US TOURIST CHARGED €44 FOR TWO ICE CREAMS IN ROME

A US tourist has warned visitors to Rome after paying €44 (£38) for two ice creams at an Italian capital parlour. Nicole Ann, from Florida, posted the warning on Facebook, advising fellow tourists to avoid Don Nino, an ice-cream parlour located on a street off Piazza Navona. The post received more than 900 comments. Ann described the ice creams as not even good.

The post drew responses from across the world, including from at least one Italian commenter who wrote that they were ashamed by the incident. Don Nino is situated near Piazza Navona, one of Rome's most visited tourist areas. The case has drawn renewed attention to pricing practices at establishments in high-footfall tourist zones in the Italian capital. Rome has faced repeated scrutiny over overcharging at restaurants and shops near its major landmarks.

Tourist overcharging in Italian cities has been a recurring issue, with Rome, Venice and Florence among the cities most frequently cited in complaints. Italian consumer groups and local authorities have previously called for greater enforcement of pricing transparency rules. The incident involving Nicole Ann adds to a body of documented cases in which visitors have reported unexpectedly high bills at businesses near prominent Roman sites. No response from Don Nino has been reported in connection with the incident.