Things To Avoid In Seville That NO ONE Will Tell YOU | Local's Guide To Seville [2022 Travel Guide]

Travel Pursuit
6 Dec 202208:09

Summary

TLDRDiscover the vibrant city of Seville, Spain, where the local culture and traditions come alive through its maze-like cobblestone streets, majestic monuments, and thriving bullring. Experience the city like a local by indulging in tapas bars, avoiding common tourist mistakes such as ordering sangria or paella, and embracing the siesta tradition. Visit during spring for the best weather and avoid the scorching summer afternoons. Be aware of potential scams and tourist traps to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.

Takeaways

  • 🏙️ Seville is Spain's third most visited city, known for its picturesque streets and remnants of Moorish past.
  • 🍽️ Opt for Tapas bars over traditional restaurants to experience local cuisine and vibrant atmospheres.
  • 🍷 Avoid ordering sangria or pale; instead, try Tinto de Verano, a refreshing summer drink made from lemons.
  • 🌤️ Plan your visit during springtime for comfortable temperatures and to coincide with Seville's Holy Week and April fair celebrations.
  • 🏖️ Consider visiting the beaches of Andalusia or Roman ruins of Viola Claudia for an alternative to the city's heat in summer.
  • 🕒 Be mindful of the siesta tradition; most businesses close between 2 and 5 PM, with smaller shops following this custom more strictly.
  • 🌆 Explore the local life in neighborhoods like Triana, which offers a unique experience away from tourist crowds.
  • 🍽️ Be aware of typical Spanish dining hours, with lunch around 2 PM and dinner after 9 PM.
  • 🚫 Beware of common scams like the picture scam, taxi overcharging, ATM helpers, bird poop scam, and the guessing game scam.
  • 💳 Use credit cards with zero foreign exchange fees and exchange cash at local banks to avoid scams at ATMs.

Q & A

  • What is Seville's ranking in terms of popularity among Spanish cities?

    -Seville is the third most visited city in Spain.

  • What is a unique characteristic of Seville's streets and plazas?

    -Seville is known for its picturesque maze of cobblestone streets and elegant plazas.

  • What cultural remnants can be found in Seville?

    -Seville has intriguing remnants of its Moorish past, including magnificent palaces and majestic monuments.

  • What is the local dining tradition in Seville that visitors should experience?

    -Visitors should try out Tapas bars and share a multitude of small dishes with a few drinks in between, as this is how locals dine.

  • Why should tourists avoid ordering paella and sangria in Seville?

    -Paella and sangria are not local specialties; paella is from Valencia and the sangria in Seville is often overpriced and associated with being a tourist.

  • What is the best time of year to visit Seville for a more pleasant experience?

    -Springtime is ideal for visiting Seville, with comfortable warm temperatures and the iconic April Fair coinciding with the season.

  • Why are visits between 1 pm and 6 pm during summer in Seville discouraged?

    -Visits during these hours are discouraged due to the unbearably hot temperatures, which can make it unsafe and uncomfortable.

  • What is the significance of the neighborhood of Triana in Seville?

    -Triana is a neighborhood where visitors can immerse themselves in local life, visit the market, enjoy Tapas and a beer at local bars and restaurants, and admire breathtaking views.

  • What is the typical timing for meals in Seville?

    -Restaurants open at 1 pm for lunch, with locals usually eating around 2 pm or later. For dinner, restaurants open around 8 to 8:30 pm, but locals typically arrive around 9 pm or later.

  • What are some scams that tourists should be aware of in Seville?

    -Tourists should be cautious of photo scams, taxi overcharging, ATM scams, bird poop tricks, and pickpocketing during street performances or games.

  • What advice is given to tourists regarding ATMs in Seville?

    -Tourists should avoid accepting help from individuals offering to assist with ATMs to prevent card skimming and should cover their hand when entering their PIN number.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Exploring Seville: Tapas, Traditions, and Travel Tips

This paragraph introduces Seville as Spain's third most visited city, highlighting its picturesque streets, plazas, and remnants of Moorish past. It emphasizes the importance of experiencing local culture through Tapas bars rather than restaurants, and advises against ordering sangria and paella, as they are not local specialties. The paragraph also provides insights on the best time to visit Andalusia, avoiding peak tourist seasons, and the significance of the siesta tradition in Seville. It suggests embracing the local lifestyle and offers tips for navigating the city's summer heat and tourist traps.

05:01

🍽️ Seville's Dining and Nightlife: Timings and Traps to Avoid

The second paragraph delves into Seville's dining and nightlife, noting the typical times for lunch and dinner and the main meals for locals. It warns tourists about common scams in Seville, such as the picture scam, taxi overcharging, ATM helpers, and the bird poop scam. The paragraph advises on how to avoid these pitfalls and enjoy the city's vibrant nightlife, including the best times to visit clubs and shows. It concludes with a reminder to stay vigilant and prioritize personal safety while exploring Seville.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Seville

Seville is the third most visited city in Spain, known for its picturesque streets, elegant plazas, and remnants of its Moorish past. The city is a travel destination that offers a rich cultural experience, including magnificent palaces, majestic monuments, and a thriving bullring. It is the main focus of the video, providing insights into how to experience the city like a local and what to avoid as a tourist.

💡Tapas bars

Tapas bars are an integral part of the Spanish dining culture, especially in Seville. They are places where locals and visitors can enjoy a variety of small dishes to share, typically accompanied by drinks. These bars offer an authentic and social dining experience, allowing patrons to sample multiple flavors and engage with the vibrant atmosphere of the city.

💡Sangria

Sangria is a popular Spanish drink made from red wine, chopped fruit, and a sweetener. While it is often associated with Spanish cuisine, the video points out that it is not a specialty of Seville or Andalusia, but rather of other regions in Spain. Tourists often order it, but they may end up paying more for it in Seville, and it can be a sign of being recognized as a tourist.

💡Paella

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish originating from Valencia, consisting of rice cooked with a variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, and vegetables. Although it is a well-known Spanish dish, the video emphasizes that it is not a specialty of Seville, and visitors seeking the best paella may be led to tourist traps rather than experiencing authentic local cuisine.

💡Tinto de Verano

Tinto de Verano is a Spanish summer drink made from red wine and lemon, often served over ice. It is a refreshing alternative to sangria and is more representative of the local drink culture in Seville. The video suggests that visitors should try Tinto de Verano instead of sangria to enjoy a more authentic and less touristy experience.

💡Holy Week

Holy Week is a significant religious period leading up to Easter, marked by various celebrations and events in many parts of the world, including Spain. In Seville, the Holy Week is particularly notable for its processions and fairs, attracting a large number of tourists. The video advises visitors to plan their trips accordingly, as this period is popular and can result in crowded experiences and higher accommodation rates.

💡Siesta

Siesta is a traditional Spanish practice of taking a break in the afternoon, typically between 2 and 5 PM, to rest, eat, or sleep. This custom is deeply ingrained in the culture, with many businesses closing during this time to allow workers to rest and enjoy lunch with their families. The video highlights the Siesta tradition as something visitors should be aware of when planning their daily activities in Seville.

💡Triana

Triana is a neighborhood in Seville that is known for its local charm and lack of tourist attractions. It offers an authentic experience of Spanish life, with markets, Tapas bars, and breathtaking views of the city. The video suggests that visitors should explore Triana to immerse themselves in the local culture and enjoy a different side of Seville.

💡Tourist traps

Tourist traps are places or situations intentionally designed to attract tourists and often result in overpriced goods or services, detracting from the authentic experience of a destination. The video warns visitors about various scams and overpriced offerings in Seville, advising them to be cautious and informed to avoid such traps.

💡Nightlife

Nightlife in Seville is characterized by its vibrant bars, clubs, and Flamenco shows, offering a diverse range of entertainment options for visitors. The video emphasizes that the best time to enjoy Seville's nightlife is late at night or very early in the morning, as this is when the city truly comes alive with locals and tourists alike.

Highlights

Sevilla is Spain's third most visited city, known for its picturesque streets and elegant plazas.

The city's maze of cobblestone streets and remnants of its Moorish past are major attractions.

Sevilla is famous for its magnificent palaces, majestic monuments, and a thriving bullring.

Locals prefer Tapas bars to restaurants for dining, offering a vibrant atmosphere and a chance to share delicious dishes.

Avoid ordering sangria or paella as these are not local specialties; instead, try Tinto de Verano, a refreshing red wine made from lemons.

Paella is a specialty of Valencia, and while it may be available in Sevilla, it won't be the authentic experience.

Sevilla is best visited during springtime for comfortable temperatures and to avoid the summer heat.

The Holy Week and the iconic April fair are popular times to visit, but expect crowds and higher accommodation rates.

Small businesses in Sevilla often close in the summer due to high temperatures and vacations, especially in August.

Embrace the local tradition of Siesta, where businesses close between 2 and 5 PM for workers to rest and have lunch.

Triana, a neighborhood across the river, offers an authentic local experience away from tourist attractions.

Spaniards typically eat late, with restaurants opening for lunch at 1 PM and dinner around 8 to 8:30 PM.

Sevilla's nightlife is best enjoyed late at night or very early in the morning, with clubs not getting busy before 1 AM.

Be cautious of common scams in Sevilla, such as the picture scam, taxi overcharging, and the friendly ATM helper scam.

The bird poop scam involves someone throwing a white paste on you and then pickpocketing you while pretending to help clean it up.

The guessing game scam targets tourists who stop to watch a street performer and get pickpocketed by the crowd.

To avoid scams, do not accept help from strangers at ATMs and be vigilant about your possessions in crowded areas.

Transcripts

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after Madrid and Barcelona Sevilla

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Spain's third most visited city among

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the city's picturesque Maze of

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cobblestone streets and elegant plazas

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are intriguing remnants of the city of

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Moorish past magnificent palaces

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Majestic monuments and a thriving Bull

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Ring discovering new cultures places and

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ways of life is the entire purpose of

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travel in the event that you are

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planning to visit Andalusia in the near

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future you wonder which neighborhoods to

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stay in and most importantly what to

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avoid so in this video we will show you

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the things not to do in Seville do not

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limit yourself to restaurants when it

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comes to Tapas bars when you're on

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vacation you may often enjoy a good

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restaurant at night however in Seville

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you may want to try out the bars instead

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here you'll find a multitude of Tapas

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bars filled with delicious dishes to

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share this is how locals dine sharing

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Tapas after Tapas with a few drinks in

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between as a result you enjoy the

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vibrant atmosphere the company of locals

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the drinks the best food and get a lot

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of your money since Tapas are usually

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quite cheap

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don't order sangria or pale

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the most important mistake tourists make

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in Seville is about the food paella and

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sangria are typically associated with

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Spanish food and drinks there's no doubt

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that they are both delicious but Spain

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is vast and very diverse and each region

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has its own Specialties specifically

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paella is a specialty of Valencia on

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Spain's northern eastern coast although

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there may be some good paella available

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in Seville it's not the best you can get

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it won't be the same as what you'll find

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in Valencia even worse you'll have to

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eat it in a tourist trap because that's

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the only place that caters to tourists

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who want paella despite the fact that

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pale is a valencinian dish you can find

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arroz Del Dia in all parts of Spain and

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it's similar to paella in many ways each

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day there's a new recipe but the main

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idea is the same yummy fluffy rice with

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a bit of everything in addition tourists

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usually order sangria when ordering food

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again you can find good sangria here but

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you pay way too much and you'll be

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immediately recognized as a tourist

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without for a drink many people drink

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Tito de Verana a tasty red wine made

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from lemons Tinto de Verana is a very

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refreshing summer drink if you're really

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craving sangria make your way to Tinto

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de Verano don't travel unless it's

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springtime for better experience during

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Springtime and Seville you'll enjoy

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comfortable warm temperatures Sun

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drenched plazas filled with locals

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enjoying drinks colorful flowers

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decorating the city Holy Week in the

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iconic April fair coincide with the

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springtime celebrations due to this it's

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quite popular during this time expect

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crowds and higher rates of

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accommodations a city's small businesses

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usually close down in the summer as a

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result of high temperatures and

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vacations especially in August there are

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fewer tourists in fall and winter making

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them Pleasant months to visit get on the

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Terrace of Seville bars once warm

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weather arrives and speaking of Summer

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weather don't visit in the afternoon

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during the summer Seville the hottest

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city in Europe can get unbearably hot

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during the summer despite the fact that

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this gives you the opportunity to

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experience a very peculiar lifestyle

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siestas desert light days crowded

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evenings and bustling squares it also

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prevents you from visiting the main

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attractions in the afternoon due to high

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temperatures visits between 1 pm and 6

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PM are strongly discouraged both for

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your comfort and for your safety embrace

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the cool morning hours enjoy a long

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siesta in the afternoon and take

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advantage of the evenings keep hydrated

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as well it's also possible to head to

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cooler places near the ocean the beaches

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of Andalusia are a great alternative to

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Seville for those wishing to escape the

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bustle of the city and you can visit the

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Roman ruins of Viola Claudia if you want

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to relax like a true Spaniard avoid

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afternoon errands the Siesta tradition

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still exists in Seville and this is an

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important fact to know before traveling

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there even though it can be refreshing

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in the scorching summer months to take a

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nap in the middle of the day does not

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necessarily mean that everyone sleeps

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during the day the majority of

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businesses close between 2 and 5 PM

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workers can then rest and enjoy lunch

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with family before returning to work

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Siesta doesn't completely silence the

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city several large supermarkets and

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brand name stores do not close for lunch

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and bars and restaurants remain open for

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locals it's still common for smaller

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shops to follow this tradition so plan

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your errands accordingly don't forget

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the neighborhood across the river there

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are a few neighborhoods as beautiful as

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an iconic as Triana in Seville despite

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its lack of tourist attractions Triana

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is essentially a place where you can

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immerse yourself in local life easily

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visit the market to shop with the locals

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stop for Tapas and a beer at one of the

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neighborhood's many characteristic bars

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and restaurants or admire the

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breathtaking view from Calais Vista or

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along the river enjoy living like a

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local like never before

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there are many delightful hidden Corners

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to explore in Triana avoid going out too

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early it is not uncommon for Spaniards

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to eat at precise times of the day

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usually late in the day especially in

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Seville where the temperature can stay

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high throughout the night in general

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restaurants open at 1 pm for lunch

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although most locals won't eat until 2PM

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or later at noon most kitchens won't be

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serving yet if you want to eat as for

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evening dining restaurants open around 8

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to 8 30 PM however most locals won't

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arrive until 9 pm or later generally

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civilians eat their main meal at lunch

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and their main meal at dinner whether

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you are looking for a buzzing bar or a

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pumping club or a lively Flamenco show

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Seville as it all the best time to enjoy

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seville's nightlife is late at night or

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very early in the morning it's best not

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to arrive at a club before 1am

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there are also some tourist traps who

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should avoid in Seville along with

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things not to do first is the picture

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scam in Seville Spain you can fall

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victim to a scam by taking someone's

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picture the person hands you their

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camera nasty to take a picture of them

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once you return the camera they

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intentionally drop and accuse you of

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breaking it they demand payment if

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you're not 100 sure they're not locals

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please don't take their picture taxi is

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overcharging in places where Uber is not

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available taxis must be used the

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situation is no different in Seville

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Spain and boarding attacks in Seville

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make sure the meter is turned on a map

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of your route is also a good idea before

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getting into a taxi so you know how long

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the trip should take then you can

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compare what Google Maps or Waze shows

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you on your phone with that of the taxi

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driver tells you prior to entering the

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destination

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friendly ATM helper you should not

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entertain someone who offers to help you

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avoid local bank fees at an ATM cash

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machine in Seville with a card skimmer

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in their pocket they can scan your

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credit or debit card and watch as you

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enter your PIN number so they can drain

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your account later it's also common for

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scammers to approach you after your card

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is trouble at an ATM and ask for

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assistance keep your other hand covered

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when entering your PIN number you should

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refuse any help from an ATM machine in

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Seville Spain if you travel with credit

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cards with zero foreign exchange fees

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and cash that can be exchanged in a

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local bank it would be even better bird

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poop scam if someone throws white paste

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on your shoulder while walking is a bill

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it's natural to think it's bird poop so

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you look up in response to the burn

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messes a friendly local volunteers helps

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clean them up little did you know while

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you're helping you clean they're also

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pickpocketing you don't accept any help

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when locals rush over to help you unless

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it's an emergency it is advisable to

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keep all your possessions hidden away

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ideally in a pocket inside your clothing

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guessing game scam this is how the game

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scam works as you walk through the

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streets as a bill Spain you see a man

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with three boxes and several people

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gathered around him trying to guess

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where the ball is as a prize a man hands

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cash to the person who correctly guesses

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the answer likewise they do it with

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another member of the group this

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generous street performer begins to

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attract a growing number of people with

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his commotion next The Crowd by Center

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guesses the answer the group members

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swiftly pickpocket their valuables as

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they concentrate on where the ball is

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surely avoid getting curious on what's

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going on and just continue to walk to

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avoid this scan these tourist traps and

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things to avoid should be kept in mind

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thank you for watching and see you in

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the next video

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SevilleTravelSpanishCuisineTapasBarsMoorishHistoryLocalExperienceTravelTipsAvoidScamsSiestaCultureNightlifeGuideTrianaNeighborhood