Travel expert warns how one simple mistake can cost you €200 in Europe
- A TikTok traveler has warned her followers not to make a simple tourist mistake
- The silly mistake could end up costing unwitting tourists hundreds of hundreds of dollars on their trip
A TikTok traveler has called on her followers not to make a simple tourist mistake that can cost you hundreds of euros.
Pro traveler and content creator Alaya Hablo shared the warning with her 14,000 followers after traveling to Italy.
She revealed that anyone using public transport in Italy, and in some places in Europe, could be fined if they fail to validate their printed tickets.
Alaya said, ‘Do this if you don’t want to be fined €40 like ignorant tourists in Italy.
“If you take the regional trains and buses (buses especially in Rome), make sure you ‘validate’ your train/bus tickets.”
A TikToker has warned her followers not to make a simple mistake while traveling through Italy, which many tourists fall for
She explained that once you’ve bought your printed tickets, look out for the yellow validation machines before getting on the train.
“Just insert your card into the slot until you hear a stamping sound. That’s it,” she continued.
Alaya showed her followers what a validated ticket looks like and revealed that the ticket should be timestamped.
italian railway company, Italian railwaycontains ticket validation information on their website.
The company said: “If your ticket is not validated, you could be fined up to €200 when traveling across Europe.
‘If you have an E-ticket or Electronic ticket with a ticketless confirmation, you can simply board the train without printing or validating.’
According to Alaya, many tourists have fallen victim to this scheme, she explains: ‘On the train from Milan to Varenna (Lake Como), the two couples next to us had to pay a hefty fine because they had no idea that they have to validate their tickets.’
She added that the same rule applies to buses, and that ticket agents can be particularly strict on regulations in Rome.
“The yellow validation machines are on the bus. Validate your ticket as soon as you enter, before you sit down,’ Alaya said.
The pro-traveller explained that on one bus ride, more than ten tourists, mostly families, were asked to get off at the next stop and pay a fine.
The TikToker warned that anyone using public transport in Italy and some places in Europe could be fined if they fail to validate their printed tickets
She showed what a validated ticket looks like (pictured) and explained that it had to be timestamped
The video has been viewed a staggering 1.7 million times and seething tourists flocked to the comments to express their outrage.
An outraged user commented, “Imagine your ticket is not valid after you buy it. Such a tourist trap.’
Another user admitted she fell victim to the rules, writing, “They tried to arrest and extort us because our ticket was not stamped. Definitely aimed at tourists. We put it in the machine, but it didn’t stamp.’
Meanwhile, some users gave helpful advice, one TikToker wrote, ‘Sometimes the machines run out of ink and won’t stamp. Then write down the time, date and station with a pen, or find the conductor first.’
To which Alaya replied, ‘I did this too. Buses in Rome usually have faulty machines.’
But some reiterated that ticket validation is only needed for paper tickets. One wrote: “If you buy your tix online (trenitalia) you don’t need to validate for both regional and high speed.”