Can you imagine being pulled up for kissing at a train station in the City of Love? Or what about being fined by the police for hanging your laundry on a Sunday?
Travellers flying over to Europe this busy summer season are being told to be on their best behaviour as law officials may start rigorously enforcing laws aimed towards tourists.
The warning comes as an anti-tourist sentiment continues to grow in parts of the continent, prompting local leaders to do more in order to curb bad tourist behaviour.
Travel Insurance Direct’s Travel Safety Expert, Phil Sylvester, urged Aussies to be sensitive to local customs, no matter how unusual they may seem.
So here’s a heads up to anyone heading to Europe in the coming months, you might want to be mindful to not…
Kiss on a train platform in France
Image: Nathan Walker/Unsplash
France may be home to the City of Love but there’s little admiration for those who snog near public transport. The law was introduced back in the early 1900s in order to prevent train delays and is still in place today.
Eat on church steps in Florence
There’s nothing quite like taking a break on a set of stairs in Italy, while enjoying a quick bite to eat and some people watching. It’s almost like a tourist must-do, except when you’re in Florence. The Mayor recently ordered officials to remove visitors from setting up camp on church steps.
Or near the Trevi Fountain in Rome
Gone are the days when tourists could wander around Rome’s Trevi Fountain with a gelato in hand or a slice of pizza. Rome’s leaders recently introduced new laws around the city’s historic fountains, which forbid travellers from eating, drinking or clambering around the centuries-old architecture.
Hang clothes out to dry on a Sunday in Switzerland
Image: Caspar Rubin/Unsplash
Sunday is a day of rest for some people and it’s a day of getting your errands done for others, but for the Swiss it’s a day you definitely don’t do you laundry!
If you’re renting out an Airbnb in Switzerland you may want to avoid hanging out any wet clothes on a Sunday because it’s a big no, no.
Pee in the canal in the Netherlands
Amsterdam, world renowned for its pot cafes and red light district draws the line at tourists relieving themselves into the canal. Make sure you keep a few spares Euros on you at all times so you can use one of the many pay public toilets.
Have you been pulled up for any unusual laws while travelling?