With the summer season FINALLY upon us after what has felt like months of dreary weather and dark skies, many holidaymakers in the 45-65 age range are quite literally counting down the hours until they can jet off to somewhere slightly sunnier.
Travellers making their way to Greece in the coming weeks have received a pretty stark warning, however, after several Brits have been charged hefty sums recently for breaking a rather surprising rule.
There seems to be an increasing number of travel restrictions that have been added to the roster in recent months, often catching holidaymakers out and forcing them to fork out hundreds of pounds.
Just last week, Ryanair’s strict hand luggage regulations came under scrutiny after travellers tried to evade it with a ‘viral’ packing hack. The week prior, those making their way to Europe have been warned over a passport regulation which has left several travellers being sent home from the airport. And any Brits travelling to Spain were warned last month this summer could face humongous fines if caught disobeying strict clothing rules.
Speaking of clothing limitations, as we say, there’s a somewhat little known rule that has caught out numerous holidaymakers travelling to Greece already this year.
Picture this: you’re preparing for a day of exploring the ancient Greek ruins, delving deep into the history and archaeology of a culture that dates back thousands of years BC. What do you wear?
Considering the temperatures in the European holiday hotspot at this time of year, as well as the need to walk around these often rocky landmarks, I imagine you’ll opt for a comfortable pair of shorts, a free-flowing t-shirt, and some sports trainers. Yes?
Well, apparently not. In fact, some holidaymakers have been rocking up to the ancient sites in – get this – a pair of HIGH HEELED SHOES!
It’s true, hundreds of travellers have been spotted attempting to take in the magnificence of the Acropolis, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, and the Epidaurus Theatre in the Peloponnese region in a pair of six-inch stilettos.
Not only have these attempted fashion-forward jet-setters likely stuck out like a sore thumb among these ancient artifacts, but they’ve actually been billed for their bizarre attire.
That’s because it has been illegal to wear shoes that could disrupt or damage monuments at these sites since 2009.
Speaking to press on the matter, Eleni Korka, Director of Greek Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, told the Daily Mail in 2009: “Female visitors must wear shoes that do not wound the monuments. These monuments have a skin that suffers, and people must realize that.”
According to The Sun, travellers have been landed with bills of as much as £771 for the mighty mistake.
Speaking of crazy travel rules, it turns out there are HUNDREDS of restrictions that have caught out holidaymakers in recent weeks.
Rome
While it might be one of the city’s most heavily visited landmarks, tourists travelling to Rome’s Spanish Steps are actually prohibited from plonking down on them to observe the views.
Much in the same way, the iconic stairs are a centuries-old historic monument, which aren’t actually made for seating – which also goes for other historic stairways in the city.
You can look, but don’t touch, unless you fancy a €250 (£210) fine…
Barcelona and Mallorca
You know you’re surrounded by Brits abroad when you look around and observe a pack of shirtless men sipping pints of Stella and munching on patatas bravas.
Apparently, however, in several areas of Spain, it’s outright prohibited to walk around with no top on, even if you’ve been enjoying a day at the beach.
In Barcelona, you can be fined up to €300 (£250).
