World Travelers and Gullible Tourists

When you travel do you blend with the locals or are you noticeably  tourist?  When you reach your destination and set out in your car rental or walking through the streets are you able to pick up the vibe and go with the flow, or do you stick out like a sore thumb?  Here are a few things to keep in mind next time you're away from home or traveling by car rental. 

Being a "tourist" isn't such a bad thing, but when the locals can spot you as such "from a mile away" then so can con artists, pickpockets and other types of shady characters that make a living on gullible tourists.  Nothing ruins an otherwise fun vacation or perfectly boring business trip like getting ripped-off.  Its important to do a little research about your destination first, but these few tips can go a long way in any foreign destination.

Learn the Currency

It goes without saying that you will greatly benefit from knowing a few phrases in the local language, the advice that is less common but potentially far more important is to familiarize yourself with the currency.  At the very least you should memorize the exchange rate so that you can make those rough calculations in your head before you make purchases, especially for services which may be negotiable.  Xe.com has a great currency converter as well as complete profiles on popular currency around the world.

Travel Off-Season

Benefit from better rates on everything from activities to your car hire, less crowds, and better service.  With fewer tourists in an area there is likely less villains looking to take advantage of them.  Besides, the peak season in many destinations is not the area's finest; think of Orlando, Florida, which is packed during the summer during the worst heat of the year.

Stick to a Simple Car Hire

Its fine to drive around a luxury car rental where it's appropriate, but when you're trying to keep a low profile its best to hire a car more similar to what the locals drive.  Take a look at the many family and 4x4 car rentals in [When you travel do you blend with the locals or are you noticeably  tourist?  When you reach your destination and set out in your car rental or walking through the streets are you able to pick up the vibe and go with the flow, or do you stick out like a sore thumb?  Here are a few things to keep in mind next time you're away from home or traveling by car rental. 

Being a "tourist" isn't such a bad thing, but when the locals can spot you as such "from a mile away" then so can con artists, pickpockets and other types of shady characters that make a living on gullible tourists.  Nothing ruins an otherwise fun vacation or perfectly boring business trip like getting ripped-off.  Its important to do a little research about your destination first, but these few tips can go a long way in any foreign destination.

Learn the Currency

It goes without saying that you will greatly benefit from knowing a few phrases in the local language, the advice that is less common but potentially far more important is to familiarize yourself with the currency.  At the very least you should memorize the exchange rate so that you can make those rough calculations in your head before you make purchases, especially for services which may be negotiable.  Xe.com has a great currency converter as well as complete profiles on popular currency around the world.

Travel Off-Season

Benefit from better rates on everything from activities to your car hire, less crowds, and better service.  With fewer tourists in an area there is likely less villains looking to take advantage of them.  Besides, the peak season in many destinations is not the area's finest; think of Orlando, Florida, which is packed during the summer during the worst heat of the year.

Stick to a Simple Car Hire

Its fine to drive around a luxury car rental where it's appropriate, but when you're trying to keep a low profile its best to hire a car more similar to what the locals drive.  Take a look at the many family and 4x4 car rentals in]3 for ideas.