4 minute read
Planning a night out while travelling always starts the same way. Someone says, “Let’s go out tonight,” and everyone’s excited, and then minutes later, it turns into a group project. Well, a fun one. Maybe some Chrome tabs are open, five opinions, one person insisting a place is “iconic,” and another person saying, “It has good reviews,” like that settles anything. Maybe this isn’t anything special, like a Bachelor party, maybe it’s just a group of friends just looking for fun, no celebrations required.
But even with all that research here, the last thing anyone wants is just ending up somewhere overpriced and underwhelming, then having to pretend it’s fun because nobody wants to be the first one to say, “Yeah, this place isn’t it.” Well, tourist traps have a way of doing that, right? Like, you don’t want anything mid, and the stuff for tourists honestly is. So, how can you avoid those?
It’s Time to Decide What Kind of Night it is Before Picking a Place
Well, a lot of tourist trap nights happen because the plan is too vague. Like, “Just find a bar,” which usually means walking into whatever is loudest, busiest, and closest to the main tourist street. So, it helps to decide the vibe first. Is it a sit-down drinks night where conversation can actually happen? Is it a casual pub situation with music in the background, not music that forces everyone to shout? Are you interested in gentlemen’s club nightlife, where the atmosphere is a bit calmer rather than the loud club atmosphere? Is it a dancing night where nobody cares about talking anyway?
Yeah, lots and lots of questions here. But once that’s clear, it gets way easier to filter out places that are basically built for tourists doing the “walk in, spend money, leave” routine.
Treat Promoters Like a Warning Sign
At this rate, you should now know for a fact that this is a tourist trap if there’s something like this outside the club or bar. But what does this mean? Well, if someone is outside trying to pull people in, offering deals, hyping “VIP,” or acting like this club is about to change someone’s life, that’s usually not a sign of quality. Usually, it’s a sign the place needs help filling up.
Actually, you could say the same if you see menus outside but no prices (restaurants and cafes do this too), it’s a setip, because the pricing feels vague, confusing, or like it’ll be revealed later, it’s fine to walk away.
Use Reviews Like a Shortcut
If multiple people mention hidden charges, surprise fees, pushy staff, or feeling hustled, believe them. That’s usually the truth. Also, check customer photos if they exist, because professional photos can make any place look upscale. But also keep in mind that sometimes businesses, especially in tourist places, will buy reviews, so if you barely see negative reviews, then maybe alarm bells should go off.
Should You Have a Backup?
Well, maybe, but it just depends on where you are, how far you’re willing to travel, how easy it is to travel, etc. There are just some areas where it’s harder to find where locals go, especially in major “party hubs” like Las Vegas, for example. There’s the strip, and the area around it where people part, for example. So it’s hard to really find where locals would go. But it doesn’t hurt either to have a backup or just stay in a place for a few minutes and then hightail it out because it might not be what you’re hoping for.
