What is Our Number One Rule for Travel?
We’ve often been asked, “What is your number one rule for successful travel in a foreign country.” It’s a great question that really has no wrong answer.
Shortly after arriving in San Ignacio, a small town in the humid jungles of western Belize, we were instantly reminded of our rule – never accept the first offer!
This rule applies for everything from hotel accommodations, booking tours, selecting restaurants, purchasing souvenirs and especially organizing transportation. The reason is simple, foreigners can be easy pickings and often don’t know what a fair price is. In some cases the first offer sounds reasonable. Show discipline, 90% of the time it isn’t!
We can come up with hundreds of stories where this rule has proven true, but let us share our most recent experience.
Having just arrived in San Ignacio after a two hour private transfer from Belize International Airport, we were eager to organize our transportation from San Ignacio to Tikal Guatemala.
Taking the advice from other travelers, we decided to stay in the Tikal National Park for two nights. This meant that booking a day tour of the ancient Mayan City was no longer an option. We had heard horror stories about the Belize to Guatemalan border crossing so we decided that a direct transfer was the best option, even if more expensive.
Within seconds of leaving our hotel to search for food, we were approached by a friendly tour operator who had the solution. He would take us to a hotel just outside the Tikal National Park, door to door service, for $45 per person. From what we had researched online prior to our trip, the offer sounded decent.
This is where the discipline of our rule came in to play – never take the first offer.
We liked the guy, but politely declined and said we would return after lunch. San Ignacio is a small town with only few restaurants, so he made sure we were always within eye-shot. Only minutes into our meal he returned.
Surprisingly he was now able to offer us $30 per person for the direct transfer! Apparently the price had dropped because he had booked another Tikal tour, which meant he could charge less. Ironic, given that only 15 minutes had passed and he spent most of his time in the restaurant chatting up tourists.
Sticking with our rule, we decided to check out a few other tour operators before making a final decision. The first travel agency we visited offered us $15 dollars per person as their first and final offer.
It was a quick decision – Deal!
By not accepting the first offer we had cut the price by 2/3! Patience and discipline had saved us $60.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first time vacationer, at some point this situation will present itself. If we can share one travel tip, this is it – never take the first offer!
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Have you had a situation where you accepted the first offer and regretted it later?
Share your experience by leaving a comment below!
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I’ve actually never heard this rule before! It makes practical sense, though, that’s for sure. 🙂
Absolutely, it pays to take the time to check out a few places.
That’s a great rule! Definitely one we’re gonna have to adopt for our upcoming travels.
Question though – how well does this rule work in more developed countries where they’re less likely to try and rip you off?
We think it can work anywhere, in both developing and developed countries. I know in our home town of Vancouver prices very for the same tour.
Wow, I had never heard that advice! Your experiences have really confirmed that and I will try this tip from now on.
Definitely try it out 🙂
Great post and what a fantastic trip! My friend and I learnt your rule the hard way over 20 years ago. We got off the boat at Greek island, Paros, where somebody was supposed to meet us as we were going to run a beach hut snack bar for him. We were students and I knew him from my home town, we were very excited! He didn’t show up. Pre-mobile phones and any other way of contacting him, we had to find accommodation in the hope we’d find another job. This ‘lovely’ lady came bounding up to us saying that she had a room – we took it! I know, I know, what fools! She stole our stereo from the room (we saw it in her kitchen). She also had our passports so we had the devil’s own job getting them back so that we could take up the offer of someone we’d later met, offering accommodation for a quarter of the price. We managed it though. We had to feign great crisis in England so that we could pretend we had to go back home – and then walk the long way around the island thereafter so she wouldn’t see us… Lesson learnt!
Wow, that’s a story. Glad everything turned out in the end.
This is a rule you learn pretty quickly 😀 Sometimes I just get so frustrated with bargaining though that I do take the first offer because I can’t be bothered going through it all!
We were tempted to take the first offer, but sure glad we didn’t.
Probably this rule can be apply in your daily life even when you are not traveling.
Totally agree.
Interesting perspective, but it makes sense!
Yes, it’s worth the extra effort.
VI is right, this is a general rule that can be applied to daily life;)
Definitely 😉
I use this rule too, but I thinks it’s something that I do naturally since I think things too much (with an indecisive face) so they get so desperate to make the sale that they often lower the price. I also tend to scout between different companies/providers because I always want the best service at the cheapest I can get. Who doesn’t?!
This I did while in Guatemala (actually, for Tikal too) and I ended up saving over $100 with a few “magical” discounts that popped here and there after not accepting things at “face value”.
Good point. We also check to see about service. Many times we decide not only on price but who we liked the best.
Great rule to remember. Works for car shopping too. Never take what is offered first.
Very true!
This is such great advice, Laurie! In Belize I’ve found you have to “make them sweat” a little bit before accepting any offer. They rarely start with their best price. It’s just the way things are. Great that you can educate people how to play the game!
Sharon Hiebing
An American Dream Devil who put everything she owned in 3 suitcases and moved to a new country!
We rarely find that the first offer is the ‘best price’. It took us a while to get the hang of it. But after a while, it can be fun searching around and meeting different people.
GREAT rule! Also great that you didn’t need to expend energy haggling with them, since you already knew what the competition was offering!
Yeah, that’s the tricky part. It’s important to know what you are up against, so giving yourself time to check out a few other options makes a big difference
We arrived in Koh Pha Ngan a few days before New Year’s Eve and knew that accommodation would be more expensive than usual. After going to a few guest houses to discover they were fully booked we finally found a place that had a room. The guy at reception told us that everywhere else was full (which I know is an often-used con but as it was almost NYE and we had already walked around for hours to find most places were full) and that the standard price for a room over the NYE period was 1500baht. Having no other choice we agreed to take it.
The hostel was terrible: our electricity didn’t work and the mattress was worn through to the boards. It was not even close to the beach. The next day we asked in a few other places just to make sure and found a great little cabin, virtually on the beach, for 300baht a night.
If only we had not taken the first available room that we found!
Thanks for sharing your story!
We’ve experienced the same situation numerious times – so frustrating. Even when we try hard to find the best price, the local’s always seem to have the advantage! 😉
Excellent travel tip! Thanks for the reminder.
Cheers! We often have to remind ourselves too! 😉
I always do it this way 🙂 Learnt it from my mom, she is always talking about the price of everything 🙂
Haha – Mom’s know best!
You should have got him to throw in a lunch. Yes, i’m a notorious skinflint… 🙂
Haha… not sure what a skinflint is though?
We weren’t looking to get anything free, just not looking to get taken to “special tourist pricing” 😉
Great advice, but don’t you hate being hassled all the time by operators!! That’s life I suppose!
Yup – can’t stand it! But its these loud touts that give away the most information about what a good (or bad) price is. They are typically so quick to give a “special deal” that they often reveal the true price – then you’ve got better info to barter with when the next guy approaches!
It takes discipline especially if you are tired but it pays off big time (literally) And, as you pointed out developed or not so developed country doesn#t make any difference, attempst of rip offs abound everywhere.
Indeed – discipline is key. Sometimes its easier said than done, but it usually works out if you’ve got the stamina and energy to be patient.
Bargaining is one of the great pleasures of traveling. I think I have had a few experiences of regret, but the dollar value was small enough to forgive myself. A friend of mine told me that affixing a price to something is the beginning of a negotiation, so don’t be shy.
Indeed! We love going bartering in the markets of SE Asia and South America. It adds to the shopping experience!
I totally agree with you – everything is negotiable!
Agreed! We love the bargaining side of traveling to foreign countries.
As long as it’s all in good fun and nobody takes it too seriously. At the end of the day, nobody is going to accept an offer that they don’t see value in.
I totally agree I find that even a slight hesitation or a turn for the door often works.
That is except in South America, in a lot of countries here people will not haggle with you at all and will just let you walk out the door.
I remember that about South America. That’s the other side to it – if the person making “the offer” does not like your counter offer, they don’t have to accept.
That’s really good advice! I don;t think I bargain often enough. I haggle when I buy souvenirs, groceries, etc. in countries like China and Egypt. Sometimes I do so for transportation like private cabs in Egypt as well. But I have a feeling that if I used your approach I could save some money on tours and maybe even small hotels. Gotta get better at that!
We are big believers that “if you don’t ask, you won’t get it!”
It can’t hurt, at the very least you are back to where you started 😉
Never accept the first offer… and ask everyone you meet what they paid before you approach the agency or company. I like to do my homework because it helps me feel more confident when bartering.
Great addition to the rule – ask others what they paid!
Agreed, always good to have as much info as possible when you go to the bargaining table 😉
Good sound advice that is probably a little difficult to do. Practice, practice, practice! Glad it all worked out.
It definitely requires discipline and practice. It’s often easier said then done!
I pretty much hate bargaining. I tend to take an offer if given, but because I am often wary of these offers I do tend to check around. This can however turn into a 3 hour search for the best deal which in turn means missing out on the thing I was trying to find the deal on. As in most things this takes balance. Yes I don’t want to be scammed, but in the end it is often a fairly small some of money in the grand scheme of things.
I have to remind myself this very much at meal times. I tend to search and search and get hungrier and hungrier. This is something to be avoided. So sometimes the first (or second) offering is ok.
It’s true. Balance is the key.
Sometimes we can’t be bothered to bargain and just accept the price. It’s not always important to worry about money, but simply asking for a better price can never hurt!
Easier said than done. But true in most cases – especially where competition is stiff.
Agreed – definitely easier said than done. Really depends on the place too!
Bartering does seem very practical and a good idea when you’re try to save a buck. You might even get what you want at the price it costs the supplier to stock it in their place of business or the minimum it takes to keep the business afloat. But when we look deeper, getting it at that price robs the business of any of their profit. In many places, that extra 5 dollars is their daily bread or their children’s bus money to get to school. If you are lucky enough to travel abroad, you have the means to pay that extra money. And you should.
You make a valid point Poco, but I disagree that just because you are a tourist with money that it’s acceptable to be overcharged.
Keep in mind, we are specifically referring to situations where “an offer is made”. Price discrimination is a reality that most tourist accept, as do we. But I find it difficult to accept being charged 3-4 times the normal rate just because I have the means to pay that amount.
That said, I see your point about offering charitable donations to the less fortunate, but I think that’s a separate discussion
If I’m at a point in my travels where I’m just tired and am afraid of not getting to where I need to be I will take the first offer just so I can not be bothered with figuring it out and/or just give myself the piece of mind.
But when I do have the opportunity to not accept the first offer and I get a great deal its so great it’s almost invigorating! hahaha 🙂
It’s true, bartering is fun if you don’t take it too seriously.
We’re the same, sometimes it’s just not worth the effort after a long day of travel. That said, we always kick ourselves in the morning when we find out someone else got a better deal 😉
Never heard of the rule before but think i will start using it.
It’s definitely served us well! 🙂
I totally agree with this! It’s been my experience, too. (It’s almost like giving a job to the person whose resume came in first.) You should check a few to get the best one! The prices do get better and so do the deals. Thanks for the reminder!
Great analogy, well said!
I couldn’t agree more. The amount of times that we have waited when we been offered a price and the man selling the item or product/tour has cut his price in half in just 10minutes of standing there. Always shop around first!
Exactly! Sometimes it takes just a slight hesitation and the price drops 🙂
So true! I learned during my RTW tip to ALWAYS negotiate. I think that’s a main difference between long-term travelers and visitors on one or two week trips.
Great point Leslie. It’s true, when we are on a short vacation we rarely negotiate, can’t be bothered. But when we’re on the road for several weeks or months at a time it becomes very important to manage that budget!
Do you think this rule will apply in Great Britain. We are headed there for 3 weeks and while the first week is planned, the last two are open to whimsy.
Hmmm… not sure about Britian. It really depends on where you are and what time of season you’re there. But I wouldn’t expect much wiggle room
The same rule apply anywhere you travel. Even when you are shopping, you have to take more time looking around and comparing the tags as you may end up feeling so guilty buying something so expensive when you can actually own it for less. In bazaars, most especially if you are traveling to Hong kong, Philippines and Thailand, your negotiation skills is much needed. You don’t have to grab everything at once thinking they are cheap, the truth is you can buy these things in a much cheaper price if you only know how to negotiate. Sometimes they even triple the price because they know you are a tourist and believe me when i say they know exactly if it is your first time.
Totally agree with you Elley. This rule is especially important when shopping at bazaars and street markets
I haven’t really encountered this in a tour setting, but I have notice you shouldn’t always book accommodations well in advance. Sometimes you can save money by booking later as hotels and hostels will drop their prices.
Agreed – you can find lots of deals online if you’re patient and willing to gamble a little on location
I have regretted taking the first offer more than once.
On the other hand, I once accepted the first offer because it felt right – and got in the old man’s car and we drove out of Istanbul and across one of the bridges into Asia and way into the countryside until I thought we would end up in East Asia somewhere, but then the route curved around and he brought me to a little hotel just like he said it would be – cheap, fresh-looking, friendly, great views – and each morning while I stayed there, I got the train with Turks going to work, and then the ferry across the Bosphorus into the center of Istanbul.
Sounds like it all worked out in the end!
I’m also a firm believer that you should trust your gut. We’ve accepted first offers and things have worked out just fine, but there have also been many times when we feel we could have done better 😉
Hey Guys,
I think that is an excellent rule. You always got to bargin and then bargin some more. And then bargin a bit more. Just because I’m a tall white person doesn’t mean I have money. >< lol.
Safe travels,
Leif
Exactly! As tourists/travelers/foreigners, we often have a big target on our back that reads “I have money, please rip me off!”
I can understand locals wanting to make a little more on the foreigners’ ignorance, but bargaining is the key to keeping things within a reasonable range.
Simple but with so much wisdom and truth 😀
I think having the proper and good budget when traveling is VERY important. I don’t think if I don’t have the money that I would need to feel comfortable when I go and come back from a vacation that would not be pleasant.
forums which go on the very same topics? Thanks a ton!
Great advice! I always find that with tour companies, taxi’s etc that if you tell them that you have alot of time but very little money ( preferably in spoken language of the country you are visiting) it works well. They are all about the fast sale and if you have no sense of urgency then they will quickly move onto an easier target. This also gives you a few minutes to listen to what people around you are deciding to pay. Just taking a few minutes can save a few bucks.
Right, right… never accept the first offer. Look around first. Still, some rare offers, e.g. last minute deals, discounts are great chances for grabbing affordable travel services.