A travel expert has warned that a common holiday habit could see you landed with a fine – before your trip has even started.
Many British holidaymakers arrive in Italian cities such as Rome and Portofino with their luggage in tow, ready to sightsee straight from the airport or train station.
But what most don’t realise is that doing so could be illegal.
Italy has introduced tourist behaviour laws, with specific luggage rules prevalent.
In Rome, dragging a wheeled suitcase down the Spanish Steps is banned under the city’s urban decorum laws, with fines starting at €250 (£218) and rising to €400 (£350) or more if damage is caused.
In Portofino, a municipal regulation explicitly bans tourists who linger in congested areas with suitcases, with fines reaching up to €500 (£437).
Jacob Wedderburn-Day, travel expert and CEO at luggage storage company Stasher, says the laws are catching Brits abroad off guard.
Jacob explained: ‘These rules point people to doing what feels completely normal when arriving in a new city: bags in hand and heading straight to iconic landmarks.
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‘The problem is that marble staircases that have stood for centuries can’t handle millions of suitcase wheels grinding across them each year.
‘Even the vibration from bouncing luggage down steps causes microscopic damage that accumulates over time.’
Police in Rome actively patrol hotspots throughout the day and respond quickly.
Jacob adds: ‘Never treat your arrival day as a sightseeing day if you still have your bags with you.
‘Head straight to your accommodation or use a luggage storage service first because being slapped with a fine by local police before your holiday has even started is not the kind of experience anyone wants.’
There are plenty of other rules that could see you hit with a hefty fine, too.
In the Acropolis, Greece, no high heels are allowed.
Jacob explains: ‘Greece has banned sharp-heeled footwear at ancient sites, including the Acropolis and the Epidaurus Theatre. The fine for ignoring it can reach up to €900 (£786).
Other strange travel rules include a ban on high heels at the Acropolis in Greece
‘On surfaces that are thousands of years old, a single step causes micro-fractures. This is one of the most expensive unknown fines in European tourism.’
Driving in flip-flops is not allowed in Spain, with Jacob warning: ‘Spain’s traffic authority has confirmed that officers can fine drivers up to €200 (£175) if they judge that footwear is affecting a driver’s ability to control the vehicle safely. Guardia Civil officers have on-the-spot discretion.’
Bikinis are prohibited on streets in Spain and Italy.
Jacob says: ‘Barcelona has had a swimwear ban in place since 2011, with fines up to €300 (£262) for wearing bikinis or swimming trunks away from the beach.
‘In Majorca and the Balearic Islands the fine rises to €600 (£524), and Sorrento in Italy carries fines of up to €500 (£437). The rules apply to men as well as women. No wandering into a restaurant shirtless, either.’
And in Venice, you’re not allowed to feed the pigeons.
Jacob says: ‘Feeding pigeons anywhere in Venice has been illegal since 2008, with fines up to €500 (£437). Pigeon droppings and pecking cause serious damage to Venice’s fragile marble facades, and the clean-up bill runs into hundreds of euros per resident every year. It’s taken very seriously.’
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Tourists could be fined more than £200 for rolling their suitcase in European holiday spots – and where you can’t wear bikinis
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