Shirtless Tourists Could Face Fines In France

In the UK, tops come off at the slightest whiff of sunlight – I’ve seen people walking around shirtless when I’ve still been wearing a jacket.

But the French have said: no more.

A number of French resorts are taking a stand against summer shirtlessness by slapping offenders with fines if they don’t cover up.

According to The Times, a number of resorts – including Deauville and Narbonne – have introduced penalties for those who don’t keep their tops on in public places, on the grounds of “hygiene and decency”.

While this state of attire is perfectly acceptable for the beach, in Narbonne, people are banned from being shirtless, wearing swimwear or walking barefoot in parts of the city centre – and anyone not following this rule may face a fine of up to €150 (£130).

Deauville has also reportedly raised its fines for being shirtless from €17 (approx £15) to €150 (£130).

Other places such as Nice, Cannes, Arcachon, Les Sables-d’Olonne and La Grande-Motte have similar rules in place, per The Connexion, with varying penalties for not abiding by them.

There’s been growing discontent over half-naked tourists for a while now. Last year, the mayor of Les Sables-d’Olonne, Yannick Moreau, took to Facebook to ask for “a little decorum, please”.

He reiterated that it’s “forbidden to walk around shirtless or in a swimsuit in Les Sables-d’Olonne” – and anyone breaking the rules could be fined up to €150 (£130).

Sorrento, Portofino, Positano and Capri in Italy; Barcelona in Spain; and Albufeira in Portugal have similar rules in place so that toplessness and swimwear is reserved only for the beach.

According to the Mirror, fines for flouting the rules can reach up to €1,500 (£1,300) in Albufeira.

In 2023, the Croatian city of Split also issued a ban on wearing a bikini and/or going shirtless in the old city centre – following the lead of Dubrovnik.

To avoid being caught out, if you’re on holiday and not at the beach or pool, it’s probably best to keep your top on!