When in Rome, do as the Romans do — and look for gelato as far from the city center as possible.
A US tourist couple visited Don Nino, a gelato store two minutes away from Trevi Fountain, and were charged about $51 – or 44 Euros — for two small dishes of ice cream.
Nicole Ann, a Florida resident, took to Facebook on June 5 and urged people on a “Rome Travel Tips” Facebook group to “Avoid Don Nino”after she ordered 2 a pair of cups, and the employee added a cannoli and macaroon as a topping unsolicited, implying they were free.
She included a photo of her receipt and wrote that “honestly, it wasn’t even good” and was the “worst out of all the gelato” she had on her trip, calling the shop a “tourist trap scam for sure.”
Comments on the post validated Ann’s comments, and some Italians in the areas agree that it is “pure theft.” One local in Rome expressed frustration in the comments, saying that when tourists are “taken advantage of,” it hurts their industry.
Other recommendations from users suggest looking for gelato in metal containers, saying they are “more authentic and creamier” — though some commenters suggested that was “not true at all” and just influencer folklore — and seeking places with visible prices.
Ann is not the only tourist who took to social media to express her frustrations with Don Nino. One TikTok user posted in January that he went to Don Nino multiple timesthroughout his vacation, and that the price mysteriously doubled one day.
With summer vacations to Europe starting, tourists continue to crowd the most popular spots in Rome, and while they bring economic benefits, they tend to stay in areas notorious for being tourist traps, particularly around popular sites.
While the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and the Vatican have must-see attractions, the surrounding areas come with tourist-trap prices.
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