The travel mistakes that can get you fined abroad

There are few things more capable of ruining a holiday than discovering that the perfectly innocent thing you just did is against the law.

Most travellers know the obvious rules. Don't bring drugs across a border. Don't damage ancient monuments. Don't wander into places marked private. Don't wander into somewhere marked private. The stranger rules are the ones that catch you because, at home, nobody would think twice.

Things you can be fined for doing abroad

Take chewing gum in Singapore. The oft-repeated version is that chewing gum is illegal, which isn't quite right. Ordinary chewing gum is prohibited from being imported into the country, with exceptions for approved dental and medicinal gum, and Singapore also prohibits chewing gum as a prohibited import. So perhaps don't throw a few packets into your suitcase for the flight.

Vapes are another easy mistake. Singapore treats electronic cigarettes and vaporisers as prohibited tobacco products, while Thailand also has strict restrictions on e-cigarettes. A device that travels casually in a pocket at home can therefore become a rather serious problem at an international border.

Singapore has another rule that might catch a holidaymaker out: drinking alcohol in public is restricted during specified night-time hours. Outside Liquor Control Zones, the restriction runs from 10.30 pm to 7 am; the rules are tighter in designated zones. So that late-night drink on a bench is not necessarily as innocent as it looks.

Then there is Venice, where the list of things tourists shouldn't do is almost impressive in itself. Feeding pigeons or seagulls can attract a fine of €25 to €500. Sitting or lying on certain monuments, bridges, steps and canal-side areas to eat or drink can cost €100 to €200. Swimming or diving in the canals comes with a €350 fine, while walking around the city bare-chested or in a swimsuit can cost €250. Even cycling, including pushing a bicycle by hand in much of the historic centre, is prohibited and can attract a €100 fine.

Japan is a reminder that the things in your medicine cabinet deserve a little attention before a trip too. Bringing personal medication into the country is subject to restrictions and procedures, and certain controlled substances are prohibited. Even medicines that are perfectly ordinary elsewhere can require prior permission or documentation, depending on their ingredients and quantity.

Australia and New Zealand take a similarly serious view of what crosses their borders, although the concern here is biosecurity. Food, plants, seeds, animal products, soil and certain wooden items can be restricted or need to be declared. In Australia, even small amounts of some food need to be declared. New Zealand likewise asks travellers to declare risk items, with undeclared goods potentially leading to fines. That forgotten apple at the bottom of a backpack is suddenly worth paying attention to.

And then there are rules that have less to do with what you carry and more to do with how you behave. In parts of the UAE, travellers need to be particularly careful about photographing people without permission, photographing sensitive sites and carrying certain medicines without checking whether they are permitted. Public behaviour is also subject to laws that can be considerably stricter than visitors might expect.

Barcelona has had its own rules around going about the city in swimwear away from the beach, while cities across Europe have increasingly introduced local restrictions around public drinking, smoking, littering and tourist behaviour in crowded historic areas. The exact rules vary, which is precisely the point.

A holiday does not require travelling with a copy of the local penal code tucked into the passport. But checking the official government or tourism website before arriving can save a surprising amount of trouble.

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