were closed for installations, including "Fish") as one of the poorest values on the trip. As I commented on another thread about its lunch service(s), I have myself to blame, at least in part, for not visiting the website where I might have gotten an inkling that the special exhibitions of Aztec art occupied about 70% of the museum (or the parts we could visit, anyway). Just wasn't our cup of tea. And the modern collections (part of the permanent collections), dominated by some Rothko works - - interesting, but just didn't make our day; we learned that his work became less and less expressive and less and less about color (or anything perhaps), and ultimately he committed suicide. For such an uplifting architectural work - - just not the right takeaway lesson, to suit my taste!

But value comes in all price ranges - - I have also commented on another thread that our best value BY FAR was air-chateaux.com - - a 20 minute ride in a Cessna over Domme, Beynac, Castelnaud and Sarlat in the Dordogne valley, for the fare of 130 euros (two person; also available: 147 for three). Worth every penny!

Best wishes,

Rex

Dinner at da Fiore in Venice on Christmas Eve. I'm not s huge seafood eater but found the staff to be surly, the food mediocre and way overpriced. That was the most expensive and one of the least enjoyable meals in Venice.

Paying 6 EU for a small Coke and 8 EU for a medium iced tea at our first restaurant in Paris. We hadn't checked the menu prices before ordering, and were astounded when we received the bill. What a rip. Could have had a bottle of wine for the price of those two! What's cheaper than iced tea to make, for pete's sake?

I have the reverse....I should have wasted the exceptionally high price to ride on a gondola in Venice. Next time I go I will and enjoy every penny.

This past December I bought an Amsterdam city pass (or whatever the name it's called) for my two children ages 12 and 14. The cost was around 35 Euros.
The main museums are free for children under 18. So all we needed for them was an all day tram pass for maybe 8 Euros each.

Live and learn. Loved Amsterdam.

Interesting question, but I really can't think of a thing!

This was not a real biggie, but we paid a lot of money for pizza and sodas at a place in Montmartre (don't recall the name) because it was the first place we spotted. We were with two other couples, and all of us were hot, tired, and hungry.
The lesson to be learned is not to wait until the last minute to choose a place to eat--especially when you are hot, tired, and hungry. I'm certain we could have had a nice French lunch, with wine, for what we paid for the pizza and soda.
On the other hand, if this was our worst mistake in Paris, I think we did very well.
Although you asked for specifics, I would say, in general, that shore excursions during a cruise are often (not always) a waste if it's something you can do on your own. Taking a tour puts you on somebody else's time schedule, and they are often over-priced. I'm thinking the Caribbean when I say this, where most of the islands are small and accessible. (I'm not sure how that works with European and Mediterranean cruises, where you have perhaps a day in Venice or Barcelona or Crete.)
I agree with the person who said it's not money wasted if you learn something from your experience. I'll never waste time and money on pizza in Paris again!

There have always been hotels that weren't quite what you wanted or meals not so great, but that happens anywhere, even at home. So I don't consider anything like that a real big waste because I wouldn't spend an abnormal amount of money on something like that if I hadn't been there.

The only thing I have ever really regretted were some of the purchases I've made when traveling. Sometimes I buy jewelry or some souvenir that seemed like a good idea at the time, but at home, I don't really like it that much or have a use for it (or it doesn't look so enchanting in the light of day).

Purchasing the Venice "blue" card instead of a regular vaparetto pass. Since the Venice card also covered the usage of public toilets, I thought it would be convenient not having to fumble for change each time.

Well, the toilets covered by the Venice card were far and few between - we were never in an area with one close by when we needed one. The one time we happened to be in the area, we found it had closed for the day (at 6:00 p.m.).

Luckily we only purchased a 1 day Venice card instead of the 3 day one.

Being in Switzerland, not speaking German, in a Co-op store in the dairy section I spotted a plastic container with "Mascarpone" on it. As I love Tiramisu cake and know it's made with this cheese I jumped on it! Opened in the hotel room - eeewwwwwwww, it's butter! 4 or 5 Sfr wasted.

I'm sure on future trips I'll waste some more, and honestly, I'm looking forward to it!

Las Vegas -- Blue Man Group.

oops, sorry -- just realized I was on the European Forum!
(can't remember any really bad wastes of money in Europe. In 2000, the $$ was really good !)

chanle51- I know what you mean- I was looking down and the next thing I know I was staring at a badge under my nose!! We got stopped very frequently, especially when with luggage or shopping bags. Our officer was legit, though, we have the official receipt to prove it!!

Really, frankie? Was it just because of bad LV pricing? Our youngest daughter swore that seeing them in Chicago was a best-in-a-lifetime experience (part of a school theatre trip, so the price was probably shielded from her, and of no concern to her).

The Emerald Grotto near Amalfi, not worth it even if it was free! (The Blue Grotto on Capri, now that was worth it)

Our outrageously expensive meal at Enoteca Pinchiori and snotty waiters too. We were too embarassed to admit to friends just how much we spent on dinner and wine for 2, didn't fess up for 2 yrs!

On the other hand, dinner at Alle Murate in Florence was everything E. Pinchiori should have been and more for a third of the cost. Same bottle of wine too!

Terrible pizza at any number of restuarants at nearly all major tourist sites in Italy.

My biggest waste of money came about under extremely jetlagged conditions! I actually sent laundry out at Claridges, for which I deserve the stupid award of the century. For the price, my husband and I could probably have had a wonderful meal at Buckingham Palace.

We spent 7 Euros on 7 bandaids in Paris because I foolishly forgot to pack some. It was one of those unavoidable purchases because I had to have them, but now I will always remember to bring them wherever we go!

My biggest waste of money would be so much as a single pence spent in Harrods.

Also spending a night at The Rameses Hotel in Earl's Court and a different night at the Lonsdale in Bloomsbury. Both are dirt cheap and yet still overpriced at the same time, if you catch my drift.

>My biggest waste of money would be so much as a single pence spent in Harrods.<

Back before it changed hands, my Lady Wife and I went to Harrods for it's July sale.

A. She was sorting through the unopened boxes of "domestic quality' Thistle crystal stemware under the table with a Duchess or Countess while I chatted with her driver (in uniform) who was holding her basket for her.

It seems that her DH's friends had a habit of toasting the current monarch and throwing the glasses into the fireplace, so she had to keep buying items on sale to keep them away from the heirloom crystal.

Still the best quality Thistle that we have found.

B. An Acquascutum coat for my LW, reduced from 700 to 300 GBP, which required the shop clerk and two assistants to make sure that it fit properly and was the right color.

C. While taking tea in the Porcelain department (the clerk felt that my LW was looking a beat peaked) a very unhappy Lady X came in (followed by her driver with a basket holding a Yorkie) with the pieces of the Family Christmas Plate that had been a gift from some High Personage.

20 min later, the clerk assured Lady X that the Wedgwood people had the molds and would be able to deliver a custom-made Christmas Plate by November.

Unfortunately, Harrods is not what it once was but, then, nothing is.

totally agree with rex on guggenheim entrance fee.

the building is an interesting urban sculpture, but i don't even go in it anymore. i have been twice, and just let my friends go on their own if we go up there.

the lunch is nice.. but remember to reserve.

biggest waste ripoff.. 10 years ago in florence, we did not take the sheraton breakfast for a family of four at $15 each.. thought we'd just get a croissant and coffee and chocolate for kids at cafe on main piazza..

went in to small café.. bar full of people, so we ordered and decided to put ourselves in an entirely empty little room with cute tables and take our snack slowly not standing up.

oh my.
what a mistake.
during our breakfast i was reading a little menu notice on every table.. and thought i must have it wrong.
"there will be a $5.00 (in lira) surcharge per person at these tables".

my husband thought it couldn't be true.

well.. it was. our snack cost approximately $35/40 if my memory doesn't fail me. no wonder the bar counter was so full.

Weadles "laundry at Claridges" horror story reminds me of laundry in Sicily.

Years ago my practice wife and I sailed from Calvo, Sardinia to Milazzo, Sicily with four small chlidren aboard. Rough trip, all the kids sick, watch on watch, deck leak soaked everything, and we arrived exhausted. We were traveling on a very tight budget, and we did all our own laundry; me hauling water and both of us scrubbing and wringing with a hand wringer I had clamped to the rail.

One look at the enormous heap of dirty, salt encrusted, gear that needed done and I said, "To hell with it, Sweet. I'll take it to a laundry." I lugged it to what looked like a laundromat near the Quai and told them to just wash, dry and fold the stuff: my wife would pick it up later. Figured a couple of loads would only be a few bucks.

I went into town for something, and when I returned DW was in tears. The laundry was demanding an amount greater than two full months food budget. To us, the bill was like Weadles' Claridge charges. I argued, but it was either pay the Mafia their due or buy new clothes.

We used laundrys later in our trip, but I always made sure to be clear on the price beforehand.

Paying a $10 per check commission in 1993 at the Rome Termini on a Sunday morning. Needed to cash a couple of traveler's checks (desperate) because I was totally out of money, the pensione demanded lira only, and nothing else was open. Plus the exchange rate was very poor. I never, ever let that situation happen again.

In my many trips to Europe, I have been ripped off a few times, in hotels restaurants, and the occasional museum. Small stuff mostly. But they pale in comparison to the pleasures of the journey and I tend to forget them. But I do remember that time in Rome.

But RJD, I can't find what happened to you in Rome! Please tell!

Even though it's the Europe board, I'll second poohgirl...shore excursions on our one and only cruise (western Caribbean). Never again! I'll use all my Fodor's knowledge and book on my own in the future.

Those gawd-awful Schneeball things in Rothenburg.

My husband and I were victim to the Metro ticket ripoff our first time in Paris in 1999 to the tune of $50 or so. We were pretty young and didn't know what we were doing.

I paid 17E for a bottle of sunblock on the trail in the Cinque Terre last month so I wouldn't be a blistering mess the rest of the trip when there was a perfectly good bottle back in our room. Next time I'll grease up before I leave!

The 20 euros it cost for the 2 of us to get into La Sagradia Familia in Barcelona. This is really quite the scam. All it is is a construction site. I think this must be how they are paying to build the place. If you must go, look at it from outside.

On our first trip to Florence, my mother insisted on a guided tour of said city with a tour group, not with her own daughter who'd read/researched, and possessed an otherworldly knowledge of renaissance art from college. Even after having people follow us during my private art & architecture tour for my mom, and another private tour from my friends who lived in Florence, I finally relented to my mother's daily request on the second to last day and signed us up for a 35 euro/person 1/2 day tour, which made her happy, and me miserable.

We go on the tour, which took us to Oltrarno, the Palazzo Pitti, and Piazzale Michaelangelo. Let me tell you, it was a disappointment for all on board the tour, who asked after the tour "is this it?" It was an even worse disappointment for those who footed an extra $25 for lunch, which ended up being pizza and a drink at a cafe on Piazza della Signoria.

In the end, my mother admitted that she thought the tour would give us more details than my friends and I'd already given her, since I was a stranger to Florence, and my friends were but students. She's never asked for another tour since, and listens to my advice. I'm just sorry we had to waste 70 euros, since I was on a tight budget. On the bright side, my mom now knows the bus (12 or 13)to Piazzale Michaelangelo.

I had a few.

First, I packed way too much, so as my trip progressed and I decided to buy some stuff to take back with me, I ran out of room in my suitcase and it became too heavy for me to even begin to maneuver. In Florence, I gave up and bought a duffle bag, jammed it with: presents, clothes I wasn't wearing, guide books I didn't need to bring in the first place - and some panforte! I dragged it to a Mailboxes store and paid about 135 Euros to send it back to the U.S. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Not to send it back, but to bring so much that I had no other choice. (But I couldn't haul that stuff around any more)

Second, I bought a VeniceCard. While I think it is a great idea for someone staying in Venice for a week, I wound up not even using it in the three days I was there.

Third, I bought too many bottles of wine, when I should have stuck with local wines that are always available by the jug or carafe and are cheap and really great.

Last, I rented a cell phone from Verizon, a service they had just started offering last fall through another company. I researched lots of options and simply made the wrong choice. I barely used it, but it wound up costing me over $600 in the end.

All in all, I must say it was a great way to make some travel mistakes, and I learned so much along the way!

This is a great thread, guess because it is good to know we all make mistakes.

My worse was about 6 years ago. I always take just one suitcase and one carryon to Italy (well that is all I take no matter where I am going).

But this trip became a problem as one couple told me to bring boating clothes because they were taking me sailing on the Adriatic in their sail boat.

Another couple told me to bring hiking/mountain clothes because we would be in Cortina for some days and would be hiking.

Another friend told me to bring riding clothes because he and I were going to go horseback riding as he had his own horse and his friend was going to let me ride his horse.

Consequently I packed a second suitcase with boating, hiking and horseback riding clothes, jackets and footwear.

Never again, LOL. The weather was to awful for boating in the Adriatic.

The Cortina visit did not happen because my friends house there flooded due to broken pipes.

And I did not go horseback riding as my friends horse died due to an incompetant vet. That was a real sad situation of course.

I finally boxed up all those "activity clothes and footwear" and shipped them home from Italy. Think it cost me about $100.00 US dollars. And gave that second suitcase to a friend in Italy that loved it and had use for it.

What a waste of energy and money. In the future my slogan is "if I need clothes for special activities I will buy them at the time when I know for sure that the activity will take place".

Ah, the joys of travelling!!

Mary King's Close in Edinburgh. I thought it would be truly educational and how they found this part of the city. We would see how people truly lived.

Instead it was hokey ghost stories, lame jokes, and very fake room setups. HUGE waste of time and money.

One of my favorite quotes: "If you don't make mistakes, you are not learning." I don't know who originally said this.

rex, perhaps at the old age of 44 I'm just too jaded and cynical, but for $95 a ticket, even my teens were very underwhelmed. But to each his own, a lot of folks love Blue Man Group. We just thought it was hokey and boring!

<<Not a penny has ever been wasted. I either paid for the experience or for the lesson.>>

Perfect, Ira. Happy travels.

Wow--LoveItaly, what a great story--- and lesson!! I am on the verge of beginning to pack for our Alaska cruise the first week of July, and your words have hit a chord with me! I think I will leave the coats and hiking boots at home.

To date, I have never felt we wasted money on anything. I wished the Expo in Japan had been more interesting, but wasn't sorry we went for the day. The times we've really splurged on some activity have actually been the best times of our lives, so that has taught me that it's better to spend money on experiences than on things. (And here's hoping the helicopter/hike in Alaska turns out to be worth the $$)

Ira on Harrods: >>Back before it changed hands, my Lady Wife and I went to Harrods for it's July sale<<

Maybe a bit OT: Way back in my student days when I lived in the UK, I got a summer vacation job at then-great Harrods, and was assigned to the fine china department. (Getting all that stuff ready and laid out in piles on huge tables is a BIG job.)

First day of the sale, we all have to be on the sales floor extra early. We stand poised, invoice books in hand (no computer registers then). The manager looks at his watch at 9 am, and announces that the doors were opening. A brief silence, then you hear the sound of people RUNNING up the escalators, and they surge into the department and start snatching up plates, cups, saucers... (Many of them had queued overnight to get the best bargains.) Oh, and then we had to hand-write and calculate the bills: "8 cups at 7 and 9 (shillings and pence), 20 plates at 4 pounds ten, six saucers at 6 and 6..." It was a physically and mentally tiring day, but memorable and fun!

And (back to topic) my own semi-waste of money: sitting on a warm evening at a cafe table on Piazza Navona in Rome, for the most expensive caffe granita I ever had. But it was good -- at least until I couldn't sleep because, of course, it was high-test espresso...LOL.

Our biggest waste of money was having a rented car on the Amalfi Coast. It sat in a parking lot in Sorrento (at 10 euro a day) for 5 days. The train or bus is a much better way to get around there.

We did use the car once to go to Paestum, but it would have been much cheaper just to rent one for a single day in Sorrento.

Going to see Cats!. I love the theater, but Cats stunk!

Ordering Hake Cheeks (yes its true) in a restaurant in Bilbao to try the local delicacy. Horrible on a good day but with a big hangover from a big tapas night even worse!

Nice memory though and we laugh about it alot!

The (to me) outrageous admission fees to the major sights in London and environs. The Tower, Hampton Court, St Paul's, Westminister Abbey . . . after a few days I feel thoroughly fleeced.

Hi P,

You might have been fleeced, but did you feel it was a waste of money - ie, not worth seeing?

Hi Ira,

"did you feel it was a waste of money - ie, not worth seeing?"

Not really, but I do think they are over-priced, especially The Tower. Having been to all of them more than once, I passed on a return visit to Hampton Court and balked at St Paul's, too.

If you're on a one-time trip, I guess you just have to grin and bear it.

The Secession Modern Art in Vienna.
We stayed at the Mecure Secession across the street and was enchanted by the laurel leaf dome on the building.
I should have settled for just enjoying the building from the outside. Only one room, with a large and uninspired Klimt mural, was open.

It was only 8 bucks to get in but it was more the disappointment and that the person at the ticket desk didn't mention that they were remodeling that made me feel totally ripped off.
Other then that we had a great time in Vienna.

Starbucks anywhere in Europe.

That's one thing that really irks me: sites in Europe always charge a fee, but in our nation's capital, Washington D.C. most sites are free of charge. Plus you only get the sr.citizen discount if you are a citizen of an EU country!!

MichelleY

In august,1998, I paid more than U$ 130 for en excursion (in a cruise) of one day from F.Lauderdale to Bahamas (Free Port). The meal was poor, but the worst thing was that when we arrived there, we had only 3 free hours... It was Sunday, so most of the shops were closed, with four other passengers we hired a local taxi for a short view of }Free Port but we soon had to return to the cruise because it was time to return...

Paying nearly $50 for afternoon tea at Brown's Hotel in London two years ago. We met relatives who chose this place with no idea it would cost so much. We enjoyed a much more reasonably priced tea at Maids of Honour in Kew.

St. Getrude Cloister in Copenhagen. One of the most expensive meals I have ever eaten snd not well served(I once paid more for a meal than roundtrip airfare NY to Paris in Paris but that was at least worth the money). The worst marinti I ever had the food was ok(not great) but what got me was they brought the butter in those little plastic tubs you get at the big boy buffet...

I can remember two big wastes. Once in York when I forgot to fill the rental car with gas, and when I got the bill they had charged me $90 to fill it.

The other instance was more expensive and more irritating. I'd always wanted to stay at the Eisenhut Hotel in Rothenburg. There was a special on the internet--the room and dinner for two for about $280. That was waaay over my budget, but we reserved a two-night stay. The room they gave us was a great disappointment! Every other room we'd had anywhere in Germany was far nicer, usually for half the cost. The gentleman at the reception desk was cold and aloof. The food wasn't very good, either.

The positive thing about this experience was that it made me resolve to be more assertive and not be intimidated by staff when they want to give me something that I consider unacceptable.

I criticized the Eisenhut once before, and my post mysteriously disappeared. I assume that will happen again....

The Tacoma Glass Museum charges more than the Louvre.

And is almost totally devoid of content.

A prime contender for world's greatest rip-off.

We spent too much money, in my opinion, chasing a good meal in Spain on our trip in 2004, Many people on this board disagreed with my post on the subject, but a good many also had disappointing experiences with dining in restaurants in that country.

In the future, I plan to buy more simple foods from markets and eat in our room or picnic style and not wait until we're famished and cave into the urge to pay whatever price is demanded for what may turn out to be lackluster fare.

After departure: I'm with ira, I pay for the experience, and sometimes for the convenience (time is money).

Pre departure: the tickets I bought from Rail Europe, before I knew better.

After a trip to England and Scotland I took my film to Walmart to be developed (back before I converted to digital camera) and they lost the roll containing pictures of Bath-Cotswolds. Have tried to laugh it off as a reason to go back - but the truth is my mom is no longer in the health to go with me.

Oh well - it was a fabulous trip!

oops - I didn't really make my money point which was - Should have paid more money to take the pictures somewhere where film developing is more of a priority.

"Starbucks anywhere in Europe."

When I use a film camera abroad, I buy the film locally and have it processed before I come back.

Saves a lot of anxiety over how much x-ray dosage the emulsion is going to get.

Also provides an opportunity to re-take any shots that didn't come out right.

We were at Schipol Airport waiting for our flight home and, having never gambled in a casino before, I thought I'd try the slot machines - bad move! In a matter of minutes I threw 20 euros away! Never again ... I've learned my lesson!

Having the pics developed while you are there is a Very interesting idea Robespierre. Lord do I have a lot to learn about being organized!

Sardinia, thought it would be an Italian version of Corsica, big mistake, total waste of money, worst vacation ever.

I agree with Rufus. The Schneeballs looked so beautiful all piled up in the window in Rothenberg. The Rothenberg tour guide warned us not to buy them. And our own tour guide agreed with her. But I had to try one!

Eating at a restaurant (Ceaser et Augustua, I think) just outside Pompeii because the parking cost (9 euro) would then be free. Big rip off. You had to eat inside and of course, not just buy a pizza. Ended up costing about 60 euro!
I should have just laughed it off but instead I was mad at my husband for the next three hours!
Silly of me really, as I had realized it was a tourist trap from the beginning but I allowed us to eat there anyway.
Live and learn.

Biggest waste of money going to lanzarote, everything about it!!

I honestly can't think of too many, but our biggest waste was probably on our first visit to Italy. We ate in restaurants in really tourisy areas in both Florence and Rome. We spent a lot of money on just mediocre food. We since learned to venture out of the touristy areas and piazzas,but it took a couple of high-priced bills to get us to be more adventurous. This was our second trip to Europe; live and learn!

Tracy

Flanneruk,

My wife is a glass artist, and I can tell you that your opinion of the Takoma Glass Museum is absolutely right on. Sad, really, as there is so much good modern work coming out from glass artists today.

We were in the Louvre in September, and they have more glass art in one room than Tacoma has in the entire museum.

Thanks, lucielou . . . I'd forgotten how much I didn't enjoy Gomera, Hierro or Lanzarote. And Tenerife was only so so. We stayed for 3 days in Puerto de la Cruz and while the island had some pretty views, that town stunk on ice. Nothing in particular against Germans, but we were the only non-German speaking people in town for that three day period, I think.

At Frankfurt airport I decided to upgrade to a Mercedes on a 10 day rental and the transmission siezed about an hour from the airport. Almost 3 hours elapsed before we were on our way again. The rental company brought another and when we got to our first stop we couldn't get the doors to lock. So we wasted almost half a day at a dealership Pforzheim. Not a knock on Mercedes, I just wish we'd stuck with the original plan and saved the money.

Our "nice dinner out" in Montepulciano, Tuscany. A thunderstorm was coming so we rushed into a place that was more expensive than what we were planning. We were not impressed with the food, but mostly the atmosphere of the place (very stuffy). We quickly learned the lesson that for our taste, the rustic and home-cooked meals always win in Tuscany!

I was surprised to see the old post reborn and more surprised to see that I'd added to it originally.

As a post script, the biggest waste of money of any trip I ever took was the LONDON DUNGEON...so very, very cheesey!

All of my return tickets.

Our biggest goof happened in Rome. We had just flown an alnighter from Seattle to Heathrow, and 7 hours later we arrived at the airport in Rome. Trying to have the whole experience, we took the train to the city. By the time we got to the city we were exhausted. We were approached by a cab driver who said he would drive us the rest of the way to our hotel. We were so grateful because it took him another half hour to get there from the station. We even tipped him handsomely. The next day, when we got our map from the consierge, the train station was about, oh, 3 blocks from the hotel. Oh well - we refer to it as our very expensive night tour of the city and laugh about it.

going to the Moulin rouge in Paris. The show was not good at all.

thank you travellerwannabe....we passed on the show because I knew I'd be too tired to enjoy the following day if we went and I've always wondered if I missed something fabulous.

Paying to take a tour from Rome to Pompeii. I didn't realize how easy it would be to take the train and it was too late by the time I found out. I'd never do that again.

I can not say that we waste our many in any of our trips. Even one or other experience was not so good, it still was an experiece and we learned something from it!

I liked the opinion of Chicago_Heather "All of my return tickets" !, even I personally like to go back home after any vacation longer than 4 weeks.

Paying for lst class on Euro Star Trains/Eurail Services.
I have to agree they fail to uphold their end of the bargin if there is a problem. Right now I am still in the middle of a hassle with them that I took to the EU
passenger rights department. 2nd Class is just fine.

I generally agree with Ira. And sharing our mistakes on this website is another payoff for other travelers.

I think about my expenditures in two ways: Is it a good value for my money? is the question most of us ask. But the other question "Does it fit in my budget?" is also important.

And sometimes we forget the value of our time.

For example, with souvenirs, sometimes I think "this item may be overpriced, and I should shop elsewhere."

Yet I budgeted a set amount per person for souvenirs. If a souvenir looks good for the person in question and meets my budget, I should buy it and free up my time for sightseeing or lunch or whatever.

While I would not want to spend two months' food budget on a basket of laundry, sometimes wasting too much time trying to save money could end costing you more.

Lots of laughs and lots of lessons in this thread.
I hope the following will be helpful to someone out there.
"... sites in Europe always charge a fee, but in our nation's capital, Washington D.C. most sites are free of charge. Plus you only get the sr.citizen discount if you are a citizen of an EU country!! "

Most museums that I visit in the states charge a fee. I got senior discounts in Paris, Prague and Italy. There are days in France when all attractions are free and I've hit those several times. You have to ask about the discount, they don't volunteer. I looked at the fees posted at the National Museum in Prague and asked if there was a senior discount. The clerk didn't say a word, but took a card from beneath the counter that listed the senior discount.

Laughed at "Love Italy's" story. Amazing that all three special events were canceled. I've brought too many clothes and have had to mail them home at considerable expense. I did better last trip and vow to do even better next time.

"My husband and I were victim to the Metro ticket ripoff our first time in Paris in 1999 to the tune of $50 or so."

What is the "metro ticket ripoff?"
Does this refer to paying a fine because you tossed your ticket before leaving the station? You're required to keep your tickets in most countries, including Italy and England. I noticed in the newest Fodor's France guide that this fact is written in bold.

A few minutes reading the "Smart Travel Tips" in a guide book can save you money and anxiety. Several years ago, while traveling through Burgandy with friends, we were stopped by a motorcycle policeman. He wrote out a ticket and demanded the fine on the spot, in cash. We all thought it was a scam, but he took the driver's license and insurance papers and told him to go to an ATM and get the cash. We got to a phone and the driver, who spoke French fluently, spent a long time before reaching an official who verifed that the fine was legitamate and had to be paid to the officer. When we got back to the hotel that evening I checked my guide book and there it was in "Rules of the Road." Could have saved time and anguish if we'd read it before we got on the road.

One more thought: Why drink Starbucks in Europe? I really like the coffee served in the European countries I've visited.

I agree with Ira. I've learned from my mistakes -- it's part of the experience.

Cpd mentioned film lost by WalMart. I've twice had vacation film lost by the developer, although not by WalMart. The first time was a roll taken in Ireland in 1982. The second was a roll at least part of which was taken at Wounded Knee three and a half years ago. Fortunately, my daughter was also taking pictures that day. So that wasn't a total loss but still very upsetting.

These two experiences have a lot to do with the fact that I'm seriously considering buying a digital camera before our upcoming trip to Ireland. I love my camera. It takes great pictures. But between the cost of film and developing and the risk of lost film...

Dropping 3 GBP into the donation jar at the Tate Modern in London, before having seen the crap that passed for art. The best part of that museum was the exit and walking across the Thames on the Millenium Bridge and going to see real art at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Now I know to donate after I've seen what they're offering. Honorable mention goes to the 1 GBP entry fee to the Serpentine Gallery to see "Dreams," which turned out to be the Gallery partioned into little rooms by white hosipital curtain; each "room" had a platform for you to lay on and, uh,dream. The person next to me summed it up brilliantly:"This is so stupid."

Hi Luisah, and I forgot to mention that I lost practically a whole day trying to get those d*mn clothes shipped home. A friend who was with me use to own a business where he shipped items from Italy all the time. But trying to get information on shipping my stuff took hours and nerves of steel. Have you ever spent hours at an Italian Post Office. NO? Well consider yourself fortunate. One person gave us the maximum box size allowed and maximum weight allowed. OK, we went a purchased the box, went to the house and packed everything up, weighed it etc. Of course by then the PO was closed. Went back later (after spending something like another 20 minutes trying to find a parking space).

Stood in line again for what seemed like forever. The next Italian PO employee advised "no, no, the box is tooooo big and the weight is toooo much. The arguement between my Italian friend and the PO employee should have have been taped. Too funny! But not at the time.

As in "only in Italy" the same box was taken back to PO either much later or the next morning (don't remember) and the box was accepted, I paid the charges and received same about three months later.

Should have dumped all the stuff in Italy!

Luisah, I think the metro ticket ripoff probably refers to some nice gentelman volunteering to help make the purchase of metro tickets and actually pocketing a large portion of tourists' money as they don't know the actual cost of the tickets.

Last September we returned to Paris and bought a museum pass, as always to avoid long lines. But we visited only two museums and there were no lines at all. Further, I completly forgot on that Saturday most museums were free.
We never consider money waisted when we have not the best dining or lodging experience. It is more of a learning experience.

A good friend lost about 100 euro in Paris at the train station. A 'helpful' man offered to organise their tickets and they foolishly paid for what they thought was a 3 day pass but was infact a 1 euro ticket...

I haven't done enough international travel to learn any lessons yet but reading these has been very helpful!

Chelsea, something very similar happened to my family on our first trip to Paris. We arrived at the train station (from London), and a man offered to help us figure out the ticket machine.

Before we knew it, he had purchased tickets with some time of card he said only Parisians have (rather than allowing us to use our credit cards), and asked to be paid back.

As the tickets and machine were in French and we couldn't tell what he bought, and hadn't given him permission to buy on our behalf in the first place, we simply walked away. No loss of money, but not a great way to begin a vacation!

Tarheels, it is true that the ticket machines in Paris require credit cards with a chip and pin, which US credit cards do not have. I just read a trip report from someone on this board praising an Air France flight attendant who used her credit card to buy the tickets for some Americans at the airport in the same circumstances you describe.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34741373

This isn't to say that the helpful fellow you encountered was as honest as the flight attendant, but he might have been.

Thanks for letting us know that information, Nikki!

Our problem wasn't so much that he bought it with his card, but rather that he did so without fully explaining what he was doing, and with the language barrier there was no way to tell if he was honest or not.

Rail passes. I recently took a trip to Japan, and from the message board I frequented before the visit, I gathered the intelligent thing to do was to calculate out each trip individually prior to purchase, then see if it paid off. It would not have.

Then, last month, I travelled to Paris. Instead of thinking logically based on prior experience, I opted for the France Rail Pass. I lost a good couple-hundred dollars on that one. Big mistake.

The Sound of Music ripoff in Salzburg tops my list. Lots for nothing.
Running commercial all the way, a pointless stop in Mondsee for us (sure the guide got a kickback), and no time for anything in Mondsee.

Waste of time, money and everything else.

I know some folks will dump on me, but I have no good things to say about New Orleans (pre-Katrina, that is). Overpriced, over-rich, over-cooked food. Horse manure everywhere despite the horses wearing diapers. Stifling humidity. Bourbon Street surely must be one of the most tawdry places in America. I was so glad to get over along the Gulf Coast -- excellent food, reasonable rates, no hustlers. About the only place in Europe we found that compared as one enormous rip-off was Venice.

Cliffs of Mohr. More precisely, the parking lot fee at the Cliffs of Mohr.

I paid the price to discover that fog, when viewed in Ireland, looks the same as it does anywhere else I have seen it in the world. I know the Cliffs were there: I could hear the crashing water below, and all the signs said I was at the Cliffs, but I never saw them.

Alas, we came back the next day, and the next, but still only fog.

It was a nice gift shop, however. I bought a postcard, photographed it, and showed it to my friends. "There," I said, "are the Cliffs of Mohr" as if I had actually seen them.

Being there counts. I think.

Jim

Horses wearing diapers?! Was there no-one with a shovel and a garden?

TarheelsInNj
I consider France to be the land of contradictions. It seems that the french will push you and stomp on you and spit on you in order to get on the subway but then will be way more helpful than any north american would be under other circumstances. We were trying to take a bus in Normandy and didn't have proper change so this girl came and bought us one ticket. We needed another and she didn't have enough change either so we ran across the street to get change from a store. The bus came in the meantime but she missed it in order to wait for us to help us buy the second ticket. We couldn't believe how nice she was. We tried to pay her back for the first ticket but she wouldn't accept it. We all finally got on the next bus. She made sure she came and said bye to us before getting off at her stop. In toronto, tons of people would've walked by, watched you struggle and kept on going.

PatrickLondon: not exactly like a baby's diapers but a plastic contraption to catch the horses's doo. Should be emptied periodically, but in N.O. they seem to overlook this important task. There is "stuff" everywhere -- streets, gutters, etc. No shovels, no brooms, no picker-uppers to be seen. It is gross.

My own fault for bringing my hiking shoes instead of my walking shoes while in France. We stopped at a supermarket and I bought gel insert for my shoes and paid 38e for the pair, where I could bought a pair for $8.00 at WalMart. Sometimes you have to pay for your own mistakes and it will cost you if you are in Europe.

Anticipating a response I have to interject a comment. I thought taking a gondola ride would be overpriced and touristy, indeed our cruise director said so. Instead, it was relaxing and a wonderful experience and well worth the money.

Waste of money was the taxi driver who could not find the Marriot at the airport (actually it is a few minutes outside). Always have an address is the lesson.

Venice a rip-off? Hah, but no, it is a unique world treasure beyond price and cost.

Travelling in Spain we picked up wonderful books everywhere, museums, galleries, historic sites you name it. After the first week we were lugging 70lbs of "isn't this little book great, what's one more". Desperate to be rid of our growing pile we decided to ship it back to the states - how much could it cost?

Courier came to hotel, took bundle and billed it to our room. Our $155 shipping charge arrived on our credit card bill 3 weeks before the books did. Live and learn!

Hands down, a Eurail pass, with first class privileges. Not only do you still have to pay an additional premium for Eurostar, or express trains, there IS no first class on most regional routes. Live and learn!

1. pre-purchasing a train ticket from Paddintgton to Salisbury, without reading the fine print that tells you that you need to pick it up at Victoria Station. (had to purchase replacement tickets, and never did get a refund for the original)

2. Paying £15 to get into the Dali museum in London -- not being a huge art conneiseur, I nevertheless expected to see SOME of the Dali works I know. Most were sketches and watercolors from his early years. Interesting, but I wanted to see the famous stuff (call me banal!)

3. Buying a bottle of scotch and mead in Dublin (1996), paying to have them shipped to my house in the US (didn't want to risk breaking them on the rest of the two week trip). The first shipment was turned back at customs for lack of phone number. The second shipment broke. The third shipment (after a year!) was never sent, evidently -- and long after the time I could dispute it with my charge card.

My biggest waste of money was in London, and it was all my fault. I bought a bunch of magazines for me and a friend and I didn't have room to pack them, so I decided to mail them. I had three big packages and the total cost was 60 pounds! I could have said no, but I hadn't read them and I love UK mags so much. Of course it cut into my daily budget and I had 20 pounds left for the day to cover transportation, meals and sightseeing. Have definitely learned my lesson.

My biggest waste of money was when I was leaving the United Syayes to study in Oxford for a graduate degree. I don't know how much it cost because my parents paid for it, but I shipped five big trunks of clothes to Oxford, including evening dresses that I ended up not wearing even once while I was there. Life in graduate school was very different from life in college, and I was too much of a pampered princess then to know that

Sorry, that's "United States" -- no offense intended to my beloved country! I accidentally clicked the "post" button.

Hi JimF,

The same fog thing happened to us in NYC. I wonder why it was so easy to get right up to the Rain Bow room and to get a window seat on a Saturday night. As we looked out the window it was totally white. Look up before you go and check out the sky. Also the menu is interesting. It is leather bound and when you open it up it says "cocktails $18.00". On clear night it is worth it.

Renting a car in Italy was a big waste of money for us. The headaches far out weighed any of the independence,on top of that I had the pleasure of driving the entire Almafi coast with the locals on my bumper all the way swearing and beeping. I got out of the car and left it at the hotel in Positano and hired a driver for 250 euros a day to take us to Ravello Sorrento and Naples while the rental sat there. P.S I was flying down the coast in the pouring rain going like a bat out of hell yet It wasn.t fast enough. go fiqure!

Hi L84SKY!

I couldn't agree with you more about the Secession. We are artists and therefore great museum lovers...some of the smaller, more intimate ones sometimes being even more of a treat than the the grand museums. We thought the Secession was a "grand" rip off, though we agree with you that Vienna is still a wonderful city and maybe the Kunsthistoriches more than makes up for the insult!

Definitely Les Egouts in Paris. I'll never forget that smell. And Annecy. The town was underwhelming.

Biggest waste of money was probably three expensive dresses I purchased in Italy on my last trip. They are beautiful but have only worn two of them two times each and one I have never worn. Will know doubt pack them for my next trip to Italy however.

my biggest waste of money was when , 14 years ago, enroute to Kenya, we were checked into a "day room" in London, where the bellman brought up my luggage ( I was travelling alone)
and I tipped him a "few coins", not realizing until a couple hours later, I had tipped him the equivilent of about $12.00 for 2 bags! Yes he was more that happy to see me back down to the taxi later!

biggest waste of money was the dinner I had at Da Fiore in Venice that I insisted on going to. Dinner for two with a glass of wine and a diet coke was 215 euros! I got back to the hotel after dinner and was in bed all night not feeling well.

Another huge waste of money was all the shoes I bought in Florence 23 years ago that seem to fit in the stores and hurt like hell when I got back home. Never wore a pair of them.

Taking a taxi home from an Oasis concert outside of Prague back to my youth hostel, drunk and somewhat passed out (not very suave, I admit!), not having a CLUE what the fare should be. I was charged way, way more than the fare should have been, I later found out. All things considered, this wasn't the worst that could have happened, but I felt dumb and ripped off. It wasn't the monetary amount (even being ripped off I'm sure it was still a fraction of what a similar ride in let's say London would have been), it was the feeling of being taken advantage of. But, I couldn't have made myself an easier target so, lesson learned.

"The Beefeaters" in London. I know you pay for dinner and a show, but the dinner REALLY sucks. Wine is unlimited (when you're drunk everything is tasty) and "warm". I don't remember excatly how much I paid (I think it was almost 40 pounds per person"), but I can assure you the food itself was worth 10 pounds (wine, appetizers, first course, second course, and dessert). The show is OK (when you've had too much wine, everything seems to be funny or entertaining). I think that Henry VIII's servants had better meals. Those are nearly 40 pounds (and an evening of my life) I will never get back.

Hilarious Thread. Two things come to mind.

First, a luau in Kauai in 1999. We wasted $100 for horrible food and mediocre dancing. And we had to sit next to a couple that was waaaayyy too enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Longer ago, yet still painful...in 1989 I was in Mexico with some high school friends who talked me into buying a pink leather mini-skirt and matching jacket. Even back then it was $150. I never wore it. Every Halloween I consider it as a costume though. And I am still best of friends with the ladies that made me do it, and they still laugh at me. (There was, after all, liquor involved in the decision process, and we were 18!)

Paying 7 euro for a Coke in that main piazza in Capri. Sure enough, right off of the piazza, a guy at a cart was selling them for the bargain basement price of 2.50.

ok....this is a good one

1) Paying a Zillion Pounds to see Madame Tussad Wax Museum in London and paying extra to beat the line - oh my God this maybe was worth it in 1972 but today what a joke

2) Paying to enter two dozen museums in Spain, Italy and France and just realizing my wife being a US teacher could have otten in for free/

3) Paid for breakfast 41 Euros in High Tech Hotel in Sevelle - what a scam they had given us coupons 2 for the price of one only to find out later they were not valid on Saturday's.


4) 225 Pounds for one night at the Heathrow Hilton as I was sick and in Trasit and had though I will go to Victoria but was too sick to do so...

But I do have to add this on - Paying 1.99 Pounds x 4 (around 4 dollars plus tax for a ticket on Ryan Air to Seville from London......probably covered all my mistakes.and back for 3.99 from Barcelone to London

Anything that I bought that I could have gotten in the states---ie sodas, certain foods, etc.

Buying too many cosmetic and drug items here in the States and lugging them there because I thought somehow France wouldn't have these things.....!

My museum pass, most were free on that Sunday I was there and you had to pay for the special exhibits I did see .

Last December, we went skiing with friends in Switzerland and stayed at Mont Cervin Palace...a 5 star hotel which those friends of ours have visited every year for 16 years. We are not usually 5 (or even 4) star hotel people but I'll have to say the included bizillion-course dinners every night were heaven!
Anyway, I brought along a pair of slacks which needed to be ironed and asked stupidly for an iron at the front desk. Of course women who stay at a 5 star hotel do NOT iron their own clothes! I was told that the maid would come up and take the slacks and iron them for me. Uh, okay.
They 5 minutes of ironing was charged to my bill.....and was $16!!! Holy crap. I would have just not worn the stupid slacks had I been smart enough to ask. (They made me feel so stupid for asking about borrowing an iron, though, that I could not bring myself to ask about the price of the service.)

When we left, we also noticed a $160 charge for "ski boots" on our bill and asked, confused, how that could be when ski rental was included in the hotel package. We were told that "ski rental" does not include the boots!!! Ha ha ha. Well in the U.S., were we have problems wearing downhill skis with our shoes, rental includes boots!!!
I'll read the fine print on that one next time.

In general I agree that the hard knocks pay us back with experience and wisdom. that said....

Loved the laundry stories. We were in Sweden with 2 little guys in tow and could not find a laundromat anywhere--asked the hotel staff where to find one, and they said, "Oh, we just send the laundry out for people." So we handed over one small basket of laundry and got it later that day--the little socks and undies folded beautifully, etc. -- for $130!!
And that was 15 years ago.

My other bad deal was a lunch at Cafe San Pietro outside the Vatican. A shopclerk had suggested it--"You pay a little more, but it's worth it."

The salmonella came free of charge, and I was able to enjoy the lovely free medical care after collapsing in Termina Roma.

Eating in London
" " Malta

A Moroccan 4x6 rug I bought in Marrakesh about 25 years ago. I was hustled for 4 days by a charming Moroccan I met on the bus from Agadir. He showed me all over Marrakesh, always seeming to wind up at a store owned by one of his friends. (He really hustled me for two things, but only succeeded at one).

I finally gave in on the last day and bought a rug which I neither needed nor wanted, but which I got for "half price", around $350, after my Moroccan friend "bargained" for me.
A few months after I got home Bloomingdale's did a big promotion on Moroccan goods. I saw rugs just like mine for less than half what I paid -- even with the Bloomingdale's markup!! Live and learn. I still chuckle when I think about it.

Yeah - but ya gotta admit "Oh, that little bagatelle I picked up in Marrakesh?" has a certain cachet not present in "Yeah, Bloomie's had them for a couple hundred bucks, so I figured what the hell..."

I was dreadfully overcharged for lunch at a cafeteria-style restaurant near the Vatican. I just paid it because I didn't realize how screwed up it was until I was actually finishing the meal and doing the math.

Later, I read in Rick Steves book to "look out for eateries that overcharge tourists near the Vatican."

Price of the lunch for 2: $50 Euro

Price of Rick Steves book: $19.95

The lesson learned to read his WHOLE book before going: Priceless.

Jules

Lunch at Le Dome in Montparnasse last February. Overpriced, very ordinary food and haughty service.

Last year in a trip to Malaysia , in Pangkor Laut Resort, I paid an extra 600 Euros for a 3 night upgrade from a Garden Villa to a Sea Villa.
The sea villa was nothing special, the garden villa was much nicer and better located and it was TOOOOOOOOO MUCH the upgrade, 200 euros per day. Truly not worth it!!!!

T-shirts and other souvenirs for my grandchildren that disappear into the black hole in their bedrooms. Now I bring back food that they can't find here -- Wonky bars, Kinder bars, mini quiche crackers, etc. They'll eat anything!