For so many, the allure of van life — and one of the main reasons the idea sounded so idyllic to us—was the idea of parking up in different secluded and beautiful locations every night! Van life gives you the freedom to hit the road and be as spontaneous as you like, yet finding suitable overnight wild parking spots can be a challenge. Read on as we help you identify where can you park as a van lifer in a safe and considerate way!
Table of Contents:
Understanding the Legalities
Before we delve into helping you find the perfect spot, let’s address the legalities of this way of life. Of course, the rules will differ wherever you go, but in England and Wales, you are technically only allowed to wild camp with the permission of the land owner. However, in many cases it’s extremely unlikey you’ll be able to indentify who this mysterious land owner is. In Scotland, camping is allowed on most wild land. However, this doesn’t strictly apply to vehicles. So, just where can you park as a van lifer?
While the legal landscape might seem daunting, van life is extremely popular in the UK, and it’s just important to use your common sense. If there are no signs stating you cannot park, or it’s not obviously owned land, you’re probably okay to park there. Van living certainly seems to be tollerated in the UK, and so to ensure that remains the case, it’s important to brush up on your wild camping etiquette!
Wild Camping Etiquette
Okay so when camping in the UK especially, as it’s not strictly legal its important to keep the locals and authorities happy, and theres a few ways to do this.
- Arrive late, and steer clear of residential properties.
- Use blackout blinds to make it less obvious you’re inside.
- Avoid “Camping behaviour”, Like getting out tables and chairs/generators ect.
- Park consideratley, if there’s already a ton of vans there maybe move on.
- If you’re staying for free around a small town or village, try to spend some money in the local area.
- LEAVE NO TRACE. If there are no bins, ensure you take all your rubbish with you and definitely do not empty your loo! The main reason that amazing spots are becoming unavailable to van lifers is due to people breaking this simple rule.
- Don’t have a campfire unless you are allowed to do so.
So Where can you Park and How to Find Overnight Park-ups?
Park4Night
The Most popular way to find where you can park is by using the app Park4Night. Here, you can see loads of community-listed spots; all you need to do is the leg work. When we’re in a new area and looking for somewhere to stay for the night, we’ll aim to find a few possible options. Just in case we head to one and find it’s unsuitable.
When using Park4Night, filter by star rating (We tend to go for four or above) and read the comments! The comments are usually pretty good, and people will let you know if they’ve had any issues at that spot. Park4Night can be free to use, but the paid filter gives you access to more filters.
Search for Sites
Search for Sites is another popular app. While it’s not as popular as Park4Night, once or twice, we’ve found great spots that weren’t listed on Park4Night, so it’s always worth giving it a check.
Google Maps Statellite View
You can use Google Maps’ satellite view to look around the area you’re in to see if you can find anywhere suitable to overnight. Many popular dog-walking routes have free, unrestricted car parks and are close to nature. So it’s worth looking for walking spots near you, then checking out the comments to see what the parking situation is like.
Pub Stays
Pub stays are a great option when you don’t feel like cooking and want to know you can *definitely stay somewhere for the night. Many pubs let you stay in the car park overnight in exchange for eating or drinking in the pub. You can find pubstays listed on Search for Sites, Google, or Britstops. You can also just ring up and ask if you are unsure. We’ve done some incredible pub stays with great food and even better views! Some pubs even let us fill up our water there, too.
Council Car Parks
In the UK, many council car parks are adapting to the popularity of van life…for a price. Many UK council-run car parks have started offering an overnight option for a small fee. While it’s not going to be a beauty spot, this is a great option if you’re planning to explore a town or city.
Insider Knowledge
One of the best ways to find where to park in van life is through word of mouth! Use online forums like Facebook or Instagram to talk to others and ask for their recommendations. You might just find a hidden gem this way.
Living on the Road
When you’re on a long trip or living on the road full time, it’s likely you’ll take advantage of all of these options. Sometimes, it’s stunning wild spots, fully immersed in nature, and other times, it’s a council car park or a lay-by. But isn’t that the beauty of van life?