People travelling to Greece warned as tourist is fined €900 for extremely common beach mistake
Holiday-goers heading for Greece this year have been warned as a tourist was slapped with a €900 fine for a common beach activity.
Now, there's no doubting that summer holiday season is well and truly upon us. And quite frankly, we keep drifting off at our desks as we imagine the soon-to-be versions of ourselves that have seriously great tans.
As we prep for our next getaway, there's always a bit of mild airport anxiety involved. What would life be without double checking - no, triple checking - that we've definitely packed our passport?
And after all that, we have to frantically check the dates are all correct so we can avoid being stopped in our tracks.
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Well, the latest advice has been imparted by our lord and saviour Martin Lewis, who said: "Check your passport will be valid - it's got stricter.
"There are two important checks you should make, it's all about the day you enter the country."
He continued: "Will there be over 6 months left (3 months for EU)? Even if so, will your passport be less than 10 years old?"
He then clarified: "If you said no to either, it's worth checking our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be sent back at the border. Yes, it happens."
So, once all that faff and worry is out of the way, it's a pretty safe bet you're going to have a great time.
Well... that is, unless you make a big mistake in Greece.
It turns out that if you're jetting off to that beautiful destination, there's one rather unusual rule you should be aware of.
It is in fact against the law to break this rule rather than it just being taboo, so it's a good idea to read on.
When visiting one particular beach during your Greek adventure, it's important to make sure the only things you leave with are the things you brought with you.
In other words, don't feel compelled to take pebbles from the beach!
While we all want to take home a keepsake that will allow us to reminisce on our travels, we have to make sure we leave the pebbles where we found them.
In other words, it's best to stick to souvenirs.
Taking photos is fine but they shouldn't end up in your pocket.
On Lalaria Beach on the island of Skiathos in the Sporades, it is against the law to take pebbles home.
If you attempt it and get found out, you face a fine of €900 (£770).
Meanwhile, in Sardinia - taking sand could see you having to pay out a hefty €3,000 (£2,569).
And that's not the only travel rule you definitely don't want to break...
Australia
Attention all potty mouths...
Research by Parkdean Resorts has found that swearing could cost you when you're in Australia. In fact, dropping an expletive could cost you £126.
And it's probably not worth it, considering you'll probably just want to swear more.
Many parts of Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria - it’s actually against the law to swear in public.
If they feel like doing more than just fining you - if you’re found guilty of using abusive language, you could spend 6 months in prison.
Barcelona and Mallorca
Spain is a beautiful place and we're often graced with genuinely beautiful weather.
It's easy to be tempted by knocking about in your bikini, or your partner joining you with his top off.
Well, you might want to think again.
In several areas of Spain, including Barcelona and Mallorca, you can be fined for walking around in swimwear in places other than the beach.
You can be fined up to €300 (£250) - so it's probably worth adding a cover-up to your basket.
Kya Buller