When on vacation, travelers want to make the most of both their time and money. The quickest way to waste both of these precious vacation commodities is by becoming a victim of a tourist trap. Thankfully, there are some simple ways you can avoid these tourist pitfalls and increase the enjoyment of your trip.

First, it is important to realize that while many businesses and attractions are simply out to get your money, not everything popular is a tourist trap. There are reasons why more people visit Orlando more than Ottawa, and just because 'everybody sees it', you shouldn't automatically dismiss certain places.

That said, it is your responsibility as a vacationer to do a little research before you head out the door on your big adventure. Whether your destination is London, Paris, or Yellowstone, chances are that you know someone who has been there before. Ask! First hand information from a known source is always preferable to a commercially-produced guidebook or tourist website. If you truly are venturing out into the unknown, head to tripadvisor.com and see what other real people honestly thought about a place.

When booking your hotel, try to pick a neighborhood that it convenient but not directly in the most touristy areas. Yes, it is tempting to stay near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or adjacent to Times Square in New York; however, by branching out into neighborhoods with actual residents, you are more likely to find reasonable restaurants with a true local flavor, instead of a Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood.

Staying in a real neighborhood also means that you have the opportunity to actually interact with residents of the area, instead of other tourists. While this in itself makes a vacation more interesting ("Honey, do you remember that odd old man at the bakery who recommended those raspberry cream things?"), it has the added bonus of providing lots of excellent advice-givers. Who knows a place better than the people who live there? Most people love talking about their hometown, and if you ask what to see, you will often get better advice than anything in a guidebook - and they generally won't be the places that cater solely to tourists.

Wherever your travels take you, a little planning can go a long way to enjoying a wonderful vacation without the fear of tourist traps.

Learn more about this author, Erin St John.
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