A cultural travel guide to the world

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

12 rules found

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Austria

Austria: be ready to show your passport

Do

  • Carry your passport

Don’t

  • Assuming your driving licence counts as ID

The law requires you to be able to show your passport at all times; Austria does not accept a UK driving licence as official ID.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Austria travel advice

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Netherlands

Netherlands: cannabis is tolerated only in designated places

Do

  • Understand that 'tolerated' does not mean legal

Don’t

  • Smoking cannabis in public places
  • Buying or possessing drugs outside designated places

Using it in public is illegal; buying or possessing it outside designated places can mean prison.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Netherlands travel advice

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Greece

Greece: drunken rowdiness and indecent behaviour lead to arrest

Do

  • Behave appropriately in public

Don’t

  • Drunken rowdiness and indecent exposure
  • Wearing costumes that may be seen as offensive

Police will arrest you, and courts usually impose heavy fines or prison.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Italy

Italy: rules around monuments and fountains

Do

  • Keep the area around monuments clean and quiet

Don’t

  • Going into or splashing in public fountains (Florence, Rome and elsewhere)
  • Swimming in Venice's canals
  • Eating and drinking next to major churches, monuments and public buildings
  • Sitting on monument steps, littering, or scratching or writing on monuments

All are local offences; urinating in public can bring a fine of up to €10,000.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Italy travel advice

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Spain

Spain: show photo ID when police ask

Do

  • Carry photo ID

Don’t

  • Ignoring a direct instruction from the police

Police can take you to a station until your identity is confirmed; ignoring a direct instruction from the police can count as 'disobedience'. Real police check documents only and will not ask to see your wallet.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice

Local customsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · Germany

Germany: most shops close on Sundays

Do

  • Shop for food and essentials on Saturday
  • If you need to shop on Sunday, go to shops at railway stations, airports or petrol stations

Don’t

  • Planning a shopping trip for Sunday

There is no penalty — you will just find everything closed. Sunday is protected as a day of rest by the constitution, and each state allows only a few 'open Sundays' a year.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Library of Congress law blog: Germany's shop opening laws