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Sleeping in your car or camper in the UK and Europe. Is it allowed ? Sleeping in your car or camper in the UK and Europe. Is it allowed ?
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  #1  
Old 26 Oct 2008
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Sleeping in your car or camper in the UK and Europe. Is it allowed ?
Is this legal ?? No one I ask seems to know.

If i want to go somewhere, park up and kip in my car on a public road.. can I ?? If someone complained, could the plod move me on etc ??

I've always fancied getting a cheap camper van and tour the UK or Europe. Just parking up on a quiet road for the night..

Obviously, private land is fine with the owners permission.
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Last edited by *Touring Ted*; 11 Jun 2009 at 07:27.
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Old 26 Oct 2008
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Why not ?
When I lived in rural Blighty I used to fetch the cows in for milking in the morning and occasionally came across a car parked in a gateway with a slumbering occupant .They weren't doing any harm - so why worry ?

Sometimes I think the Brits are obsessed by rules, regulations and laws .
Just park out of the way and snore to your heart's content and bugger to anybody who says otherwise !
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Old 27 Oct 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodger View Post
Why not ?
When I lived in rural Blighty I used to fetch the cows in for milking in the morning and occasionally came across a car parked in a gateway with a slumbering occupant .They weren't doing any harm - so why worry ?

Sometimes I think the Brits are obsessed by rules, regulations and laws .
Just park out of the way and snore to your heart's content and bugger to anybody who says otherwise !
Why not exactly !!!

Thats my problem, everything seems to be illegal here now. Even if it wasnt, no doubt I would be offending somebodys religion or public rights if i parked up for a snooze in a beat up camper..
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Old 27 Oct 2008
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If you say

"I was too tired to drive on" what can they do ? Make you have a crash?!

Provided you are not close to a place to stay they should leave you alone.
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Old 27 Oct 2008
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I found parking late and flopping straight down, after I'd eaten and sorted my stuff out somewhere else, makes for a quiet night.

Service stations are good for the three esses, so worth the detour.

Ordinary car parks are ok, but many don't allow camper vans - and if they're within a few minutes from towns, especially the edges of coastal towns, they are often meeting places for young people during the evening and early hours.

My favourite place for motorised vagrancy is France, because of all the Air du Repose and Lidls.

Good luck with it.
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Last edited by teflon; 27 Oct 2008 at 05:43.
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Old 27 Oct 2008
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Don't try it in service stations on the motorway, there's a maximum time you're allowed there before having to pay a parking fee.
I slept around in the UK for years, and in campers and cars, just give a bit of thought to picking your spot and drop off.
It's not illegal unless you're breaking some parking law somewhere.
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Old 20 Aug 2015
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if you are travelling in New Zealand or Australia check out www.park-sleep.co.nz or Freedom Camping - Camping NZ - New Zealand Holiday | Park Sleep
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