Many tourists fall into the trap of eating at restaurants with English menus, aggressive staff outside, or plastic food displays. These places often serve overpriced, low-quality meals far from authentic.
Avoid it: Walk a few streets away from major tourist spots. Look for places filled with locals, handwritten menus, and daily specials (piatti del giorno). Google and TripAdvisor can help, but so can your instincts.
Although the world is generally a safe place, and strangers are often more kind and well-meaning than evil, there are locations where travelers typically shouldn’t venture, places ravaged by wars, terrorism, civil unrest, or violent crime.