by Provisions may not be available for holidaymakers in Greece this summer. The country’s authorities have warned that the number of sunbeds in congested spots could be significantly reduced, with fleets of drones enforcing the new regulation throughout the year. A new bill would require 70 percent of beaches to be free of sunbeds, especially in ecologically sensitive regions. For those who keep the bedrooms, they must be four meters from the shore. Businesses that refuse to comply will be fined.
Often, however, such punishments are meted out directly to tourists. For example, Italy has no shortage of draconian regulations, many of them holiday-oriented. Sports may be frowned upon on Lake Garda, where visitors have been warned of fines of up to €600 for a range of offences, including playing football “in a way that disturbs swimmers”. “Inappropriate” clothing and “games involving running, throwing, pushing or pulling objects or people” are also banned in some lakeside areas, according to reports.
Here’s another place holidaymakers could be under scrutiny this summer.
No sitting or snacking in Italy
Meanwhile, visitors who try to sit on Rome’s Spanish Steps may be fined €250 (£213). This increases to €400 (£341) if the stairs are “damaged or soiled”. The rule came into force after jewelers Bulgari renovated the area in 2016. Hoteliers in the area said it was “a little too much”, with Giuseppe Roscioli, president of the Federalberghi association saying “tourists should be allowed to relax a bit before. walking around the city.” Obviously, they are not.
Other Italian spots are trying to impose higher standards of civility among tourists. Venice, the poster child for over-tourism, has introduced fines for picnickers in its busy streets. In 2018, a teenage tourist threw herself from a vaporetto to avoid a ticket inspector – and was promptly fined for entering the water, which is also prohibited. The following year, a pair of backpackers were banished from the city to brew coffee by the canal.
It’s a snack that also gets tourists into trouble in Capri, where anyone caught using disposable plates, cups or cutlery on the resort island faces a €500 (£425) fine. Back on the mainland, walking around Sorrento in a bikini (or without a top) can result in a similar fine, in an attempt to curb what a local mayor described as behavior “contrary to decorum”. And no matter what you’re wearing, tourists could be fined £242 for taking a selfie in Portofino. It is to stop “linguistics” in the fishing village, which is now popular with influencers and seafood fans.
Avoid selfies in Sri Lanka
Photography is also a concern in Sri Lanka – in 2012, three French tourists were given suspended prison terms for taking photos with a Buddha statue, including one in which they pretended to kiss the religious icon. Tourists are now advised to be very sensitive to such monuments, being wary of actions that could be seen as offensive, such as turning one’s back on the image. A similar thing is in place in Spain, where taking a selfie while running the bulls can be fined thousands – surely a fool’s errand.
Ban on vaping
He is very happy to keep up with so many rules. You might want to take the edge off a bit with a vape. But be warned: vaping in Vatican City (or any number of larger countries, including Australia, Mexico or Brazil) could get you into trouble. In Singapore, the fine for possessing or using “counterfeit tobacco products” can reach $2,000 (£1,200). The law is even stricter in Thailand, where holidaymakers can be fined 30,000 baht (£700) for vaping in public, or face up to 10 years in prison. Disposable vapes will soon be banned in the UK, although the law is yet to come into force.
Use the toilets in Spain
How about Spain, the UK’s favorite overseas holiday destination? On the most popular Balearic beaches, such as Playa de Talamanca in Ibiza, a €30 fine can be imposed for smoking of any kind. And don’t even think about relieving yourself on the sea in Galicia, because it could set you back £645 (how you get to grips with the action remains to be seen). Such rules exist in a context where Spain tries to encourage a more genteel type of tourist. However, you shouldn’t believe everything you read online: recent reports have suggested that tourists in Benidorm cannot swim in the sea between midnight and 7am. In a statement to Telegraph Travel, city officials dismissed this claim entirely.
Take off your headphones
You may feel good about choosing to cycle around the Costs instead of hiring a car. Alas, things are not that simple. Pop on your headphones to listen to flamenco while running along the coast and you could be fined €200. The practice is highly penalized due to concerns that cyclists are being made less aware of their surroundings by their tunes, although there is no similar law to prevent drivers from listening to their music at high volumes. It is the same in France, which imposes a penalty of €135 on the practice. In Portugal and Italy, cyclists can ride with one headset in, but not two.
Learn the highway code
If you prefer city breaks to beach holidays, driving is the biggest source of stress – and the variety of rules can be difficult to follow abroad. Eating behind the wheel in Cyprus, for example, can set drivers back £85. In Germany, it is a punishable offense to stop on the Autobahn for any reason, even if you run out of fuel. But it is France that requires the most preparation: drivers must carry a lot of breakdown equipment, including a warning triangle and high-visibility vests for all passengers. Breathers are no longer mandatory (as they were until 2020), but are still advised by driving groups. Car hire companies should have you covered, but taking your own car across the English Channel is another matter.
No petting in the New Forest
Of course, Britain is not exempt. The New Forest introduced rules last summer that prohibit visitors from beating wild ponies, as it is thought to be harmful to the animals and dangerous to people. Those who breach the Public Space Protection Order can be fined up to £1,000, although officers have promised to be “proportionate”. Similar rules in Tenerife have banned the feeding of stray animals, with fines of €3,000 (£2,600) for “serious incidents”.
Watch your language Down Under
Whatever happens, don’t express your frustration about such rules – at least not too forcefully. Fines of £350 and £260 respectively are punishable for “foul language” in New South Wales and Western Australia. It’s even worse in South Australia, where you could find yourself behind bars for three months. Travelers, beware.
This story was first published in July 2023 and has been revised and updated.
