Common tourist scams in Bosnia and Herzegovina and how to avoid them

Scams here are mostly small and opportunistic rather than organised. The pattern to expect is a price that changes once you are a captive customer: a taxi at the station, a restaurant table on the main square, a currency exchange window with no rate displayed. The fix is the same everywhere — settle the price before you commit, and keep the receipt.

Taxis are the clearest case. In Sarajevo and Mostar, licensed taxis run on a meter, but a driver waiting at the bus or train station may quote a flat fare several times the metered price instead. Ask for the meter, or book through a local taxi app so the fare is fixed before the car arrives. If a driver refuses the meter, take the next car; there is rarely a shortage.

Restaurants near the main sights sometimes bring bread, ajvar or a small appetiser to the table without being asked, then charge for it. This is not always a scam — some places charge a standard cover — but you should see it on the menu. Ask the price of anything that arrives unrequested, and check the bill line by line before paying. Card machines that are 'broken' so you must pay cash are another version; cash is fine, but ask for a receipt.

Card skimming and ATM traps exist in every Balkan city and Bosnia is no exception. Use ATMs inside or attached to a bank branch, during the day, and decline the machine's own conversion offer — always choose to be charged in BAM, not your home currency. Cover the keypad. If a machine swallows your card or behaves oddly, call your bank before leaving the area.

Currency exchange is worth a mention because the convertible mark is fixed at 1.95583 to the euro, so the fair rate is easy to know. Exchange offices should display a rate board; if the rate is far off 1.95583 or the commission is unclear, walk away. Many places accept euros informally at roughly the fixed rate, but you will usually lose a little on the rounding.

The other category is not a scam at all but reads like one to visitors: aggressive souvenir sellers in Baščaršija or near Stari Most, and people offering unofficial tours or 'free' walking tours that end with a heavy tip request. These are legal. Agree the price or the tip expectation up front if you want to avoid an awkward moment.