A group of tourists in Rome were charged a whopping £54 for four ice creams.
British holidaymakers Roger Bannister, his brother Steven and their wives Wendy and Joyce were shocked when they ordered four cones of gelato from an ice cream bar at the top of Via della Vite, just off Piazza di Spagna, and were asked to pay 64 euros.
Speaking to Corriere Della Serra, Roger said: “We weren’t sitting at a table. We weren’t standing on the Spanish Steps. We were over there in that bar on the corner. We bought the ice creams to eat in the street.”
The group said they ordered four “wrap-around” cones “with two wafers and three flavours” costing 16 euros each. “Unbelievable, isn’t it. It’s not normal, right?”
Roger added: “And when we paid, they didn’t even say thanks.”
According to the Daily Telegraph, the family were on a six-day holiday to Italy.
The managers of the bar in Via della Vita told the newspaper that the ice creams were worth the money as they were large portions.
“No one forced them to order big ice creams. We also serve small ones which only cost 2.50 euros. But if you want a lot of ice cream then it is worth the price. And the prices are displayed everywhere.”
But officials in Rome said it’s “a scandal” that tourists are being charged this much.
City councillor Matteo Costantini said: “It’s not the first time that things like this have happened.”
In 2009, two Japanese tourists were handed a bill for €695 at the Passetto restaurant.
