For a nation that loves to queue, minds our Ps and Qs, and has a serious stuff upper lip, we Brits are also known to act terribly on holiday. According to a new report by Virgin Media and O2, 90 per cent of Brits think fellow Brits have awful summer holiday etiquette, with bad habits including drinking beer at breakfast, playing music and talking too loudly, and sticking to a fry up for breakfast instead of sampling a croissant or pastel de nata. 

Aside from seeming wildly uncultured, this rather unfortunate ‘Brits Abroad’ stereotype can see many of us tarred with the same brush. In a bid to help you mind your manners while you’re in Europe – and avoid some hefty fines for flouting the rules – here’s our guide to summer holiday etiquette. Bon voyage. 

Heels and historic sites don’t mix

Cinque Terre

Athens

We’ve all borne witness to tourists sporting some rather questionable footwear on holiday. Crocs and clogs in Capri? Please no. Stilettos and strappy sandals at UNESCO sites? Surely not. In 2025, not only would wearing these shoes see you commit a fashion crime (or at least end up with some seriously unsightly blisters), it can in fact land you with a serious fine in some European destinations. 

As of this year, high heels have been banned in Greece’s ancient archaeological areas, namely the Acropolis and Epidaurus Theatre, and failing to listen to the rules will result in a fine of up to €900. Not just because you’d look ridiculous, but because pointy heels can damage – and have damaged – preserved pathways and piazzas, causing cracking and erosion. Influencers beware: not everything is Instagram-worthy. 

Similar laws have also been actioned in Italy’s heaving Cinque Terre and Capri. The uber-stylish latter banned wooden clogs back in the 1960s for making too much noise on its cobbled streets, but now Cinque Terre’s hiking routes have deemed flip-flops and sandals a big no-no due to safety reasons. Ignore the rules and you could be faced with a €2,500 fine. Bye bye, Birkenstocks. 

Keep your top on

Albufeira, Portugal

Hvar, Croatia

Don’t blow your top while you’re on holiday. British etiquette coach and bestselling author William Hanson told This Morning: “You may want to go topless, but there are probably lots of people who don’t want to see it. There’s a time and a place, the supermarket is not a swimming pool. It’s not hygienic, I don’t want to be picking their hair out of the mangoes.” We couldn’t agree more. 

What’s more, the party destinations of Portugal’s Albufeira and Hvar in Croatia have introduced fines for those not wearing appropriate clothing outside of beach zones. Partial nudity at the former – and we mean men going topless and women walking around in bikinis – will be punished with a fine between €300 and €1,500 in order to curb anti-social behaviour and preserve Albuferia’s family-friendly reputations. 

Hvar is also following suit, issuing €500 on-the-spot fines for shirtless or scantily-clad tourists sauntering around its town centre – add another €100 if you think bikinis and speedos are appropriate away from the sand. Money better spent on a Loro Piana linen shirt or Farm Rio summer dress we say.

Tips on tipping

While some Londoners will breathe a sigh of relief that the capital’s automatic 12 per cent service charge isn’t following them on holiday, there’s certainly no reason to be tight once you’re in European climes. Most destinations on the continent don’t automatically add tips to the bill, so think ahead before you dine. In Italy, and many southern European regions, drinks automatically come with nuts, crisps or bread – which will show up as a mandatory coperto, meaning ‘cover’, charge on your bill (typically around €1-3). Don’t confuse this for a gratuity – it doesn’t go to your server so you should be tipping on top. A general rule of thumb for tipping in this situation is adding 10 per cent. 

If you’re heading to the Caribbean, a blanket 10-15 per cent is expected on top of all food bills, while some taxis expect a little extra too. In the US, tips make up a huge part of hospitality wages so an additional 20 per cent is the standard here when receiving almost any kind of service, from Ubers and hotel bellboys to waiters and hairdressers. As ever, money talks. 

No boozing in the streets

Anti-social behaviour doesn’t get much worse than boozing in the streets – yes, even if you’re on Dave’s Dean Man Walking Stag 2k25. And, frankly, if you’re on holiday and spending your time downing shots in the street, what’s the point in being there? Such behaviour is, unsurprisingly, completely banned in ‘dry’ nations like the UAE, while to act as a deterrent for odd-bods looking to ‘get on it’ without actually going to a bar, hefty fines have been issued in Hvar. 

Madrid and Barcelona have also banned drinking in the streets, not because of tourists, but because of its locals. Due to a crackdown on the local tradition of botellón (meaning ‘big bottle’) – where people gather to drink outside nightclubs and restaurants to save money without skimping on the atmosphere – tourists are also not allowed to sip in the street. 

Avoid sunbed snatching

For many, it’s unfathomable to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve a sunbed – but unfortunately many do. While many hotels allow it, in which case we’ll let you decide if it’s worth sacrificing your beauty sleep for the perfect sunbathing spot, some European public beaches don’t. Cyprus, and its Paralimni-Deryneia province in Famagusta in particular, made a move earlier this year to crack down on tourists placing personal items on sunbeds in the early hours and even the night before (yes, really). Similarly in Spain, authorities in Calpe on the Costa Blanca are supposedly “fighting back” by removing any items in situ before 9.30am or left unattended for more than three hours. Please, just have a lie in instead… 

Ditch the designer knock-offs

Italy is one of the fashion capitals of the world; the birthplace of Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Armani and Versace. In a bid to stay so, the designer destination has asked those who can’t afford the real thing not to even bother. Being caught with counterfeit goods – the kind sold on practically every stretch of sand and stone from Rome to Sorrento – can result in a fine of up to £10,000 under a law known as Legge Finanziaria, which came into effect in 2007 to protect the country’s fashion industry. 

Thought you could get a knock-off timepiece for a fraction of the price in Switzerland this summer? Think again. Sport a fake and be fined £2,000 – and authorities are known to check at airports. This is one case where it’s definitely not worth faking it ‘til you make it.

Keep your voice down – and watch your language

We’ve all been there. You finally sit down to enjoy your beachside al fresco lunch, a glass of ice-cold rosé in hand and the sound of azure waves lapping in the distance, only for all of that to be completely ruined by some yapper on their phone practically shouting at the top of their lungs. While we would point out that it’s simple good manners to keep private conversations just that, you’ll definitely want to mind your Ps and Qs when you’re in the UAE, as any rants involving swear words can land you in serious hot water. Swearing in Dubai, both in person and over WhatsApp, can even lead to imprisonment or a fine of up to AED500,000 (£100,100). That’s quite the swear jar.

Portugal is another place to keep it hush-hush. Lisbon introduced 14 ‘quiet zones’ earlier this summer to keep noise pollution to a minimum, while the Algarve’s National Maritime Authority has banned the use of portable speakers on beaches if they disturb other beachgoers. Best pack your AirPods to make the most of that Holibobs 2025 playlist, then.

Read more: The holiday hot list: Where to travel in July