What To Know About Europe’s ‘Luggage Fines’ — And How To Avoid Them

Highlights

In Rome, pulling a suitcase down the Spanish Steps can now incur a heavy fine of up to EUR 400.
European destinations are fining tourists for behaviour such as dragging suitcases through landmarks, as cities crack down on overtourism and damage to historic sites.
Places including Portofino, Venice, Dubrovnik, and Hydra have introduced similar rules to manage crowding and noise.

Several destinations across Europe have launched a crackdown on tourist behaviour. And in some places, a simple habit like dragging your suitcase through historic streets could lead to a hefty fine before your holiday has even properly begun.

Many travellers arrive in major European cities, including Rome, Barcelona, and Dubrovnik, eager to start sightseeing immediately after landing at the airport or stepping off a train, often with their luggage still in tow. But doing so now may violate local regulations designed to protect historic sites and residential neighbourhoods. Here’s what you should know about these suitcase rules, tourist fines, and the destinations where they apply.

Also, learn about the other fines Italy has started imposing for bad tourist behaviour.

Which places in Europe impose luggage-related fines?

Europe Luggage Fine — Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna, Rome | Image credit: Charlotte Peacock/Unsplash

Italy is among several European countries that have introduced and continually tightened laws governing tourist behaviour, with luggage-related fines becoming a common focus. In Rome, dragging a wheeled suitcase down the iconic Spanish Steps is banned under the city’s urban decorum laws.

Fines start at EUR 250 (USD 291) and can rise to EUR 400 (USD 465.61) or more if damage is cautilized. Following the introduction of Rome’s urban decorum laws, police now actively patrol tourist hotspots throughout the day and respond quickly to violations.

While it is not new, in Portofino, a municipal regulation explicitly bans tourists who linger in congested areas with suitcases. Fines can reach up to EUR 500 (USD 582.06). Meanwhile, Venice has long tested to protect its bridges and paving from heavy-wheeled traffic. Visitors are encouraged to utilize waterbus stops and porter services instead of bouncing cases down stairways.

Florence relies on standard public order rules, including nighttime noise regulations and policing around crowded monuments. “Many hotels now encourage guests to avoid late arrivals with hard wheels and to utilize taxis from Santa Maria Novella when luggage is heavy,” reported the Daily Express.

Did you know?

In 2014, rumours that Venice was planning to charge tourists a USD 620 fine for dragging their suitcases spread like wildfire; however, it never became a rule, and officials denied any such plan.

Italian cities are not the only ones in Europe to fine tourists for carrying their luggage during tours or wheeling it near protected landmarks. Croatia’s walled city of Dubrovnik has long depconcludeed on the ‘Respect the City’ initiative aimed at reducing noise from wheeled luggage, while Hydra in Greece went all out with a long-standing decree that bans most wheeled vehicles across the island.

(Feature image credit: monysasu/Shutterstock)

Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.