“No booking for Romanian people” – The turkeys that the Romanians took during their holiday vacation

“Only those who don't travel don't suffer”, is the observation of a Romanian who was prompted, by a post addressed to the members of a group on a social network, to tell about the tricks tourists took on their travels or what unexpected expenses they had. Many of the bogs are real lessons for tourists.

Travels – with dream memories but also nightmare events PHOTO: collage

Dozens of incidents told by Romanians who have traveled in the country and abroad can be just as many lessons for future tourists to learn from. On a public group on a social network where solutions for the family budget are usually exposed, experiences of all kinds have been played. All of them gave the Romanians a lot of trouble at that time, even if now they remember those pranks with humor.

Most of the spikes are related to the substantial difference between what they booked, sometimes paying considerable sums, and what they found once they arrived at their destination.

“I booked through Booking an apartment that looked absolutely gorgeous in the pictures – modern design, everything impeccable, fair price. I couldn't wait to get there! When we got there, surprise… We were given the keys to another apartment. Although it was in the same area, it had nothing to do with what I had booked: old furniture, a completely different atmosphere and obviously not the conditions I had paid for. Their explanation? . (Spoiler: It wasn't!)

I've learned the hard way that sometimes, no matter how much you research, you can still be taken by surprise.

What kind of kids did you have? What was the biggest “spike” or totally unnecessary expense you made on a vacation?”, it is the story from which the histories of the Romanians started.

According to the experiences reported in the comments, the probability of facing a big difference between what you book and pay and what you find at the destination is quite high, especially if you don't take enough time to read reviews and do additional research on the Internet.

“Paris. End of November, nice apartment but no central heating, only two air heaters. Talked, argued, complained, without result. Overall it was ok in the end, but as an idea, it's the first thing I look at from now on when I go out into the cold”is another story.

“We had a bad time in Naples in September. We book the apartment, arrive at the accommodation (after the street) and there was nothing in the building, plus it was a neighborhood where we felt like we were in the favelas. In fact, the house we rented was in a completely different area, touristic and safe. But in Naples there are two streets with the same name, we had to use the postal code. We woke up only after we rented another apartment in the favela, to which we left a negative review that we couldn't draw water and the linens weren't changed either”said another Romanian.

“It was December 31st and we were four people without accommodation for the New Year in Croatia”

“In Florence we had some problems with the central, but I solved it by phone with a plumber from the country; the host had a guest from an Arab country and he had set the central in their language and they were unable to reset it”, another experience from Italy was exposed.

Another Romanian told that it happened to him that in Milan, once he arrived at the apartment he had paid for, he discovered not what he had seen in the beautiful pictures, but “a robbery”. The only real thing was that the building was located near the subway. “The neighborhood you say was Rahova-Ferentari, and I think the apartment was divided into two rooms from a larger studio. And it wasn't cheap.

And I've had it before in Venice, mid-October, rain and cold… Neam didn't want to let go of the heat. I had a cold combined with humidity, for many days”, reported the netizen.

Another Romanian told that he rented an apartment in Dubrovnik, Croatia. They arrived there on December 31, called the host and at first no one answered. “Finally the host came out of the apartment, he was well drunk, he asked us: are you the Romanians who made the reservation? We answered yes. After that he told us: Fu**k you! No booking for Romanian people! We called Booking to solve the situation, after 2 hours they found us accommodation in an apartment 40 km away where no one had stayed for 5 days and it was very cold because they heat up with the climate. Please hold on lie that it was the 31st of December and that we were four people without accommodation for the New Year in Croatia”, the Romanian told.

Another member of the group reported that he booked a room with a private bathroom in a villa, only the bathroom was located in the common area, not in the room, it only had a key from the inside, so it could be used by anyone, and right next to the bathroom door was the landlady's office. Dissatisfied, the tourist addressed the owner, who instead replied that it was solely his fault for not asking where the bathroom was. Eventually she canceled the reservation, but it took some time to find accommodation again, succeeding in another area, located an hour away from the area of ​​interest.

Other Romanians had an unexpected experience in France.

“We arrived on the Côte d'Azur, many years ago, we had booked an accommodation on booking which in the meantime was canceled without us being notified. (…) We went to a tourist office of theirs, an info, to ask if they have anything available. First they said they didn't have anything, they kept searching on the computer, nothing. Ah, but it seems that “this lady” has a free room. They show us pictures, a beautiful, elegant mansion with breakfast and tell us that the payment is made at their info desk for the 7 nights we wanted to stay. Ok, we pay cash, because we didn't know if the card works after they said from the other hotel that it doesn't. We arrived at the lady's mansion and what can you see, there were probably French compatriots staying with the esteemed lady, they gave us… the stable. An unsanitary room at the end of the courtyard and we will surely serve breakfast in the dining room of the mansion. He took us to show us and that's how we saw what the inside of the house looked like, yes, the pictures were taken there but they had nothing to do with what he offered us. I started to cry, I was also without money and in an accommodation where I certainly could not stay. The highlight was that the lady owner also felt a bit embarrassed, I could see her face.

He probably expected different people, we were decent, we spoke French, we had a car… I convince my husband to go back to the info office that took our money. It closed at 5 p.m., I had little time. I arrived 10 minutes before closing. They did not want to give us the money back, that it is not possible, that they were taken to the bank. Then I pronounced the word “police”. He opened the drawer and gave me my money back, there was no other money in the drawer either. I said that we would probably sleep in the car, but I did another search on booking… And guess what, I found a free room with parking at the Ibis hotel. We stayed there and I realized that the person at the info desk had probably seen free accommodations but they had some kind of deal with that lady. During that vacation I saw what French “hospitality” means. I also had a horror experience in Corfu, but that's it, only those who don't travel don't suffer”another experience was reported.

Other tourists experienced something different than what they booked in Hungary, where “we had to vacuum the first time to put our things away.”

“Every holiday we expect a little scam”

Unexpected taxes or trips paid much more expensive than the local market price are other expenses that Romanians have incurred unplanned during their vacations.

“We expect a little scam every holiday. In Egypt, at the prices, not being displayed, and at taxis no matter how careful we are, in the end we suffer. The last time in Italy I had it with a controller on the train. He wanted to overcharge us for a train ticket, luckily I lived in Italy and knew how to speak, but it kind of ruined our day.” a member of the group recounted.

Another reported that an unnecessary expense that he could have avoided was incurred when he crossed Monaco by train. “I forgot to turn off data before and I paid 50 euros for a message received on whats app”, the netizen revealed.

The same thing happened to Romanians in other places around the world and even in Romania, when, also on the train, they were charged just because they didn't turn off their mobile data near the border with Serbia.

Another relatively easy expense to avoid if you have all the data – according to the accounts of other tourists, many commentators wrote that the information was very helpful for them – is related to excursions.

“We took a stake in Thailand in 2016. Later we found out that it is practiced to “hook” tourists on the street with various promises of trips. We stopped a gentleman to ask him where we can get a means of transport to the floating markets in Amphawa (we are in Bangkok). And he said that they are also there in Bangkok, he has some acquaintances who organize boat trips and several stops are made: at a walnut farm of coconuts, one with monkeys, the floating markets and a famous temple (the name escapes me now).I got there, I proudly negotiated from 3,000 to 2,000 baht and the whole trip was actually a water ride that lasted about 2 hours, but in which I didn't see anything: the temple was closed because it was under renovations (and they knew it), and the farm faces closed for I don't know what sanitation, and the “floating markets” were represented by 3-4 boats that we passed, which had nothing left for sale :-)) . We still enjoyed the view, but I felt cheated.” wrote another member of the group.

The biggest stake taken, says another member of the group, was in Corfu, where he paid 100 euros and could not eat anything because “the food was infected”.

In Paris, at the Eiffel Tower, coffee in a plastic cup cost 5 euros, but the Romanians who arrived there did not know that the packaging can be recycled there as well and that they get back 2.5 euros. “Likewise on the banks of the Seine, if you drink beer they are recyclable. We didn't know”, the tourist gave another tip.

Another tourist wrote that he paid in Barcelona for some magnets, presented as 2 euros, in fact 4 euros/piece. “When I wanted to clarify the situation, three more “cousins” came out from behind, so I left”.

Other tourists said they were persuaded to buy the (more expensive) multi-attraction ticket in Istanbul, but were not told you could only enter if you were Muslim, so it was money wasted.

“No one here mentions the reviews on the accommodation booking. And one more thing – before you book look up the address with google maps street view to see exactly where it is. Yes, I know, it's extra work but it's a guarantee of the location”someone else left another tip.

“That's what I do too, I check the surroundings of the accommodation, shops, means of transport, etc… and the description of 5 minutes on foot to…. is mostly false”another member of the group confirmed.

“In Turkey I suffered it. I bought optional excursions from the tour operator of the agency I had gone with. When I walked out of the resort, I discovered that they were actually less than half their normal price.” another tourist pointed out.

“This is happening everywhere: Greece, Egypt, Dubai, etc. Everywhere I went, it was the same! It's as if you're ashamed to refuse them, but they're not ashamed to ask you for more at any entrance and optional excursion!”the discussion continued.