Holiday planning is normally an exciting exercise in anticipation of a coming trip as you seek out mouth-watering restaurant menus and secret spots for spectacular views.
However, if you’ve booked to visit destinations in Europe this year, gathering pre-trip information has a more tedious side, too.
With visitor numbers predicted to surge to record levels in 2025, many European hotspots are implementing strict new rules and cracking down on bad tourist behaviour.
To save you trawling sites and guides for the latest regulations and fines, we’ve compiled a comprehensive summary of everything you need to watch out for when visiting Europe this year.
Europe’s battle against overtourism
Five years on from the tourism hiatus during Covid restrictions, visitor numbers in some popular destinations have returned to or risen above levels seen in 2019.
This surge in traveller numbers is bringing a plethora of adverse side effects, from pricing out residents in historic centres and overstretching infrastructure to damaging natural ecosystems.
The growing backlash against this phenomenon has led to anti-tourism protests across the continent, particularly in Spanish hotspots including the Canary Islands and Barcelona.
Some destinations are now moving to improve tourism management and curb excessive visitor numbers with bans on cruise ships and short-term holiday rentals, booking and ticketing systems for popular attractions, and rules and fines to encourage considerate behaviour.
Here are all the taxes, restrictions and bans organised by country that travellers need to watch out for in 2025.
Spain bans Airbnb, cars and parties
Destinations across Spain are under immense pressure from mass tourism, so it’s no surprise that the crackdown has been particularly widespread.
Catalonia and Barcelona
The region of Catalonia looks set to hike its tourist tax to €15 per night under new legislation signed in February. This would be double the price of the existing fee.
Barcelona, the most popular destination in the region, has increased its municipal tourist tax to €6.75 per night for guests staying in five-star hotels.
The surcharge is in addition to the standard nightly tourist tax (now €3.50) paid to the region, meaning a week-long stay in a five-star hotel will cost €47.25 on top of the room rate.
In 2023, Barcelona cut the number of daily cruise ship arrivals at its central port from 10 to seven, and it has announced plans to eliminate short-term rentals by 2030.
The city has proposed the creation of a special zone beside the Sagrada Familia where visitors can take a breather – and a selfie – before entering the church to ease congestion and prevent crowds from social media trends.
The bus route 116 was recently removed from maps in an attempt to reduce the number of visitors using it to reach the Antoni Gaudí-designed Parc Güell.
Malaga
The coastal Andalusian city of Malaga has banned new rental properties in 43 neighbourhoods where those rentals exceed eight per cent of the residential stock.
The measure was introduced in January 2025 and will be trialled for three years.
It is also now illegal to walk around the city centre of Malaga in swimming costumes or shirtless. Those seen without a top or in underwear in public face fines of up to €750.
Alicante
Alicante has implemented new curfews on bars and nightclubs due to noise complaints from residents.
The restrictions require bars to close at 12.30am on weekdays and 1am on Friday, Saturdays and on the eve of national holidays. Nightclubs must close at 1am during weekdays and 3am on the weekend.
Seville
The southern Spanish city of Seville plans to introduce an entrance fee for Plaza de España to finance its conservation.
Those who live in the province and those born in the Andalusian city will be exempt.
Balearic Islands – Ibiza and Mallorca
Fed up with rowdy, drunk tourists, the local government of Spain’s Balearic Islands has brought in strict new alcohol bans.
Overnight alcohol sales between 9.30pm and 8am are now banned in Llucmajor, Palma, Calvia (Magaluf) in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza.
This only applies to shops, so booze can still be sold in bars, restaurants and clubs.
Drinking in the streets in tourist hotspots on Ibiza and Mallorca – with the exception of terraces and other licensed areas – is also prohibited. Fines for violations will range from €500 to €1,500, rising to €3,000 if behaviour is particularly disruptive.
The law will remain in force until 2027.
Ibiza has started limiting the number of tourist cars and caravans that can visit.
From 1 June to 30 September, the number of vehicles used by non-residents will be capped at 20,168.
Only 16,000 of these vehicles will be allowed to be rental cars. The other 4,108 will be for tourists who want to disembark with their cars in Ibiza from the ports of Barcelona, Denia, Valencia, or Palma.
To visit Ibiza with your car, you’ll need to get a permit, which costs €1 per day.
Italy brings in day-tripper fees and selfie bans
Italy is considering raising its tourist tax to €25 a night for guests staying in its top hotels. Up from the current maximum of €5 per night, the increased fee would help finance services like waste collection in disadvantaged areas.
Venice
Venice has reintroduced day-tripper entry fees ranging from €5 for advance bookings to €10 for last-minute arrivals, with fines up to €300 for visitors caught without proof of payment.
The surcharge applies on certain days until the end of July.
The city has also banned loudspeakers, limited tour groups to a maximum of 25 people, and prohibited swimming in its canals, which can result in €1,000 fines.
Portofino
Portofino, a small seaside town on the Italian Riviera, has cracked down on the influx of visitors posing for selfies, blocking paths and roads.
The town has introduced no-waiting zones. Anyone caught hanging around on the quay for too long between 10:30am and 6pm risks a fine of €270.
Pompeii
The archaeological site of Pompeii has introduced a daily visitor cap of 20,000. Visitors are recommended to purchase tickets in advance online to avoid long queues.
Rome
Italy’s capital city has brought in a visitor cap for the Colosseum set at 3,000 at a single time.
Rome also has bans on being shirtless in the street, eating messy food near attractions, and attaching love padlocks to bridges.
Sardinia
Sardinia’s spectacular beaches are feeling the strain, and several now have visitor limits or booking requirements.
Crescent-shaped Tuerredda beach requires visitors to book via an app in advance and has been capping visitor numbers at 1,100 per day since 2020.
For the full list of beaches, see here.
Florence
With residents struggling to find housing in the historic centre, Florence has brought in a ban on the use of Airbnb and short-term rentals.
The mayor has also promised to prohibit key boxes on buildings and the use of loudspeakers by tour guides.
Trentino Alto Adige
The northern region of Trentino Alto Adige has capped overnight guests at 2019 levels and no new guest houses are permitted to open.
Visitors are now required to pre-register for some major attractions, including the Alpe di Siusi.
France enforces dress codes
Paris
French authorities have implemented strict regulations on public behaviour in the capital, Paris, where drinking alcohol is banned in many public areas and violations can result in fines up to €135.
French Riviera
The so-called “fashion police” actively enforce dress codes along the Côte d’Azur, ensuring tourists maintain appropriate attire outside of beach areas.
In Cannes and other towns, wearing swimwear in the streets can result in fines up to €38.
Marseille
Marseille has banned key safes for holiday rentals and authorised city hall agents to remove illegal lock boxes using angle grinders if hosts ignore warnings to comply.
Greece moves to protect its ancient sites and islands
Athens
The capital, Athens, has brought in a visitor cap to protect its most popular ancient site.
The Acropolis now only permits 20,000 visitors per day with mandatory timed entry tickets.
High heels are prohibited at the attraction to prevent damage to ancient surfaces, with violations resulting in fines up to €900.
Santorini and Mykonos
The hotspot Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos have implemented comprehensive measures to manage cruise tourism and protect natural resources.
Both now charge a €20 cruise passenger levy during peak season, with Santorini maintaining a daily cruise visitor cap of 8,000.
Beach preservation rules require 70 per cent of public beaches to remain free of commercial sunbeds.
Collecting seashells or pebbles from beaches can result in fines up to €1,000, while the government has imposed a building ban in Santorini’s fragile caldera zone.
Croatia curbs party tourism
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik has launched a wide-ranging ‘Respect the City’ campaign, which includes restricting cruise ships to a maximum of two per day, souvenir stand closures, reduced cafe seating, and curtailed taxi services.
The city charges visitors a tax of €2.65 per person per night from April through September and maintains strict bans on wearing swimwear in the city, driving without special authorisation, eating or drinking near cultural monuments, and climbing on historic city walls.
All violations are punishable by on-the-spot fines of up to €700 and potential criminal charges.
Hvar
The island of Hvar, known as a popular nightlife spot, is now taking steps to curb the antisocial behaviour that comes with its reputation.
Town councillors voted to maintain restrictions during the summer that limit noise to 85 decibels.
Given this is equivalent to a noisy restaurant, it will mean significant changes for the island’s popular outdoor clubs that open during peak season – as well as restaurants that host outdoor weddings.
Portugal has some of Europe’s highest fines for misconduct
Portugal has implemented some of the most severe financial penalties in Europe, with coastal areas like Albufeira threatening fines up to €1,500 for wearing swimwear in town areas and even higher penalties for public nudity.
High-volume speakers are banned on many beaches with potential fines reaching an eye-watering €36,000, while authorities actively keep watch for street drinking, public urination, and spitting violations.
Sintra
The UNESCO heritage site of Sintra has become a focal point for local protests against overtourism, which has transformed the area into what locals describe as a “congested amusement park”.
Officials are now considering limits on hotel developments to preserve the town’s historic character and address resident concerns about traffic congestion and disrespectful tourist behaviour.
Türkiye doubles down on air safety
The Turkish Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has imposed a new rule requiring passengers to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened until the aircraft reaches its designated parking spot and the fasten seatbelt sign is deactivated.
They must also wait for their row to be called to disembark the aircraft.
The authority says it has brought in the new regulation to improve safety and reduce disruptions during the disembarkation process of planes.
Passengers violating the rules risk a $70 (€62) fine.
The Netherlands urges tourists to behave appropriately
Amsterdam
Amsterdam has desperately been trying to shake off its nightlife-loving image, with limited success.
After its 2023 campaign urging drunken British tourists to ‘stay away’ failed, the city has launched a website where those planning a holiday to the city can take a quiz about the purpose of their visit.
Called Amsterdam Rules, it hopes to encourage party-focused visitors to reconsider their planned activities in the city.
The city has also banned cannabis smoking on Red Light District streets, implemented earlier bar closures, established stricter limits on group tours, and introduced new regulations governing boat party noise and alcohol consumption.
New hotel construction has been halted, while ocean cruise ships are banned from docking in the city centre as of July 2023.
River cruise limits are projected to reduce annual visitor numbers by 271,000, supporting the city’s goal of limiting overnight stays to 20 million tourists annually.
Czech Republic wants to end its party capital image
The Czech Republic has proposed restrictions on Airbnb and short-term rentals.
A draft bill approved by the Czech government last year would allow municipalities and cities to limit the amount of Airbnb-style accommodation available.
This could include capping the number of days a property can be rented out per year, as well as defining a minimum amount of space required per guest.
It would also place stricter regulations and relevant local taxes on guesthouses, Airbnbs and other holiday rentals, bringing their obligations in line with traditional hotels.
Prague
Prague is actively working to shed its reputation as a party capital through a raft of new restrictions.
Guided bar hopping is banned between 10pm and 6am, stripping the city of one of its rowdiest attractions in the hopes of pacifying weary locals and attracting a higher calibre of tourist.
Last year, one district council proposed a ban on outlandish costumes worn by stag and hen parties, which it said encourage drunk and rowdy behaviour in Prague’s popular nightlife district.
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