Motorhome parking space

A motorhome parking space is a publicly accessible parking space for mobile homes and motorhomes, on which you can stay overnight in the vehicle for one or more nights. Caravan combinations are also permitted on some of these pitches .

Among motorhome travelers, a general parking space that is not expressly designated as a motorhome parking space but is considered suitable for overnight stays is sometimes referred to as a “parking space”.

Motorhome parking space in Barßel

Differences to campsites

Motorhome parking spaces are usually only designed for a short stay (up to two or three nights) for recreational vehicles that have a closed sewage system and an on- board toilet (self-sufficient vehicles). A motorhome pitch therefore usually differs from a campsite in the following ways :

• You can arrive or depart at any time, including at night.
• There is no reception at which you have to log in or out.
• Sanitary facilities are not available at all or at least only to a limited extent.
• The construction of tents , including awnings, is not permitted.
• The stay is limited to a few nights, seasonal or long-term camping is not permitted.
• Lower accommodation prices, some free of charge.

In the case of chargeable spaces, the fee is usually to be paid at a parking ticket machine or a trusted cashier, less often with a cashier who comes to the space at certain times. Additional services offered on free parking spaces, such as fresh water supply or power connection, are usually chargeable. In addition, a voluntary contribution to costs (“donation”) is often asked for.

Furnishing

Simple parking space, also approved for cars. ( Kleve - Schenkenschanz )

In the simplest case, a motorhome parking space is a completely normal parking space , on which overnight stays in mobile homes are permitted by means of appropriate signs or notices. Such simple parking spaces can usually also be used by other types of vehicle such as cars or coaches.

As a rule, however, at least one supply and disposal station for fresh and waste water as well as waste containers are now part of the basic equipment of a parking space. More and more often (mostly coin-operated ) power connections are offered as an option and at least part of the existing parking space is reserved exclusively for motorhomes. This basic equipment can be supplemented, for example, by information boards, barbecue areas, picnic benches and public toilets.

As soon as showers or washing facilities are also offered, this is called a comfort parking space. Here the differences to regular campsites are becoming more and more blurred. In addition, more and more campsite operators are switching to offering parking spaces that are accessible at all times on their premises.

Legal situation

Motorhome parking spaces only meet the requirements placed on campsites in the respective country in a few exceptional cases. From a legal point of view, they are therefore usually not campsites, but parking spaces in the sense of the locally applicable road traffic law . That is why they are generally only allowed to be used by vehicles that have a closed sewage system and an on- board toilet .

Germany

The sign 365-67 "Wohn-mobilplatz" introduced in 2017, including the older, still valid combination of signs

Usually since 2017 the sign 365-67 “mobile home space ” has been used to designate a parking space in Germany . This sign only indicates a parking space; legal requirements or prohibitions do not apply because they are not mentioned in Appendix 3 of the Road Traffic Regulations. In addition, the combination of sign 314 “parking lot” and the additional sign 1010-67 “mobile homes” (up to 2017: additional sign 1048-17) is valid since 1992 . These characters are often supplemented by an additional character with a time limit. Parking areas marked with sign 314 and additional signs may only be used by mobile homes in accordance with the StVO . Similar traffic signs are used abroad in accordance with the relevant road traffic laws.

Most of the parking spaces are dedicated parking spaces, on which the competent authority - or, in the case of private spaces, the owner - allows a certain type of special use , namely overnight stays in mobile homes, under certain conditions. Other types of special use, such as barbecuing or spending the night in a caravan, may also be permitted. If other types of special use are permitted, this is usually regulated by a parking space statute posted on the site .

Otherwise, in Germany, spending the night in vehicles on public roads and parking lots is only to be regarded as permissible public use if it is necessary to restore the driver's ability to drive. This also applies to mobile homes. All facilities inside the vehicle may be used, but no “camping-like behavior” (setting up chairs and tables, barbecuing or extending the awning) outside the vehicle. Of course, local parking regulations must be observed. In addition, the impending incapacity to drive, for example due to fatigue after a long journey, must be the reason for going to the parking lot. If the incapacity to drive is only brought about after the vehicle has been parked - for example through alcohol consumption - this is no longer permissible for public use.

Austria

Similar regulations apply in Austria , with the exception of the state of Tyrol . In Tyrol, overnight stays in camping vehicles are only permitted on officially approved camping sites. This overnight stay ban also applies to private property. However, Tyrolean campsite operators may, with the approval of the responsible local authority, designate up to ten percent of their parking spaces as so-called "car camp sites" if these are clearly separated from the regular camping site. Autocamp spaces are also accessible outside the opening times of the campsite and may not be occupied by long-term campers, i.e. they are roughly equivalent to a motorhome parking space.

In the cities of Vienna and Salzburg, it is forbidden to stay overnight in mobile homes on public property.

France

In France, it is generally permitted to spend the night in camping vehicles on public roads and parking lots, except in front of listed buildings, in nature reserves and on the coast of the sea. In order to regulate the parking of mobile homes at night, the municipalities have designated a large number of motorhome parking spaces, often equipped with supply and disposal stations ( French Aire de stationnement / service Camping-Car ).

Sweden

Swedish sign: Husbilsplats

In Sweden, motorhomes are basically class II passenger cars ( Swedish Personbil class II ) and may therefore be parked like normal cars unless explicitly prohibited. Unless otherwise regulated by signs, there is a general parking time limit of 24 hours for all vehicles on public roads and parking lots on working days. Spending the night in a properly parked motorhome is generally permitted.

Since around 2006, numerous motorhome parking spaces have been set up in Sweden, often by reallocating existing parking spaces. The loan word Ställplats, which was taken over from the German, has also become naturalized and the original name Husbilsplats has largely been displaced. In contrast to other countries, caravan spans are also permitted on most parking spaces in Sweden. In order to standardize the signage, the transport authority Transportstyrelsen introduced a separate sign for motorhome parking spaces on December 1, 2017.

Switzerland

In Switzerland , the cantonal governments decide whether motorhome parking spaces can be set up and whether you can stay overnight in motorhomes outside of regular campsites. As of February 1, 2004, there was a general ban on overnight stays in the canton of Geneva only. In the other cantons, however, the municipal administrations can impose local bans.

Netherlands

Until the end of 2007 there was a strict ban on staying overnight on public land outside of campsites in the Netherlands . The designation of motorhome parking spaces by the municipalities was also only possible to a very limited extent. However, the corresponding law on outdoor recreation ( Dutch Wet op de openluchtrecreatie ) expired in early 2008. Since then, the municipal administrations have had the right to set up appropriate regulations for their territory and to designate motorhome parking spaces.

Numerous municipalities have taken advantage of this change in the law and set up motorhome parking spaces, but at the same time banned overnight stays outside the explicitly designated spaces. On November 24, 2009, the Reimerswaal municipality was the last Dutch municipality to prohibit overnight stays. This means that when it comes to spending the night outside of campsites and parking spaces, the condition from before 2008 has been restored.

Belgium

Belgian road sign E9h

Belgian traffic law does not differentiate between parking and spending the night in a motorhome. There is no general ban on overnight stays, but the municipal authorities can prohibit overnight stays on public premises. Motorhomes with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 tons may be parked for a maximum of eight hours within built-up areas, unless local signs allow a longer parking time. Parking with mobile homes is not permitted in specially designated parking spaces for cars. There are numerous motorhome parking spaces, which are identified with the traffic sign E9h (Parkeren uitsluitend voor kampeerauto's) . Only mobile homes are allowed to be parked in this way.

Rest of Europe

As a rule, the municipal administrations decide on the establishment of parking spaces and any special uses permitted there. For overnight stays outside of campsites or parking spaces, a case law based on “restoring fitness to drive” is largely unknown outside of Germany. A distinction is made much more often between parking and special use of public space. Unless otherwise required by local legislation, overnight use is usually only permitted inside the parked vehicle, as long as the corresponding parking is allowed, no special use of public space outside the vehicle takes place and no waste or sewage is left behind. Restrictions can result from the conspicuousness and the locally frequent occurrence of mobile homes, which can usually be recognized by the corresponding signs.

history

In May 1983, the climatic health resort of Viechtach in the Bavarian Forest was the first municipality in Germany to allow motorhomes to spend the night in some public parking lots in the city. Originally initiated as a pilot project by the then traffic director and limited to four months, the offer turned out to be so successful that it has been continued to this day. Even the pilot phase brought the Viechtach economy more than 200,000 DM additional income. Numerous other communities followed suit, so that by the end of 1985 there were already motorhome parking spaces in 71 towns.

The first RV port , a separate parking space exclusively for RVs, was set up in Rotenburg an der Fulda by the city administration, supported by several sponsors as part of a public private partnership , and opened in 1991. This place has received several awards. It existed in its original location until February 2011, but was then relocated to another location in the vicinity due to the construction of a new shopping center. Also in 1991, Nuremberg was the first major German city to open three motorhome parking spaces and had a supply and disposal station installed at an inner-city gas station.

In the 1980s, the first motorhome parking spaces were created in Switzerland, France ( Aire de stationnement camping-car ) and Italy ( Aree di sosta camper ). There are now several thousand parking spaces in Germany, France and Italy.

Since the late 2000s, many marina operators , especially in Scandinavia, have been discovering the provision of motorhome parking spaces as an additional source of income. Many marinas are predestined for this, because they are often in a scenic location and usually already have the appropriate infrastructure (e.g. sanitary facilities and power connections). In addition, there are large, paved parking spaces on the grounds of many marinas, where craned boats are parked in winter, but which are empty in the season and are therefore well suited as motorhome parking spaces.

Acceptance and economic importance

Many places in tourist areas prohibit overnight stays in caravans and motorhomes in parking lots and instead refer to campsites. However, since many motorhome travelers are more interested in a spontaneous, short-term stay (for example for a city tour followed by a restaurant visit), this is often not accepted. In addition, campsites are often located outside the urban area.

Studies (2009/2010) also came to the conclusion that motorhome tourists who spend the night on pitches outside of campsites spend about the same amount of money at the place of accommodation as campsites holidaymakers. Municipalities not only hope that the designation of motorhome pitches will help Avoidance of the uncontrolled use of mobile homes for overnight stays in public traffic areas, but also the promotion of the local economy and thus an increase in trade tax revenues .

Simple motorhome parking spaces can be created in existing parking spaces that are not used at night (for example at schools, swimming pools or sports halls) without significant expense. Even where the structural or economic requirements for a regular campsite are not met. And since self-sufficient mobile homes do not depend on the infrastructure that is directly available at the site, supply and disposal facilities can also be set up some distance from the parking space, for example at the local sewage treatment plant.

Web links

Commons : Motorhome Parking Lot  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ulrich Dähn: Spending the night in a mobile home on German roads. (No longer available online.) In: Wohnmobilrecht.de. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011 ; Retrieved February 8, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ OLG Schleswig, Az. 1 Ss OWi 33/02
3. ↑ Tyrolean Camping Act 2001 (PDF; 35 kB) Accessed on January 21, 2015 . 
4. ^ Ordinance of the City of Vienna's Magistrate regarding the ban on camping. City of Vienna City Administration, accessed on January 21, 2015 . 
5. ↑ Camping outside of campsites. (PDF) Magistrate of the City of Salzburg, October 23, 2013, accessed on January 21, 2015 . 
6. ↑ Code de l'urbanisme. Article R * 111-41 ff. In: Legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved February 9, 2011 (French). 
7. ↑ Stanna och parkera. (PDF) Transportstyrelsen, December 1, 2015, p. 5 , accessed on January 19, 2018 (Swedish). 
8. ↑ Se upp för nya vägmärken! Transportstyrelsen, November 2, 2017, accessed January 19, 2018 (Swedish). 
9. ↑ Spending the night in the canton ... (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on March 17, 2010 ; Retrieved February 9, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ↑ Hansweert krijgt plaatsen campers. In: PZC.nl. November 25, 2009, accessed February 9, 2011 (Dutch). 
11. ↑ Verkeersreglement. Article 27.5. BEPERKING VAN HET LONG-DURING PARKING. In: wegcode.be. Vias institute, accessed January 25, 2019 (Dutch). 
12. ↑ Verkeersreglement. Article 70. Verkeersborden concerning het stilstaan ​​en het parkeren. In: wegcode.be. Vias institute, accessed January 25, 2019 (Dutch). 
13. ↑ Sabine Scholz: This is how the ball got rolling . (PDF) In: Reisemobil International . 2008, No. 3, August, pp. 138-140. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
14. ↑ Motorhome tourism. In: Rotenburg.de. City of Rotenburg an der Fulda, accessed on February 9, 2011 . 
15. ↑ Mobile homes will be located elsewhere in the future. In: HNA.de. February 16, 2011, accessed March 4, 2011 . 
16. ↑ The "Nuremberg Model": Supply / disposal stations and places to stay for mobile homes in Nuremberg. (PDF) (No longer available online.) City of Nuremberg, Office for Economic Affairs, archived from the original on January 3, 2007 ; Retrieved July 23, 2008 . 
17. ↑ Study 587 - The Camping Market in Germany 2009/2010. (PDF) BMWi, accessed on January 27, 2015 . 
18. ↑ PROJECT M, FH Eberswalde & promobil (eds.): RV tourism in Germany - an empirical basic study . Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-8283-7711-4 .