Three mistakes Brits make on Spanish beaches that could see you fined £3,000
BRITS will soon be heading on their summer holidays abroad, with spring right around the corner.
And Spain is one of the most popular destinations for UK holidaymakers, being just a few hours away and an affordable option.
Despite this, many of the tourist regions have introduced a number of new rules over the years, especially for anyone visiting the beach.
Dom Aldworth, Brand Marketing Coordinator at Slingo, says: "Everyone knows that the British public love a holiday, and now that it’s nearly spring, UK tourists will be starting to think about where they want to travel to this summer.
"However, before you pack your suitcase, it’s important to educate yourself on any travel rules, especially as new regulations are announced every year."
Rule-breakers could see themselves getting into trouble with local authorities, and even be left thousands out of pocket.
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Here are the three ways you could get in trouble in Spain while on the beach - and be fined as much as £3,280 if caught doing them all.
Smoking
A number of beaches across Spain have banned smoking on them.
Benidorm has banned both drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes on the stretch of sand to reduce littering.
You could end up with a fine as much as £1,700.
There are a number of cafes and bars along the beach that have smoking areas, so it is best to keep it to those ones.
Swimming after midnight
If you're tempted for a midnight swim, you might want to keep it to your villa rather than the beach.
Benidorm has banned anyone swimming in the sea between 12am and 7am, due to a number of swimming accidents.
This is because there are no lifeguards on the beach during the night hours.
Anyone caught will be charged as much as £1,020.
Going naked
There are nudist beaches aplenty if you fancy going free during your Spanish holiday.
But make sure you are on the correct beach before stripping off.
Anyone going naked on a non-nudist beach can be fined up to £560.
Make sure to put your clothes over your swimwear when leaving the beach too - or get fined £260.
Other ways you could be fined in Spain include hogging beach spots using towels (£260) driving in flip flops (£171) or jumping off balconies into pools (£1,250).
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Here are seven driving laws you need to be aware of when travelling abroad.
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Everything you need to know about visiting Spain
- Brits must have at least three months left on their passport from the day they plan to leave the country.
- Tourists do not need a visa if visiting for up to 90 days in an 180-day period.
- Make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- Travellers may be asked to show hotel booking confirmations and that they have enough money for their stay at the border.
- Spain is one hour ahead of the UK.
- The country uses the euro with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- Flights to Spain from the UK take between 2-4 hours depending on the destination.