Italy recently made headlines due to all the strict new regulations across the country, from a law prohibiting anyone from sitting on Rome’s Spanish Steps to fines for wearing flip-flops in Cinque Terre. Now, you can add stealing sand from a beach. You read that right: Two French tourists are facing up to six years of jail time for taking sand from a beach on the island of Sardinia.
And it’s not just Italy: Countries across the Continent are fining tourists for the most unlikely offenses. Last year, two tourists got fined €25 (about $27) for getting lost in a Metro station in Paris. This summer, a surprised traveler in Mallorca was fined €100 ($111) for buying goods from an illegal street vendor. Meanwhile, in the Mallorcan town of Magaluf, lawmakers have published a list of 64 banned actions with penalties ranging from €100 ($111) to €3,000 ($3,335) for everything from damaging flowers to climbing trees. The island city of Hvar, Croatia will fine you for a lengthy list of inappropriate public behavior, including walking around in a swimsuit—a €600 ($667) fine. And in Amsterdam, which is known for its brothels and marijuana cafés, the city recently launched the Enjoy and Respect campaign, with fines for drinking in public, making noise, littering and more.
Supporters say it’s all an attempt to keep unruly tourists in line. “Young tourists are welcome, but they will have to learn how to behave here,” Hvar’s fed-up mayor Rikardo Novak told local media when he instated those fines.
Critics say all these rules are way too punitive. The move has sparked debates online with some saying it’s a sure-fire way to turn off tourists. But maybe that’s the point? Stephen Hodes, the founder of an independent think tank called Amsterdam in Progress, says he thinks Amsterdam hasn’t been strict enough. ”There are too many tourists,” he says. “The only thing to do is to take radical measures, otherwise it’s a consumption ghetto, not a city where people live.”
Whatever the case, these rules aren’t going anywhere. So before you plan a trip to Europe, check out these 17 regulations that just might get you in big trouble and turn that dream European vacation into a nightmare.
1. Stealing Sand: As those French travelers discovered, Sardinia wants people to keep their hands off its sand. A 2017 law made it illegal to remove sand, pebbles and shells, with fines of up to €3,000 (about $3,330). Last year, a tourist from the UK got fined €1,000 ($1,100) for stealing sand.
2. Traveling with Designer Rip-Offs: Leave that fake Rolex at home. In France, tourists can get fined up to €300,000 ($334,000) for bringing counterfeit goods into the country. Other countries like Austria, Ireland and Croatia are similarly strict.
3. Ripping Your Currency: Be careful how you handle your money in Turkey: Defacing or tearing up the local currency can carry a prison sentence of between six months to three years.
4. Wearing a Bikini… and Nothing Else: In many parts of Europe, including the Spanish island of Mallorca and the Croatian towns of Split and Hvar, it’s against the law to wear only a bikini or swimming shorts in the street. Authorities may impose fines if people are caught wearing swimwear away from the beach; in Mallorca that even extends to the seafront promenade.
5. Peeing in the Ocean: Really? Portugal has a bizarre law on the books saying that you can get busted for using the ocean as your toilet. Here’s the thing: Who will ever know?
6. Wearing a baggy swimsuit: Sorry guys, but if you’re headed to a public pool in France, you’ll need to learn those trunks at home and don a tight-fitting Speedo-type swimsuit instead.
7. Behaving Badly: Signs reading “Save Your Money and Enjoy Hvar” greet tourists at the entrances to the center of the town in Croatia, graphically detailing offenses and the corresponding penalties. The highest fine, €700 ($778), is for public alcohol-drinking, eating or sleeping.
8. Taking Selfies: Better to just ask a fellow tourist to snap a photo for you. In the center of Milan, selfie sticks were recently banned—in addition to glass bottles and food trucks—as authorities try to limit littering and anti-social behavior.
9. Wearing Heels at Historic Sites: Save your fancy outfits for dinner. Heels are banned at certain Greek archaeological sites, including the Acropolis.
10. Driving in Sandals: Proper footwear required! Driving while wearing flip-flops or sandals is a criminal offense in Spain, and comes with a fine of €200 ($222).
11. Hiking in the Buff: In 2011, a Swiss court made it illegal to hike naked. The case came about after a German man strode nude past a family picnicking near the Swiss Alps. Naked hiking had become increasingly popular in the years before the court ruling.
12. Running out of Fuel: Cruising on Germany’s Autobahn? Make sure your fuel tank is topped off. It’s illegal to run out of fuel while driving on the famed road.
13. Kissing on a Train Platform: Lips off! Couples have been banned from kissing on train stations in Manchester, England (a more recent law) and France (on the books since 1910). The reason? It holds up commuters and rail delays.
14. Driving Without a Breathalyzer: It’s illegal in France to drive without a breathalyzer in the car. Although the on-the-spot fine of €11 ($12) is no longer carried out by the government, it remains against the law.
15. Jaywalking: Germany takes its road safety very seriously. It’s a common social rule not to cross a pedestrian crossing before the light turns green. If you make a run for it, you could be fined €5-€10 ($5-$11).
16. Public Drinking: Holiday resorts across the Spanish island of Mallorca stepping up sanctions against rowdy tourists with a range of new penalties. Tourists and locals could face fines of up to €600 ($667) if caught drinking on the street.
17. Hailing a Cab if You’re Sick: The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act of 1984 makes it illegal to flag down a taxi in England if you have a “notifiable” disease without telling the driver. Then the driver can decide whether he/she wants to take you where you need to go. Our guess? You’re not going anywhere.
By Laura Begley Bloom
Source: Forbes
