Drinking outside in Europe
 

I am wondering about the laws regarding drinking outside in Europe? One always sees a travel shows where people are having a picnic outside with a bottle of wine. However, I am not sure what are the drinking laws.

I will be traveling to Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and possibly France. If anyone could please share their knowledge or experience of picnicing in the park or elsewhere with a bottle of vino. Thanks....

Hi ista,

In Italy and France, definitely OK.

((I))

Seemed OK when I did it in Italy and Switzerland both.

Sat with a bottle of wine and my Lexan glass, hubby with a beer, in Jardin de Luxembourg (Paris) as a few local police passed us by, with nary a glance our way.

There may very well be a difference between drinking as part of a picnic or meal in a public place as opposed to simply walking around with an open container which I have not seen much of (Munich and Oktoberfest notwithstanding) in Europe.

However, the view of alcohol consumption is very different in general in many European countries than it is in the US. I doubt you're going to find any "blue laws" over there since there isn't the sometime hypocritical influence that we often see over here.

Ireland does not allow any smoking indoors in bars or restaurants since earlier this year.To keep their business going many pubs have opened beergardens outside the door and they serve their customers there if they wish.The temperature in the daytime averages about 40F in winter so some people drink in those beergardens even in winter.Drinking alcohol on the street is otherwise prohibited.

In Germany it's absolutely no problem to enjoy a bottle of wine or beer when having a picnic or not!
Go ahead and enjoy that sundowner in a special place!

This spring I was sitting in Place Carnot in Lyon, France. The police drove through in a van. They were telling people to cover up their alcohol.

The bums pretended like they didn't have any alcohol. The police officers weren't buying it. The young people put their alcohol back in their bags. They rolled their eyes when the cops weren't looking.

As soon as the police left all the alcohol came right back out.

Blue laws as regards public imbibing of booze are laissez-faire nearly everywhere but this is slowly changing, mainly to discourage lager louts from gathering in public squares and genuine tourists are rarely bothered by cops. So generally it's OK but not in a few spots - the UK is one place where cities are cracking down but i've never seen any problem in other countries except isolated city squares. Look for signs with a red circle around a wine bottle and a slash through it - the universal prohibited, 'not allowed' symbol such as in no-smoking signs.

We just drink with our meals, and I have not yet found a place in Europe that prohibits that. I think it is interesting that in the US we have so many controls on drinking, yet so many drunk drivers; I understand the DUI laws in Europe are much stricter, and more heavily enforced, despite their lack of controls on drinking. That is one of the reasons I don't drive in Europe; I know I can have wine with dinner and still be fit to drive by US standards; but I don't want to run afoul of the European standards. Besides, I can watch the scenery more from a bus or train.

Interested, what are "blue laws" ?

>...what are "blue laws" ?

See http://www.snopes.com/language/colors/bluelaws.htm

In the UK it is unusual for there to be any constraints but a few places have local by laws. I would take the view that you can do what you want unless it is very clear by signposting or something, that you should not. If there is a problem, someone will tell you. These laws are not aimed at tourists.

Sheila is right. Somebody having a pic-nic in a park could open a can of beer or a bottle of wine in the UK and there'd be no problem. Where I live, there is a bye-law in the city centre that you can't drink if a policeman forbids you.
It's intended for winos and drunken hooligans, not for people enjoying a civilised drink.

Glasgow is one place in the UK which has a local by-law forbidding outdoor drinking. I think Chester is another. However the OP is not planning to visit the UK.

P.S. Thanks Ira - this forum is an education !