Travel scamsBuses and trains
Bus and train scams
100 reported in 51 countries. How each works and how to avoid it.
- FranceOccasionalTicket-machine helper switchA supposed helper says your ticket has expired and offers to buy a pass. They show the price of a multi-day pass, then ask you to turn away while they pay. They secretly change the purchase to a single-trip ticket and charge you for the pass.Paris
- ItalyOccasionalUnwanted ticket-machine or ATM helpA stranger offers help with a machine or another task. After helping, they follow you and demand as much money as possible.Milan
- MexicoOccasionalMisleading airline check-in errorsAn older report describes early check-in attempts on Zero and Light fares producing random errors or directing passengers to paid airport check-in. The stated online check-in windows were four hours before departure for Zero and eight hours for Light. This describes a confusing booking process, not proven deliberate fraud.
- United KingdomVery commonTicket-machine cash theftSomeone offers to help you buy a ticket. Once your money is in the machine, they reach across, cancel the purchase and take the returned cash.London
- United KingdomCommonPedicab overchargingBrightly lit rickshaws with loud music offer rides, then charge passengers far more than expected.London
- United KingdomOccasionalTrain tissue-selling scamSomeone leaves tissues on seats with a note asking for money. They later return to collect payment. This is described as an organised scam that funds criminal activity.London
- ThailandCommonInflated tuk-tuk and songthaew faresDrivers seek out arriving visitors and quote inflated fares. Some show a bogus fixed-price list. A shared songthaew may be quoted as a private taxi ride when the passenger is foreign.Chiang Mai
- ThailandOccasionalTuk-tuk fare increase after agreementThe driver demands much more than the price agreed before the ride.
- ThailandOccasionalUnwanted sex-show detourA driver takes you to a sex show instead of your destination, then claims to have misunderstood the address. The driver earns commission.
- ThailandOccasionalPrivate VIP bus bait and switchA direct VIP journey becomes a lower-class bus or several uncomfortable minibuses. A promised 10–11-hour trip may take 17–18 hours. Some trips also end at poor-quality hotels.Bangkok, Chiang Mai
- ThailandOccasionalFalse claims of faster travel from Khao San RoadTouts claim their transport offers a faster way through the same congested roads, using the promise to sell their service.Bangkok
- ThailandOccasionalCheaper transport hidden or deniedStaff may deny that cheaper government buses exist or claim they cost the same as first class. At Arcade, staff may direct visitors only to songthaews while leaving out the public minibus.Bangkok, Chiang Mai
- ThailandOccasionalExtra charge on the bus-terminal shuttleSome drivers demand more than the posted fare when there are fewer than 10 passengers.Chiang Rai
- MalaysiaOccasionalHotel-arranged transfer markupsA hotel quotes a high transfer price or adds a large commission. The first quote may be as much as double a fare negotiated directly with a taxi driver.
- VietnamCommonStreet motorbike taxi overchargingA street motorbike taxi driver may overcharge a visitor who has not fixed the fare. Outside Da Nang Railway Station, motorbike taxis may cost as much as, or more than, a car taxi.Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang
- VietnamCommonFake waiting charges from a motorbike taxiAfter you visit a sight, the driver claims you asked him to wait and demands a large extra fee.Hanoi
- VietnamOccasionalClaiming there is no changeAfter agreeing on a fare, the driver claims not to have change and tries to keep the difference.
- VietnamOccasionalPay-what-you-like cyclo rideAn overly friendly driver says you can pay whatever you like after the ride. They may show a book of comments from foreign visitors. The vague agreement leaves room for a larger demand at the end.
- VietnamOccasionalFalse claim that the bus is not runningTaxi drivers park in front of bus stops and say the bus is not running to persuade visitors to take a taxi.Da Nang
- VietnamOccasionalStaged directions helper who joins the taxiThe driver first says he knows the hostel, then claims to need directions. An English-speaking passerby conveniently appears, joins the taxi and starts promoting a business.Da Nang, Hoi An
- VietnamOccasionalTrain ticket scamsScams are flagged when buying train tickets at these offices, but no specific method is described.Ho Chi Minh City
- MoroccoCommonBus is full claimTaxi touts say your bus is full to steer you into a grand taxi. They may also try to sell you goods while the taxi is being prepared.Marrakech
- MoroccoOccasionalUnofficial bus ticket sellers and invented pricesTouts offer bus tickets or quote arbitrary prices outside the terminal. Some claim an extra charge is needed for air conditioning. In Fez, touts target tourists with tickets to Chefchaouen.Marrakech, Fez
- EgyptCommonBoat and ferry overchargingBoat and felucca operators try to charge tourists too much. An unclear quote can leave you bargaining after you have already committed to the trip.Aswan
- EgyptCommonHorse-carriage fare changes at the destinationThe driver does not honour the price you understood and expects more when you arrive.Aswan
- EgyptCommonExtra charge pocketed by a bus ticket sellerThe onboard ticket seller raises the fare for a foreign passenger and keeps the extra money.Aswan, Hurghada
- EgyptOccasionalFalse claim that tourists cannot buy daytime train ticketsTicket staff have told tourists that they can only use overnight trains and refused to sell daytime tickets. This is described as a false restriction in reports from 2017–2018, rather than a confirmed current practice.Cairo
- IndonesiaCommonPersistent motorbike transport toutsTouts repeatedly offer motorbike rides, especially to people walking alone. The offers are generally harmless, but the pressure can lead you to accept a ride you do not want.Kuta
- IndonesiaOccasionalBus ticket touts outside company boothsA seller outside the bus company's booth charges more for a ticket. The bus they direct you to may also be questionable.Jakarta
- IndiaCommonFake ticket offices and tourist information centresA stranger offers directions to a ticket office, sometimes calling it an office for foreigners. It is actually a tour agency, often away from the station. You are overcharged or pressured into cars and tours. Wrong directions to a friend's tour office also occur elsewhere in India.Delhi
- IndiaOccasionalFake train boarding-pass requirementSomeone approaches you and claims that you need a boarding pass for your train. This is used to mislead passengers who already have tickets.Delhi
- IndiaOccasionalStation entrance blockersScammers stand at the entrance, demand to inspect your ticket and physically try to stop you entering. They exploit visitors' uncertainty about station procedures.Delhi
- South AfricaCommonMinibus drivers claiming to serve your destinationA driver says the minibus goes to your destination to get your fare. You are then dropped at a crossroads and told to change vehicles.Johannesburg
- South AfricaOccasionalRickshaw rides that spill your pocketsThe rickshaw tips backwards during the ride. Items fall from your pockets and can end up with the driver.Durban
- NorwayOccasionalUnofficial or pirate taxisUnofficial transport is offered outside licensed taxi services. No specific fraud method or frequency is established, but visitors are strongly warned against using it.Oslo
- Sri LankaCommonFalse claims that your destination is closedSomeone offers travel advice or directions, then says your destination is closed, dangerous or does not exist. A driver may claim your hotel is closed or full. This can steer you away from your original plans.Colombo
Reviewed by @snuck