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travelers, I'm from Walter's World, and today we're in Florence, Italy. Today we will talk about some of the scams you may encounter in Florence, as it is one of the most popular cities in the world, not just in Italy, so there are a lot of crooks here. I want to warn you about some types of scams to watch out for when you come here. But first, I want to talk about a few things that are not scams. First of all, don't be surprised by the prices for "bistecca alla fiorentina"-you know, Florentine steaks, those fantastic, incredible, bloody, but so delicious steaks that they serve here. Look, the price is per kilogram. So you will see: 60 euros per kilogram, 85 euros per kilogram, depending on which one you choose. And then you order
it and think: " Wait, why is the price higher than 85?" Well, that's per kilogram. After all, some pieces weigh more than a kilogram, understand? So keep that in mind. This is not a scam or a rip-off, just make sure you count the kilos before you start eating, okay? So be careful. And one more important thing: don't think it's cheating if you get fined for typical tourist antics like eating ice cream or sitting on the steps in front of a church, because at certain times of the day it's forbidden and you can get a fine for it, okay? So no, these two things are not scams. These are not tourist traps. This is something to know before you arrive, and now let's move on to the real scams to First, you will notice that since there are a lot of tourists here,
many people will approach you with phrases like: " Hello, friend." " Hello, do you speak English?" "Hey, do you speak Italian?" "Hello, friend, my friend." " Excuse me, sir." People will approach you wanting to sell something. Or maybe they'll try to tie something to you, like putting a bracelet on you or tying something to your backpack or something else. These people will tell you, "It's free." This is a friendship bracelet. I'm from somewhere out there. It's just, you know, I do it for nothing. I don't need anything. And they keep talking to you. And then they'll want a donation, they'll want some money. And sometimes they become quite
aggressive because they know that if they scare or upset you, you'll be more likely to give them money to get away with it. So be careful with this. So these people come up and say, "Oh, my friend, my friend." Just say "no" or keep walking past. Or: "Oh, sir , do you speak English?" Just move on. I always answer: "Nein, Deutsch". And then they're like, "Oh." And they seem to be leaving because, apparently, the Germans aren't giving them any money. So they have nothing. But honestly, they're going to try to get you, because when they're picking on you, I don't mean just talking, I mean really upsetting you because that makes people want to give them something, you know? So keep that in mind.
Now the other thing is: because there are so many tourists here, and you'll notice when you leave the station, going to the Duomo, going into the city, there are a lot of places where tourists gather, a lot of huddled together. And these are very easy places for pickpockets. This is one of the main places for pickpocketing in Europe, not just in Italy, but in Europe. So be careful with this. Make sure you keep your wallet in your front pocket. And if you have valuables, anything you don't want to lose, leave them at the hotel. Put this in the hotel safe so you don't have to worry, because this is one of those places where you have to be careful. And you'll notice when you're here that you'll probably see more beggars and people approaching you than
anywhere else in Italy. And just, you know, "No scusa, no scusa," which means " No, thank you" or "No, sorry, I'm sorry." This is usually enough, but just know that it will take time and happen often. So getting frustrated about it won't change anything. Just move on. Even the authorities tell you, "Don't give to beggars," because many of them are part of an organized gang or group that, you know, is probably better off financially than you and me So, one more thing I want to warn you about when you're at the train station, okay? Santa Maria Novella, well, don't be careless with your belongings, because
yes, there are pickpockets and bag thieves there, just like everywhere else. But I will say this: don't think that anyone is really trying to help you unless it is someone from an official Trenitalia employee. So if someone wants to help you with the ticket kiosk, it is available in English. Press the England button, the British button, and everything will switch to English, you'll be fine. Or I see a lot of people because tourists have a lot of suitcases, and they come up: "Oh, can you help me carry my bags onto the train?" "And people like that too. Look, they're not there to help you, they're there to help themselves. So be careful with people like that, okay? And another thing I've seen a lot here is the tossed ring scam or the
gold ring scam. You 'll see it in my videos, people will talk about it. Usually someone finds something valuable on the ground and says, "Oh, is n't that yours?" "And you say, "Oh, no." "And they're like, 'Oh, that's a really nice thing.'" "You should buy it from me." "And then they kind of pressure you to buy it. Just walk away from such people. Find the carabinieri, they will run away if the police are nearby, so keep that in mind. And of course, you know, this is a place where tourists go, so there will be the usual tourist entertainment, you know, the three- card game: "Oh, you win." "Guess which cup the ball is under." "Or what card is the ace of spades?"
Listen, you'll never win. You can see people winning. This is their accomplice. Or sometimes they let a kid win, but then someone else comes along and wins, like, "Oh, look, an adult won too." "This is all a set-up. " These are all their friends, okay? You won't win these games. And, of course, there are the ever- popular distraction scams. And here, because the gelato is so delicious, someone will probably accidentally push you, spill some gelato on your shoulder, and say, "Oh, let me help you wipe that up." You take off your backpack, put it on the ground, they help you clean everything up, and then you look down-and your backpack is gone. And this person too. Or, if they're still there,
they were "just helping you." They didn't see anyone stealing your bag. is what you might encounter here, okay? So be careful, okay? I also have to say: if you buy something on the street, it's obvious that it's probably a fake, and you know it's a fake. I know it's a fake. They know it's a fake. But they will try to convince you that it is the real thing. It's never real, okay? It's never real leather, it's never real Dolce, okay? Just remember this. I mention this because a lot of people think they are buying the real thing when they pick up this product on the streets. That's not true, okay? Another thing to watch out for-it's not
necessarily a scam, but it's worth knowing about: there are a lot of tourist restaurants here. My advice: avoid establishments where the menu has a lot of large photos of dishes or offers about 90 types of pasta, as it is probably a tourist trap. Usually in Italy they serve the pasta popular in that city or region, maybe one or two other types, and that's it. They won't have a huge assortment, and that immediately gives them away, so be careful. Also, like in any other tourist town, there will be people pretending to be tourists who have lost their bags or whose wallets have been stolen. "Can you help me buy a train ticket so I can catch my flight in Pisa and return to England?"
» This also happens, and you just need to be careful, because this is a large and popular tourist city. You will love it here, but you should be aware of some of the scams that exist here. And one more thing you might notice here: people who will try to sell you tickets to various events. Listen, if someone tries to sell you a "skip the line" ticket-no. There are tickets for a certain time. Yes, get a timed ticket so you don't get stuck somewhere and stand in long lines, because there really aren't any such "skip-the-line" tickets. And sometimes people will try to sell you, "Oh, I'll sell you a ticket to go into the cathedral."
There is no ticket to the cathedral, understand? So just wait in line and come in. Everything will be okay. In short, these are some of the scams I have seen here in Florence. And what did you encounter when you were here? Please write in the comments below so that other travelers can have a good time in Florence and not run into similar scams. Live from Florence.
