Common Tourist Scams in Positano (and How to Avoid Them)
Scams, beach loungers, and the ZTL fine that ruins your trip
- "Free" boat-tour leaflets on Spiaggia Grande: aggressive sellers pitch boat trips to Capri / Li Galli / the Amalfi Coast. Reputable operators (Lucibello, Blue Star, Positano Cruises, Gennaro & Salvatore) are well-known and post fixed prices at the booth on the beach. Random touts further up the beach often overcharge or oversell numbers.
- Beach-lounger upsell: free public beach is the central strip of Spiaggia Grande (look for the unbranded strip). The lined-up beach clubs (Da Adolfo, Music on the Rocks beach, Le Sirenuse beach) charge €30-100/day per lounger + minimum F&B. Confirm pricing in writing before you sit down.
- Restaurant "fish of the day" pricing: a few Spiaggia Grande tourist-front places charge €80-150 for a "fresh whole fish" that's priced by weight without specifying. Ask for the per-kilo price upfront; ask for the whole fish to be shown to you on a plate before cooking.
- ZTL fines: Positano's Zona a Traffico Limitato covers the village core. Drive through it as a tourist without a permit (rental cars never have one) and you'll get a €100-200 fine 6-8 weeks later via your rental company, plus an admin fee. Park at Mussolini Garage (top of village) or use the SITA bus. Same applies to Amalfi and Ravello.
- Limoncello + "made in Sorrento" pressure: pleasant but the tourist-strip shops mark up 3-4×. The Sorrento side of the peninsula has factory shops at proper prices; or just buy at Conad/Despar supermarket.
- Card-terminal DCC: always pay in EUR, never "your home currency".
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