Parking, overnight stays and camping are not the same thing

Before talking about the law, something that causes almost all the confusion on the subject must be clarified: parking, overnight stays and camping are three different things, and the law treats them very differently.

Park it is simply parking the vehicle, just as you would with a car. It does not involve spending the night inside.

Stay overnight it means staying inside the vehicle, already parked, to sleep. The motorhome remains on its wheels, without putting anything outside.

Camping it is something completely different: it means taking elements outside the vehicle — awning, table, chairs, extended stabilizer legs — and occupying space beyond the motorhome's own perimeter.

This difference is the key to everything. Generally speaking, parking and spending the night inside the vehicle, without deploying anything, is treated as normal parking. Camping, on the other hand, is only permitted in campsites or areas specifically designated for that purpose.

What the law says in Spain in 2026

In March 2026, the Directorate-General for Traffic published an updated instruction regarding motorhomes (PROT 2026/04, which replaces the 2023 version). It confirms a principle that was already being applied: a properly parked motorhome does not cease to be parked simply because its occupants are sleeping inside, provided that no awnings, tables, chairs or any other elements that extend the perimeter of the vehicle are deployed.

Put differently: for traffic purposes, you cannot be fined simply for sleeping inside a properly parked vehicle. But this does not amount to general authorisation to stay overnight anywhere in Spain. The instruction regulates only the traffic aspect; each autonomous community has its own tourism regulations, and every local council can use municipal bylaws to limit where you can or cannot park. Therefore, the actual situation always depends on the specific place where you happen to be, rather than a single national law covering the entire country.

The Coastal Waters Act and the beach areas

This is the point that generates the most doubt, so I want to be very clear about it.

The Shores Act expressly prohibits camping and setting up campsites on beaches and in their zone of influence. This includes pitching tents or deploying elements of your motorhome on the sand itself or in the surrounding servitude strip.

What you can do is park your motorhome in a designated parking space near the coast — as you would with any car — and sleep inside without deploying anything. That is parking, not camping, and the Coastal Act does not prohibit it as long as parking is permitted for vehicles in general. That said, it is worth knowing that in practice some officers interpret this area more rigidly than the letter of the law indicates, so avoid staying right on the edge of the coastal strip if you have doubts, and prioritise car parks clearly away from the sand.

Confusion usually comes from very different cases: motorhomes that drive straight onto the sand, or that set up in a car park with an awning, table and chairs outside, taking up more space than they are entitled to. That certainly is camping, and that is where there can be a penalty, both under the Costas Act and local regulations.

How does this work in the Valencian Community

Working in Alicante, it is the question my clients ask me the most.

In 2021, a decree was published by the regional government of Valencia regarding tourist accommodation that caused considerable alarm in the sector, as it seemed to equate the use of motorhomes with «free camping», which is banned in the region. The uproar was such that the General Directorate of Tourism of the regional government itself had to issue an official clarification: the parking of motorhomes, with or without the intention of overnight stay, is excluded from that decree, because it is not a matter of tourism competence, but of traffic.

In practice, this means that in the Valencian Community, generally speaking, you can park your motorhome and sleep inside it anywhere that parking is permitted, as long as you do not deploy anything outwards — although, just like in the rest of Spain, each local council retains its own authority to restrict parking for objective reasons. What is strictly prohibited is wild camping itself — putting out an awning, table, or chairs — outside of campsites and authorised areas.

How does this work in Andalusia

It is a good example of a community with a considerably stricter policy, and it is worth knowing if your route takes you that way.

The Andalusian decree regulating this matter establishes as a general rule that camping and overnight stays for holiday or leisure purposes outside tourist campsites are prohibited. This wording is more restrictive than the Valencian one, and although the 2026 DGT instruction clarifies that sleeping inside your properly parked vehicle does not automatically make you «camping» for traffic purposes, that clarification does not override Andalusian tourism regulations. In other words: in Andalusia you can run into trouble for staying overnight outside a designated area, even without setting anything up, if the administration interprets it as unregulated tourism.

My practical recommendation if you are travelling around Andalusia is simple: prioritise campsites and specific motorhome areas, and if you decide to park on the street to sleep, choose urban areas where it is obvious that it is a normal parking space, check the signage and consult Park4Night to see if other travellers have had problems at that specific spot.

When it is worth choosing a campsite

Although most travellers don't stay in campsites every day, I personally like them. Especially when travelling with children.

Sometimes we choose a campsite not for the place to sleep, but for everything it offers. A good swimming pool, a water park, play areas and other activities can become an important part of the trip. On some occasions we go to a campsite for several days simply so that the children can play, swim and enjoy themselves in peace.

Campsites are also a very practical stop during the journey. There you can fill up with water, empty your grey water and toilet cassette, do your laundry, have a shower, eat in a restaurant or simply rest for a few hours before continuing your route.

If you're travelling as a couple or looking for more freedom, it's not necessary to spend every night at a campsite. But for families with children, for areas with stricter regulations like Andalusia, or as a one-off stop during the trip, I think it's an excellent option.

The only thing I recommend bearing in mind is the high season. If you want to stay at a specific and very popular campsite, it is best to book in advance. In summer, some campsites can fill up completely.

Install Park4Night before the trip

Before going on a trip, I recommend installing the Park4Night app. With it, you can quickly find places to spend the night, view photographs and read reviews from other travellers, including whether anyone has had problems with local regulations at that specific spot.

I use it constantly during my travels and I also recommend it to all my clients.