Escaping the big city for a week in the sun is a luxury we should all indulge in once in a while. But what about all those little scams and cash traps that can turn a dream getaway into the holiday from hell?
A new survey by Money.co.uk revealed a list of common cash-related woes that really get under our skin and hit us where it hurts when on vacation – our wallets and bank accounts.
22.6 per cent of British holidaymakers surveyed had fallen victim to pickpockets whilst holidaying in Europe, with 37 per cent complaining they had been overcharged considerably by the local taxi drivers! Unsurprisingly, 30 per cent of UK sun-seekers have felt the wrath of pushy street vendors at one time or another.
Our increased reliance on mobile technology has also left many of us out of pocket, with 43 per cent of survey respondents admitting to paying extortionate data roaming charges.
Top 10 countries in Europe for holiday scams:
The survey also revealed the top 10 countries where scams were most likely to occur, with Spain uncovered as the worst offender. Some of the problems are closer to home than you may think, with the UK named and shamed at number eight.
- Spain
- France
- Italy
- Turkey
- Austria
- Greece
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
- Armenia
- Cyprus
Get smart and avoid the scams
So how can one avoid such scams? Money.co.uk put together a comprehensive list of tips and hacks to avoid Europe’s biggest travel rip-offs, from printing your boarding pass out at home to switching off your mobile data roaming. You can take a look at the full list here.
With a little planning and due diligence, your holiday can run as smoothly as possible, and you can return refreshed and ready to take on the world again. More importantly, you are less likely to have acquired debt, enabling you to start thinking about that next trip abroad.