I have traveled to many cities and towns and one major problem that I faced was with the Taxi people who always bargains for a bit more cash when they see that the traveler is a tourist. How can we cope in such a situation. Are the drivers of Russia like this?

I would also like to know about this from a person in Russia. I'm about to visit Russia in the next few months.

I don't think you can do anything about it: it's just fair game to fleece tourists almost everywhere.

In China, for example, , the shops have two prices: one for Chinese and one for tourists!!

I have a foreign accent, and when I take the taxi in London, the drivers assume that I am a tourist and try to charge me more.
Or think that I don't know how to get to destination and wander off the way, also to charge me more.
They are surprised when I challenge them about both: I have been living in London for 30 years!

Jazz singer wrote:I don't think you can do anything about it: it's just fair game to fleece tourists almost everywhere.

In China, for example, , the shops have two prices: one for Chinese and one for tourists!!

I have a foreign accent, and when I take the taxi in London, the drivers assume that I am a tourist and try to charge me more.
Or think that I don't know how to get to destination and wander off the way, also to charge me more.
They are surprised when I challenge them about both: I have been living in London for 30 years!

Wow :-)
How did you manage to have a foreign accent then? I did believe it can be changed to better after many years in native place

That's the way it works in Russia, no? If I take my girlfriend, we suddenly pay less because she's Russian.... had that with the market, with visiting the Hermitage etc.


The same for London too, although I am a redhead and can actually put up a British accent - salespeople in the street have confronted me... And I go, nawww sorry mate, I'm a foreigner. ...

No you're not - you sound like you're from here! :D

Red wrote:That's the way it works in Russia, no? If I take my girlfriend, we suddenly pay less because she's Russian.... had that with the market, with visiting the Hermitage etc.


The same for London too, although I am a redhead and can actually put up a British accent - salespeople in the street have confronted me... And I go, nawww sorry mate, I'm a foreigner. ...

No you're not - you sound like you're from here! :D

Ha ha that was quite funny of you.

It happens almost everywhere I know they would do the same things with tourist and charge more from people who do not know the place, Why to take example of a country when I go traveling from one state to another this has happened.