Italy’s monuments have weathered millennia of history but mass tourism brings fresh challenges. Recent summers have brought viral videos of tourists swimming in Venice’s canals, carving names into the Colosseum and using Renaissance fountains as personal swimming pools.
Italy has responded by introducing tighter restrictions across the board. After a three-month restoration project to remove mold and calcium deposits from the Trevi Fountain, Rome introduced a daily visitor cap of 400 people in December 2024, down from about 12,000. The coins that are tossed into the fountain (around €1 million/US$1,020,526 annually) are still being collected to feed those in need through the charity, Caritas, but the days of unrestricted access to the 18th-century monument are gone.
It’s not just Rome, all across Italy new rules are being introduced to manage overtourism and crack down on disruptive behavior. Engaging in activities like swimming in Venice’s canals or sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome can lead to fines or even a temporary ban from the area (known as Daspo). Even lingering too long in Portofino’s main square could see you hit with a fine of up to €275 (US$280), while smoking outdoors in fashion capital Milan comes with a fine of up to €240 (US$245) after a ban was introduced on January 1, 2025.
If you’re planning a trip to Italy and don’t want to be the person who could offend – or worse, commit an offense – simply respecting the country and its citizens should be enough to keep you out of trouble. That said, even the most well-intentioned visitor might slip up from time to time. With that in mind, here’s a quick brief on what not to do on your next visit to Italy’s top tourist destinations.
At Italian historical sites, don’t…
1. Visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome without queuing. A daily visitor cap was introduced in December 2024 with entry restricted from 9am to 9pm (last entry at 8:30pm). The entry point is at the central staircase and the exit runs through Via dei Crociferi on the monument’s left side.
2. Wade or drive in the Trevi Fountain. The activity is banned and you could risk a hefty fine.
3. Sit down on Rome’s Spanish Steps.
4. Drag strollers, scooters or wheeled suitcases up the Spanish Steps.
5. Take a photo inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
6. Eat on the streets of Florence’s historic center – Via de’ Neri, Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano and Via Della Ninna – from noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm daily.
7. Feed the birds in Piazza San Marco in Venice.
8. Don’t treat historical sites like your home. In 2019, two German tourists were fined €950 (US$969) and immediately asked to leave Venice after they were found making coffee on a portable stove beneath Rialto Bridge.
9. Sit or lay down in front of shops, historical monuments or bridges. You’ll more than likely be moved on.
10. Eat or drink at famous sites in any city.
11. Don’t damage any historical site or monument of cultural importance by carving your name or littering. You will be fined – or worse, prosecuted.
In Italian cities, don’t…
12. Visit Venice for the day without pre-booking and paying an entry fee. The long-mooted tax for day trippers was finally introduced in 2024 and applies on certain days from April 18 to May 4 and continuing through July. In 2025, the fee will be doubled from €5 (US$5.20) to €10 (US$10.20). It applies between 8.30am and 4pm and to day-trippers only – hotel guests, children under 14 and Venice residents remain exempt.
13. Set up picnics in public spaces in Venice or pause on the city’s bridges for too long.
14. Dive, swim or bathe in Venice’s canals.
15. Ride bikes in Venice’s city center.
16. Drink alcohol on the street between 8pm and 8am in Venice.
17. Take part in group celebrations such as hen and stag parties outdoors on weeknights in Venice. They’re only permitted outdoors during the day or over weekends.
18. Join organized pub crawls in Rome. They’re banned.
19. Busk on public transport in Rome.
20. Drink alcohol from glass containers on public streets, public transit and in non-enclosed green spaces in Rome after 10pm. Or drink alcohol out of any container after midnight in these spaces.
21. Let your mouth touch the spout of Rome’s public drinking fountains, known as nasoni. Instead, cup your hands under the spout of the tap and place your finger under the stream to direct an arc of water to your mouth.
22. Dress up as a historical figure or character like a “centurion” (gladiator) in Rome and pose for photos.
23. Attach love locks to bridges in Rome and Venice.
24. Smoke in Milan on city streets or crowded public areas like parks and playgrounds.
25. Jump into fountains anywhere or otherwise damage or climb on them.
26. Fly a drone in an urban area without a license or a permit.
At Italian resorts and islands, don’t…
27. Walk around shirtless or in your swimwear in any metropolitan area. This state of dress is strictly restricted to the beach or lido. This is especially true in Sorrento, where you could be fined up to €500 (US$510) for breaching the dress code. “No more with the indecent behavior,” the mayor of Sorrento said in July 2022 when he introduced the fines.
28. Wear sandals or flip-flops while hiking in Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre National Park Authority can issue fines of €50 (US$56) and €2,500 (US$2,826) to those not wearing appropriate footwear when hiking mountain rescue teams reported an increase in ill-prepared visitors on the walkways.
29. Walk around barefoot in Praia a Mare, Calabria.
30. Swim in the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri. You can visit by boat, but swimming in the grotto is strictly forbidden. Just ask supermodel Heidi Klum, who was fined €6000 (US$6129) in 2019 for taking a dip in the waters.
31. Steal sand from the beaches of Sardinia (or any beach for that matter). You could face up to six years in prison.
32. Forget to bring euros with you when visiting the beach. Some charge cover fees and most charge for the use of sun umbrellas and loungers.
33. Linger too long in certain restricted zones in the cobblestoned main square of Portofino (look for signs to show you what zones are off-limits) between April and October, from morning until 6pm. According to regulations that were introduced in 2023, individuals who spend an excessive amount of time in designated “red zones” may face fines of up to €275 (US$281). The intention is to manage overcrowding and preserve the charm of the area.
34. Build sandcastles on the beach in Eraclea, near Venice. It’s illegal, with authorities claiming they “obstruct the passage.”
