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Date Published: 04/08/2023

Spain introduces new rules for parking campervans and motorhomes

The traffic authorities in Spain have finally distinguished between parking and camping

What better way to explore all that Spain has to offer than by hitting the open road and letting the highway ahead be your only guidebook? Travelling through Spain in a motorhome, camper or caravan has become increasingly popular in recent years. It offers a kind of freedom you just don’t have when staying in a resort and has the added bonus of bringing visitors all that much closer to nature.

However, it does carry a certain sense of worry, particularly when it comes to parking. Over the years, different town halls have toyed with rules and regulations against so-called wild camping, particularly in protected areas, so it’s no wonder that confusion abounds.

So, to take the stress and worry out of travelling holidays, on July 11 the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) changed its regulations to clarify the difference between what is considered parking and what it classes as camping, once and for all.

The new DGT rules for parking campers, caravans and motorhomes

The Spanish Association of the Caravaning Industry and Commerce has welcomed the update, believing it will reduce "conflicts due to the lack of specific regulations."

Essentially, the DGT has no problem with motorhomes stopping on public roads or in car parks once they don’t take up any additional space or create any noise. In this way, they are treated by the traffic authorities exactly the same as cars and other vehicles.

As of July 11 2023, the DGT accepts that parking is not camping. Motorhomes are free to park like any car under these requirements (PROT Instruction 2023/14):

If the vehicle, with the engine stopped, is only in contact with the ground through the wheels (the stabilising legs or any other devices are not used, except for the chocks, provided for by the Traffic Regulations).
The vehicle does not occupy more surface area than it does when closed, that is, without the deployment of projectable elements, chairs, tables, etc.

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Image: Freepik

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