Away With The Steiners

Driving, motorhome parking and finding free camping in Spain. 

Sarah Steiner

Exploring Spain by motorhome is an awesome experience!  There is stunning scenery, sunshine, beaches, mountains, tapas and much more.  And although free camping in Spain is technically a grey area we found some great free motorhome parking spots in Spain to share. 

Read on for everything you need to know about driving, parking and the options for campsites and free camping in Spain. 

A little bit about Spain

Useful information traveling in Spain by motorhome

Driving a motorhome in Spain is like much of Europe.  Here a few tips specific to vanlife that will make your Spanish tour even more seamless. 

In the smaller towns shops often close for lunch (from 1-3pm).

However we do recommend keeping cash on hand as occasionally some places don’t accept Visa. 

Service Stations: BP, Eni, Cepsa, Esso, Carrefour, Total, Shell, Avia.

In smaller towns and cities service stations are only open 8am-8pm. 

In some supermarkets there are recycling stations that take bottles (glass and plastic) where you feed them into a machine and it tallies up a total refund for the recycling you receive. 

It costs around 5 Euro for a washing load and 3 Euro for 15 mins of drying. 

Lavadora or laundry in Spain.
Lavanderia or laundromat in Spain.

Do you need a vignette for travel by motorhome in Spain? 

No. In Spain, no vignettes are applied for driving throughout the country. 

Driving in Spain 

Driving in Spain is much like most of Europe with a mixture of motorways, highways and smaller country roads.

Spain drives on the right side of the road.  Drivers must be aged 18 or over and hold a full, valid driving licence to legally drive in Spain.

There are two types of motorway in Spain:

The well-known AP7 runs all the way down the Mediterranean coast. 

Toll roads on the Autopista in Spain.

Speed limits in Spain 

Spain uses the metric system for all road signs, meaning speed limits and other road signs including distance are indicated using kilometres and metres.

General (check signs for specific areas) speed limits: 

Is free camping in Spain legal in a motorhome? 

The short answer is no. Wild camping and free camping in Spain is generally not legal and there are strict regulations in place to prevent it. 

Spain proudly has a long history of protecting its natural environment and wildlife, and the government has implemented measures to regulate outdoor activities and camping.

However, this largely applies to camping and wild-camping in nature areas.  While the realities of traveling in Europe by motorhome means that free camping is most often in towns and cities. Thus there are ways to abide by the rules and regulations and still find spots for free camping in Spain by motorhome.  

On the AP7 heading southwards towards Algeciras. Can you see Gibraltar in the distance?

Finding free camping in Spain

This is the best app for finding free camping in Spain:

You can download the app on your phone and search all kinds of parking lots (day/night), campsites, free motorhome areas and motorhome service areas and paid parking. 

The app offers a paid Park4night+ version:

We recommend paying the small fee to Park4Night to upgrade to the membership level. 

Types of motorhome parking and free camping in Spain 

There are three main types of motorhome parking in Spain: 

Paid parking in Spain (or ‘Aire’s’) are designated motorhome parking areas. Most often they are in smaller towns a little way off the highway and motorway and more commonly away from the toll roads. 

An Aire may have just four or five parking spaces (like the free Aire near Valencia). Or they can have a small fee for a safe parking space (we stayed in a paid parking Aire near the beach in Malaga). 

For the sake of this blog we are going to call them ‘campsites’ or parking as that covers motorhome parking, paid Aire’s and free camping in Spain.  There are a mixture of both!

Is it safe free camping in Spain? 

Unfortunately, especially in the north east, Barcelona and Mediterranean coast of Spain; the region is notorious and known for robberies to motorhomes. 

We didn’t want to believe it but even checking the sites on Park4Night you can read the reviews and sadly find some parking lots that aren’t safe for spending the night.  

Spain has many great options for parking once you know where to start looking.  And even the fees for a paid Aire in Spain are nothing like paid campsites in Spain and Costa del Sol which start around 30 EUR per night.

WHERE WE STAYED – Motorhome parking and free camping in Spain we recommend 

The following are some of our favourite motorhome parking and spots for free camping in Spain that we found during our travel by motorhome in Europe during 2022 – 2024. 

Some of the places we have visited more than once and certainly are all places we can recommend for your Europe roadtrip. 

The following is one paid campsite and 10 parks for free camping in Spain.

BARCELONA: Camping El Mansou 

About: Good for being close to Barcelona.  Facilities are basic with dated bathroom facilities but all functions.  Safe place to park vehicle and easy to get the train to Barcelona (trains run regularly – buy 2-Zone ticket).  Payment in cash only.

Note this is a paid campsite which we recommend as a safe place to park your vehicle to visit Barcelona by train. 

Visiting Barcelona by motorhome (and train) is a great experience.

10 Recommended Parking Spots for Free Camping in Spain

Here are ten spots for free camping in Spain!

REUS: 1 T-310 

About: Four motorhome parking spaces for overnight. Supermarket car park and service station including car wash and vacuum.  

There is a self-service laundry area with washing machines and driers.  A handy free camping in Spain stop between Andorra and Valencia.

MANISES – VALENCIA: Manises 190 Placa Num 7

About: Handy as an overnight stopover heading south.  Opposite sports field and school. Five minutes’ walk to supermarket in residential area. We stayed here heading north and south on the coast of Spain. 

ALMERIA – Roquetas de Mar

About: One of three places in Roquetas reserved for motorhomes. Overnight allowed. There are 15 places reserved for motorhome parking right on the beach next to promenade and restaurant.

Note that camping-like behaviour is expressly forbidden by a sign and can be punished with heavy fines. Good for one night stopover heading north or south along the coast. 

Stopping at a motorway motorhome service area somewhere in the north of Spain.

ALGECIRAS: Cortijillos

About: Parking just by McDonalds and Lidl a short drive from Algeciras Ferry Port.

This is the best place to spend the night before taking the ferry from Algeciras to Tangier Med, Morocco with your motorhome.  

ALGECIRAS: Castellar de la Frontera

About: Handy official motorhome parking area for the night before the ferry from Spain to Morocco.  Castellar de la Frontera is a small village about 30 minutes’ drive from Algeicras Port.  

While there is free parking closer to Algeciras in the supermarket carpark this is the only nearby option, we found with complete motorhome services and somewhere to empty black waste. 

CADIZ: Playa de la Puntilla

About: A large free carpark right on the beach.  Handy free camping in Spain to visit Cadiz.  Partially paved.

Every Sunday there is a market just on the beach promenade.  Short walk to restaurants with tapas (of course). 

BURGOS: 27 Calle Gonzola

About: Close to town centre and walking distance to supermarkets and restaurants.  There are 24 allocated motorhome parks (we got the last parking spot that night) however the overflow can go into the main carpark.  

MONESTERIO: 8 N-630 

About: Parking lot right next door to a supermarket.  We didn’t honestly have the best night’s sleep as it was close to New Year’s Eve and there were lots of fireworks at night! Aside from New Year’s celebrations it was a convenient and safe spot to park. 

Kitchen views from our free parking spot in Monesterio, Spain.

MONESTERIO: A-66

About: Huge truck stop including night security, showers, restaurants, and service station.

Free camping in Spain? The verdict?

Spain is a great country to travel in Europe by motorhome. There are many designated motorhome parking areas, highway stops with motorhome services and small places for free camping in Spain.

Happy travels! Viajes felices!

Read more about travel in Europe and Morocco by motorhome

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