I’ve been hearing about – and reading about – tourists getting ripped of by some (not all) tourist cafés.
The first thing I’d like to say is – ASK THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING BEFORE ORDERING.
Scam #1 – The recent scam I’ve heard about is if a coffee or tea is ordered, then the waiter asks if you’d like milk with that – so you say yes. What you should have asked is, “Is there an additional or extra cost for the milk?” or “How much will it cost with milk?”
I know this seems silly, but some unscrupulous cafés have been charging up to 3 euros extra for the milk.
You can avoid this by carefully reading the menu and selecting the coffee or tea WITH MILK on the menu – rather than the other item the waiter has proposed.
Scam #2 – Yes size does matter.
I’ve been told that when tourists are asking for a beer, they are offered “small or large”. Thinking that “large” is a normal large glass, the tourist is then presented with a LITRE of beer – much more than a large glass, and being charged outrageous prices.
Rather than being one of these tourist victims, you can avoid this if you simply ASK THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING BEFORE ORDERING.
After all – it’s YOUR money and you should know what you’re spending so you won’t get ripped off.
Please be aware this may only happen in a couple of venues throughout the whole of Paris’ touristy areas, but it’s always best to be cautious.
Have a great time in Paris and try a few French words every day to make your stay more enjoyable :-)
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