Traveling is a blast. You get to explore new places, try new food, and meet new and interesting people. However, not everything about travel is without a little danger. There are some random and downright bizarre laws out there. It never hurts to do a little research on them before you set off for a new country.
Here are 50 strange laws that tourists may stumble across when not prepared:
#1 Belgium
While it’s nice to listen to street musicians, you may want to skip your first attempt at being one when in Belgium. It’s illegal to play off-key or terribly as a street musician there.
You might just want to put away the camera while in Hungary. Before taking a picture, you are required to get the permission of everyone who may be in it. Imagine trying to do that at a popular tourist location.
Make sure a bar has been issued a permit for dancing before you do anything other than standing or sitting. The owner of the establishment could face serious consequences for your amazing dance floor moves.
Skip the beer while in Iran. It’s illegal to possess or consume alcohol. When it is available, it’s often poisonous due to questionable bootleg production methods.
There’s no just hopping in the car and taking off in Denmark. To avoid breaking the law, you need to lean down and check under the vehicle for children first.
Kite flying seems like a harmless sport. However, in India, it’s very serious and requires a license. Kites have been considered to be aircraft there ever since 1934.
If you are accustomed to the right to call politicians every name in the book, you may want to be extra careful about what you say while in Thailand. Insulting the king will result in jail time.
Guilty by association takes on a whole new meaning in Morocco. If you are hanging out with someone with drugs in their pocket, even if you had no idea those drugs existed, you can still go to jail for having been near that person.
Mexico has a blacklist of names that you absolutely cannot give your baby if they are born there. The list includes names like Rambo and Rolling Stone.
If you are female and visiting Saudi Arabia, you may not be able to plan as many activities as you like. It’s still illegal for women to compete in sports or visit swimming pools.
Italy might be getting a little tired of the trouble that tourists cause. They have made it illegal to eat in public and sit on the Spanish Steps in Rome. You might want to skip those particular lunch plans.
The US makes the list, even for tourists who are from the country. Because there are so many laws and because they vary from state to state, the average American may be committing felony crimes every day without realizing it.
Did you know it’s illegal to ride a horse faster than ten miles per hour in Indiana?
Germany’s Autobahn Is a highway with no speed limits. It does, however, still have laws. It is illegal to stop on the Autobahn for any reason at all. That includes if your car breaks down.
There are a lot of laws regarding public indecency in Malaysia. While a bikini on the beach is probably okay, wearing one anywhere else may land you in jail.
It is illegal to pee while swimming in the ocean in Portugal. We don’t know how they enforce this law, but it’s probably not worth finding out the hard way.
While same-sex relationships are not illegal in Egypt, there are some aspects that still are. Something as simple as holding hands in public could result in an arrest.
Do not attempt to name your newborn “Messi” if you happen to give birth while staying in this country.
While Lionel Messi may be one of the best soccer players to come from the country, the courts have decided that it’s illegal to name a child after him.
