Smoking on holiday: it’s particularly expensive in these countries

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More and more popular tourist regions are introducing smoking bans on beaches. The aim is to put a stop to the pollution caused by toxic cigarette butts. Last but not least, non-smokers should also be protected from having to smoke passively.

Smoking ban on holiday: what you need to keep in mind
Although the reasons are understandable, the bans are still quite a damper for smokers on holiday, which can be expensive if ignored. If you want to light up a cigarette on a beach in Italy, France, or Spain, it’s best to find out in advance exactly what the local regulations are regarding smoking and public access.

Even better: change the location right away. Because practically everywhere there are beaches, you have to reckon with an absolute smoking ban in some places. If you violate this, you could be fined up to 2,000 euros. It’s quite a lot for a single cigarette.

Holidays in Bibione and Co. are better without a cigarette
Example: Bibione. One of Mr. and Mrs. Austria’s favorite holiday resorts banned smoking on the beach ten years ago.

Smokers generally don’t have it easy in Italy, however, which is considered one of the strictest EU countries when it comes to smoking. Since January 2005, the law has banned smoking in all public buildings, bars, restaurants, hotels, etc. In Turin, for example, smokers must also keep a distance of at least five meters from non-smokers. Otherwise, they will face a fine of up to 100 euros. If you smoke in front of children or pregnant women, the fine can climb up to 600 euros. This also applies to e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and other heated tobacco products.

Italy severely restricts smoking
The situation is similar in Milan, where a ban similar to that in Turin was introduced in 2021: smoking is not permitted in public places such as parks, train stations, cemeteries, and bus stops or within a radius of ten meters. The same applies to Modena and Rome.

If Italy’s Health Minister, Orazio Schillaci, had his way, the country would go one step further. Schillaci has already spoken out in favor of a general outdoor smoking ban in 2023. Smoking lounges at Italian airports are also to be abolished.

Care should also be taken when traveling on regional and long-distance trains: Smoking is prohibited on these trains, even if they are international trains with smoking compartments. The only exception is long-distance trains in transit. More information is here.

Strict rules in France and Spain too
The situation is similar for holidays in France. Smoking has been banned on the beach in Nice, for example, since 2012. Strict rules also apply in Monaco, Marseille, and many other cities. The island of Corsica still has its own non-smoking areas.

A look at Spain: Smoking bans are also in place on beaches in Andalusia, Galicia, Gibraltar, Valencia, the Canary Islands, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The fines vary, ranging from 100 to 400 euros. Anyone who throws the highly toxic lump of rubbish into the sea and is caught doing so will have to dig even deeper into their pockets. You could be fined up to 1800 euros.