Aussie tourists warned about $325 fine for wearing bikinis at popular Italian holiday spot

Published: 03:05, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 03:05, 28 July 2026 Australians visiting Europe have been warned to watch what they wear after an Italian town introduced fines of up to $325 for inappropriate clothing.  Picturesque Varenna on the shores of Lake Como has experienced a tourism boom in recent years.  But Mayor Mauro Manzoni has said it was vital to balance welcoming visitors with protecting residents' quality of life. To preserve the town's peaceful atmosphere, anyone caught walking through the streets topless or in swimwear away from beaches and piers faces a steep fine. The rule means anyone caught dressed inappropriately will face a fine of €200 (about $325), up from €50 (about $80).  The penalty was raised as part of amendments to Varenna's urban police regulations, according to the town's tourist office.  'Throughout the entire municipal territory of Varenna, it is prohibited to remain shirtless or wearing only swimwear, except on beaches, piers, and boat docks,' the website says.  The amendments also saw a maximum cap of 25 people per tourist group in the town. Varenna, located on Lake Como, will fine tourists up to $325 for inappropriate clothing  'The tour guide or any other person designated as the group leader or reference person may not use loudspeakers or any other form of voice amplification in order to prevent excessive noise and disturbance,' it said. 'Without prejudice to the above provisions, tourist groups must move throughout the municipality using pedestrian routes without obstructing other users of public spaces.' Tourist groups exceeding 25 participants or using voice amplification equipment could be hit with a penalty from €100 (about $162) to €400 (approximately $650). Travel expert and Australian Traveller Media managing director Quentin Long has warned Australian tourists must be 'hyper-aware' of local customs when on holiday.  'The classic challenge here is that because we now access continental Europe with a single visa, we kind of forget that a single visa doesn't mean a single set of laws,' he told Yahoo News. 'As Australians, we want to be not just aware of laws but also local customs - and increasingly, those two things are becoming the same. 'People are getting sick of bad tourist behaviour, and governments are responding by legislating against it.' Varenna is not the only place in Europe where tourists can be fined for what they wear.  Australians heading to Europe are being warned to watch what they wear (stock image)  Also in Italy, people visiting Sorrento can face fines of up to €500 (about $810) for walking around town in swimwear.  In 2022, the mayor of Sorrento described tourists walking around in swimwear and shirtless as 'widespread indecorous behaviour'. 'Those kinds of cultural sensibilities need to be top of mind for people when they're travelling,' Mr Long said. Meanwhile, in the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, tourists wearing swimwear or going shirtless risk fines of up to €150.  In Portugal and Spain, including the city of Barcelona, similar rules mean beachgoers could be hit with penalties of up to €300 for wearing bikinis or going shirtless away from the beach.