Ichinensei

but how is an unsuspecting naive foreigner supposed to know there is such a thing as licensed and unlicensed vendor? Besides the cops should have shut down the operation. It's not like there werent any around. And it's out in the open on the streets.. you know what i mean

PTravel

There are certain rules of thumb that apply any where you travel. You might not know about licensed vs. unlicensed vendors, but I'm automatically suspicious of anything that is offered in a heavily touristed area and will always ask the price before buying. Tourists are marks in every country in the world, so conducting yourself with a little caution is always in order.

dingo

Yes indeed. Everyone should avoid Italy in entirety because you will be duped by sandwich vendors. Please stay away starting...now! That will leave more room and less crowds for me when I go back, and am not duped...just as I have not been in six prior trips.

ShopAround

I've made roughly 50 trips to Italy and have never been duped, ripped off, sold overpriced sandwiches or charged 700 euros for pasta.

bdemaria

The vendor not telling you the price should have been your first indication that something was not right. There are lots of places to eat around the Vatican and you could have easily gone to another vendor who would tell you the price/show you a price list before you made your purchase.

slawecki

Beware the LV handbags for sale on the bridges in venice. no prices, and not a good return policy.

also although the existence of a hustler at the front door and a menu tourista and close to the major tourist area is fair warning to go find another place, a number with that description are great restaurants.

Bwillis

I've noticed that those who have never been ripped off in Italy are those who live there or visit frequently. Its helps to be familiar with the system speak the language, etc.
As PTravel said avoid the menu turistico and use some common sense.

Second of all, the tourists who were "overcharged" were not budget travelers. Ordering a 180 Euro bottle of champagne will not have a cheap outcome!

Ciao, BW

Kalboz

Too many cheerleaders for Italy on this site regardless of the existance of the rip-off or not? I sure hope not ...

I lived and worked in Italy for 2 years and been there several times since and the most complaint I hear from tourists and others is the wide-spread rip-off in the Italian restaurant sector. This is not to mention the so-called cover charge rip-off (coperta). A quick search will yield many complaints I would say more than usual for other countries:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tra...cle6317915.ece

http://www.blogfromitaly.com/the-rip...passetto-rome/

http://www.thoughts.com/backpackerne...f-italy-92508/

Don't get me wrong here, I have met many Italians (total strangers) who have helped me for the sake of just helping me without any expectations of getting paid or rewarded.

How To Decipher an Italian Menu: http://italian.about.com/cs/food/ht/deciphermenu.htm

LTN Phobia

I haven't been ripped off in Italy, although I don't speak Italian and I don't go there very frequently.

However, I have had a number of rip-off attempts in Australia (I'm an Australian citizen), and I even got ripped off by a London cabbie recently (I wouldn't have been viewed as a tourist because of a somewhat English accent).

I guess we can't generalise.

bdemaria

Exactly. I also think the issue of how one defines "rip off" is key here. Last night at the movie I shelled out almost $40.00 for popcorn and sodas for a party of four. To me, that's a "rip off" b/c of the ration of cost of the price of the product to the value received. The same holds true for tourist restaurants in Italy. There are certainly venues in Venice I don't go to precisely b/c I would consider them "rip offs"

As for the post from someone who purchased a sandwich from a seller who refused to tell them the price beforehand and then charged them a lot of Euro - unfortunate, yes, but at a certain point one has to take responsibility for their own actions. There is no reason to accept behavior as a tourist that one would accept in their own country.

I once tried to use a 20FF note to pay for a 12FF item at Galleries Lafayette in Paris, the clerk informed me that the policy was not to give change. I could have done one of two things: accepted what she said OR said "I don't think so" and called her on it. I did the latter and went on w/my day. I don't dismiss the entire country of France as a result.

LTN Phobia

My definition of a rip-off isn't 'too expensive for what it is / poor value'. My definition is blatantly inappropriate activities, such as, in the Australian taxi driver's case, intentionally going the wrong way to inflate the fare. He appeared to have assumed that I was lacking in local knowledge, but as it happens, I knew my way rather well. I argued it, threatened to report him, and eventually he reset the meter as the taxi went past the point where I boarded the taxi. This, to me, is a 'rip off'.

In other words, rip off = charging me for what I did not (expressly or impliedly) agree to pay for, or charging more than I agreed to pay.

If I see a stupidly expensive sandwich but I decide to buy it, that's just a 'rip off pricing' rather than a 'rip off' and I accept the responsibility for deciding to buy it.

TravellinHusker

Cover charge rip-off? Interesting way to put it.

Well, there is no tipping in Italy. The last time I had super-great service, I decided to leave a tip. The waitress followed me outside and handed me back the money saying that I must have forgotten it by mistake. Granted, this was a very small restaurant in the prosecco hills near Valdobiaddene. Not exactly a tourist laden area. Perhaps in Venice, the money would've been scooped up and placed right in the pocket.

However, I do not make it a habit to tip in Italy as the service charge is already included. The cover charge is part of that service. Consider the 2 euros per person as the tip. Even if it is obligatory and not given of free will for good service, it is plainly stated on every menu (coperto, in Italian).

janmnastami

Coperto.

This is a "coperta" :

TravellinHusker

Yes, I know. Even after all these years, and my fluency in Italian, I sometimes make the silly mistake with the last vowels. Fortunately, in speaking, most Italians overlook these types of mistakes because they understand what you meant. In writing, there's no getting past it. It's in black and white. Thanks for catching it. I've edited the post.

janmnastami

I hope I didn't offend you, it was just a small correction to joke . Your Italian is much better than my English!