If you’re anything like us, you cherish nature, the quiet open road and having time to yourselves. Travelling through Europe with a motorhome is such an amazing way to do whatever we feel like at a pace that works for us. And wild camping adds to the experience. You have the space mostly to yourself and get to enjoy nature at its best.
In this blog post, we will talk about wild camping in Europe. What is and isn’t allowed in different countries, what to look out for and how to make the best of the experience.
The Appeal of Wild Camping
If you are unclear on what wild camping is, let us explain the appeal. Instead of standing on crowded campgrounds or boring camper spots, with wild camping, you find a nice spot in nature and park your motorhome there. In theory, it doesn’t matter where you wild camp, but of course, we all prefer to set up somewhere remote in a picturesque location.
Wild camping is appealing because it feels like an adventure. You need to find your own spot for the night where you like the view, feel safe, don’t disturb anyone and can sleep well. There are no check-in or check-out times or rigid schedules to adhere to. You go there when you feel ready to park for the night, park your camper, and you’re ready. And then you get to wake up to the sound of leaves rustling, birds chirping, and maybe a nearby stream. It’s a chance to be fully surrounded by the beauty of nature and feel a special connection with it.
But let’s face it. Wild camping isn’t just fun because of the connection to nature. It is also very budget-friendly, especially if you are a long-term traveller. By camping in the wild, you’ll save significantly on your travel expenses, allowing you to extend your journey or allocate your funds to other exciting experiences.
There are more than enough reasons to wild camp, whether that is once in a while or almost every day.
Wild Camping in Different European Countries
But wild camping isn’t possible in each European country, and the rules around wild camping differ as well. So let’s take a closer look at wild camping in various European countries, each offering a unique experience:
Germany
In Germany, wild camping is not allowed. However, you are allowed to park for a night (up to 24 hours) on the street or in a regular car park if you are not disturbing anyone. Some of these car parks are very remote and in forests; that is how you get the feeling of wild camping. You cannot really camp there, meaning no awning or deckchairs out.
However, we found that, in general, Germany is relatively tolerant of wild camping with campers and motorhomes as long as you take care of the surrounding area. If you don’t leave a mess and keep the noise level down, you should be fine.
Germany also has free or very cheap ‘wohnmobil stellplatzen’, which are motorhome stopovers, and we found several free ones that really offer a space for long-term travellers to meet up. We spent two nights at the edge of a small boring village because we met some nice people from all over Europe and we chatted.
Sweden and Norway
In both Sweden and Norway, you can wild camp, as you have the right to roam (Allemansrätten). Both these countries love their nature, and therefore, it is really important that you take care of the nature around you (as always) while wild camping. You cannot wild camp in National parks, though, nor can you get too close to houses or other buildings. In most spots (especially during summer), fires are prohibited too, because they offer a great risk of starting wildfires.
With all the breathtaking views of fjords, the amazing silence of forests, the rough nature and stunning coastal areas, these countries offer you the best opportunities to wild camp in the most fabulous of circumstances.
READ MORE: Vanlife in Norway
Denmark
A lot of times, people automatically assume because their neighbours offer Allemansrätten, Denmark will have this too, but this is untrue. Denmark is more densely populated, and a lot of land is privately owned, which is off-limit to motorhomes.
At first, we thought Denmark didn’t allow wild camping at all. However, you can park in most ‘rasteplads’ for the night as long as it is parking, not camping (so again, no awning). And there are car parks that allow overnight parking as well.
However, it will be a lot easier to find camping sites than free parking spaces in Denmark as the country has quite a few camping grounds, and a lot of them allow cheaper rates in spring and autumn with the ACSI card.
France
France is a bit ambivalent about wild camping. You are allowed to stop at the side of the road in any parking area, but that is probably not what you are looking for. Otherwise, you are only allowed to wild camp if you have permission from the landowner, which will be hard to do, and you can not wild camp anywhere near the coast, in a National Park or near historic sites.
However, most people do not get permission from the landowner but use common sense and respect to wild camp throughout France. If you stay one night and not in anyone’s direct view, if you don’t park where it says it is not allowed and take care of your spot, you should be fine.
Another good option is to find free motorhome stopovers, which can be found all throughout France. Local governments make these available to drive tourists to them and we’ve stood in the most amazing spots that were absolutely free. Some even had electricity! They hope that you spend some time (and money!) in the area, which of course, we do when we use these free spots.
READ MORE: The ultimate guide to motorhome travel in France
The Netherlands & Belgium
In both the Netherlands and Belgium, wild camping is not allowed and very much frowned upon. This might have something to do with how crowded these countries are. If you do wild camp, you might expect a visit from locals or even the police, who will fine you.
Mostly, they want you to use the official camping grounds or motorhome spots, but there are a few free spots where camping is allowed for a night. Apps like Park4Night are useful to help find these but please be aware that loads of spots on these apps also give wild camping spots that are not allowed and can get you in trouble.
Switzerland
Just like the Netherlands and Belgium, Switzerland is very much against wild camping. There are a few spots above the tree line where you could park, but it’s probably easier to go and look for cheap motorhome stopovers or nice camping grounds.
England and Scotland
In England, wild camping is not allowed. You are allowed to ask for permission from a landowner to see if you can park there for the night though, but it might be hard to find them. Therefore it’s better to go to a campsite.
In Scotland, wild camping is legal but refers to tents only. Motorhomes do not follow the same set of rules. However, in practice, wild camping for motorhomes is tolerated as long as you practice common sense.
Spain and Portugal
Maybe you are looking to experience some warmth, and you want to go wild camp in Spain or Portugal. But in Spain, you are generally not allowed to wild camp; the rules and regulations are strict, and the fines are high. But there are some car parks and rest areas where you might stay overnight. Here, you are allowed to only park and sleep in your motorhome; you cant show signs of camping (setting up your awning, opening side windows or putting your car on chocks).
In Portugal, the locals are very much in debate about whether wild camping should be allowed or not. Right now, it is officially allowed for a maximum of 48 hours, but there are several spots in Portugal where they’ve made local rules to ban wild camping. However, Portugal offers some great camping grounds at reasonable pricing as a good alternative.
Wild Camping Responsible
In summary, wild camping really differs per country, but it offers amazing opportunities to see other sides of the country. If you are going to a country to wild camp, please research the regulations and rules of that area before you do so.
Wherever you go, we really encourage you to be responsible if you go wild camping. Don’t go somewhere where there already are multiple vehicles. Minimize your impact by practising ‘Leave No Trace’ principles. Take your waste with you, respect your environment and be quiet so as not to disturb the locals, whether that be humans or animals.
If we want wild camping to stay possible in the future, we have to make sure we leave a positive impression.
