Motorhomers still being fined on Algarve (1 Viewer)

ukbill

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 3, 2011
5,501
5,274
Pinoso
Funster No
18,740
MH
4 berth low profile
Exp
starting on saturday 10/3/2012
Vila do Bispo, Budens, Sagres i parked there couple months back with no problem

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Wildman

Free Member
May 30, 2008
0
8,470
Ilfracombe, Devon
Funster No
2,913
MH
Amazon Ambassador
Exp
since 1967
there is a distinction between parking and camping put anything outside the motorhome and you are camping, even a chair.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Oct 15, 2011
4,074
10,987
Not Glasgow
Funster No
18,482
MH
Carthago chic eline
Exp
Since 2011
We parked in a car park and never got fined,although we put everyhting away at night not like our neighbours who got moved on because they were siiting out late at night.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0601.JPG
    IMG_0601.JPG
    318.2 KB · Views: 205
Apr 11, 2015
5,353
54,332
hull
Funster No
35,812
MH
Laika Ecovip 300
Exp
since 1988 with breaks until 2009
We parked in a car park and never got fined,although we put everyhting away at night not like our neighbours who got moved on because they were siiting out late at night.
Looks very nice, where was that Trev?
 

Glandwr

Banned
Jul 10, 2014
1,057
3,301
the Berwyn Mountains
Funster No
32,350
MH
Hymer S740
Exp
since 2009
Don't get me wrong I wildcamp Iberia, Morocco, Italy etc. But occasionally I see vans (sometimes brits) doing it and think now they are taking the piss. If they are the ones being busted I'm with the authorities.

Dick
 

JJ

Mágica
May 1, 2008
19,228
47,725
Quinta Majay, Pinheiro Bordalo, Portugal
Funster No
2,459
MH
Burstner Privilege T
Exp
over 50 years
You MUST believe what you read in the papers.

You could be fined €22,500 for off-site parking/camping in Portugal.

179 fined already this YEAR. Why, that must be most of them then...

DO NOT come to Portugal in your motorhome and stop anywhere other than a proper campsite which charges you a nightly fee.

I advise you to stay in Spain or go to Morocco.

You are just asking for trouble if you off-site freeload in Portugal.

JJ :cool:

(That might cut the numbers down a bit... it was getting a tad difficult for me to get into my favourite spots last winter.)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Aug 29, 2010
842
1,234
Nuneaton. Only when I have to.
Funster No
13,456
MH
Hymer Exsis t564
Exp
Since Sept 2010
You MUST believe what you read in the papers.

You could be fined €22,500 for off-site parking/camping in Portugal.

179 fined already this YEAR. Why, that must be most of them then...

DO NOT come to Portugal in your motorhome and stop anywhere other than a proper campsite which charges you a nightly fee.

I advise you to stay in Spain or go to Morocco.

You are just asking for trouble if you off-site freeload in Portugal.

JJ :cool:

(That might cut the numbers down a bit... it was getting a tad difficult for me to get into my favourite spots last winter.)
See you in Silves next month, then?
 
Aug 27, 2009
19,788
23,032
Hertfordshire
Funster No
8,178
MH
Van Conversion
Exp
40 years
My son received an £80 fine this week for unavoidably crossing into a Barnet bus lane for 2 seconds spotted by camera not a bus in sight. Portugal you have never had it so good.......:)
 

Quintapedro

Campsite Owner Portugal
Feb 20, 2013
158
641
N37"09.24 W008"12.34
Funster No
24,758
MH
Motorhome Site
Exp
1
Hello dear Funsters

I only can say that I have a very good friend, that both un motorhome a couple of months ago ( 6 ) and is living in it, and for the last 6 months ha is exploring all tha Algarve cost line, staying a few days in some places and a week in others. ... and his experience is that if you respect a little bit the low you don't have problems. ..
yes he doesn't put a step to go in the mh or try to level it in perfect condition, but he seat out side and make a BBQ, and un till now, no problems. ...
Pedro
 
Jul 5, 2013
11,713
13,681
Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, UK
Funster No
26,797
MH
A class
Exp
Since 2013
We parked in a car park and never got fined,although we put everyhting away at night not like our neighbours who got moved on because they were siiting out late at night.
I think I recognise that place! A few miles up from Sagres. Beautiful sandy beach. We too stopped there, we had the awning and BBQ out but put them away at night. No problem with police, but then it was early in the year. I guess it could get full in summer.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

teknik155

Free Member
Apr 9, 2012
204
180
irthlingborough
Funster No
20,474
MH
c class
Exp
since 2002
after speaking to some full timers and police in portugal i believe i have the basic idea of the difference in parking and camping. Its the width of your vehicle ie if you increase the width of your van by opening windows ,awnings and putting out tables then you are increasing the width of you van and that is classed as camping behaviour.No increase in width then you are parking .
 

JJ

Mágica
May 1, 2008
19,228
47,725
Quinta Majay, Pinheiro Bordalo, Portugal
Funster No
2,459
MH
Burstner Privilege T
Exp
over 50 years
A Classic Hymer owner friend of mine (non Funster), and regular Algarve visitor, was surprised to arrive home months after leaving the Algarve, to find a letter from the Albufeira Camara which appeared to be fining him 60 odd euros for parking in his motorhome. (He wasn't even staying overnight there.)

On top of the fine, it appeared they wanted another €250 for being late paying. All this was in pages of official looking forms etc, all in Portuguese.

Obviously he contacted me.

We were both surprised they had taken the trouble to track him down to Ireland through his number plate.

Having forwarded me E copies of all the papers, I had a quick chat with a very successful Portuguese lawyer whom I know both professionally and socially.

After explaining the situation to him, he thought about it for 31 secs and asked if the papers were written in Portuguese.

"Yes".

"Does your friend understand Portuguese?"

"No."

"He has no case to answer. Under Portuguese law he has to be able to understand the charge."

My lawyer friend handed the case over to his firm's new partner (his son) and he is dealing with it.

Expensive bit of business though.

The fee is I have to pay for the next meal out!

JJ :cool:
 

camperstop messines

Free Member
Jan 29, 2015
27
72
Sao Bartolomeu de Messines
Funster No
34,924
MH
Sold it, not happy
Exp
Since 2008
Thing is here in Portugal that you never know when wild camping is allowed, and when not. Sometimes you stay on a spot a couple of days with no problem, then the next day you get moved on, sometimes fined, sometimes not. Just be aware that it is getting more and more difficult to do wild camping in the Algarve, due to the number of motorhomes visiting.

Do not be surprised to be told to move on before 16.00h (and do so), while still receiving a fine months later, as happened to one of my guests. Portugal seems like an "everything can happen Friday" everyday :)
 
H

Hagstrom

Deleted User
We got papers last month (October) for a parking offence in Portugal incurred last January. We were parked up during the day near the coast on the Algrave west of Faro but had 2 Fiamma levelling ramps out. These were the only items from inside the van that were outside it but this was classified as camping! The police took photographs of the levelling ramps - it was our only contravention of the parking laws.

Beware - the fine totalled £160-odd. Won't do it again!
 

camperstop messines

Free Member
Jan 29, 2015
27
72
Sao Bartolomeu de Messines
Funster No
34,924
MH
Sold it, not happy
Exp
Since 2008
We got papers last month (October) for a parking offence in Portugal incurred last January. We were parked up during the day near the coast on the Algrave west of Faro but had 2 Fiamma levelling ramps out. These were the only items from inside the van that were outside it but this was classified as camping! The police took photographs of the levelling ramps - it was our only contravention of the parking laws.

Beware - the fine totalled £160-odd. Won't do it again!


They sometimes do get a bit overexcited, our GNR. Officially here in Portugal you are considered "camping" when there is anything outside your van that increases the width of your van, like getting the awning out. Unfortunately, also using ramps, or even a step to get into the van more easily is not allowed. In this case you were at the wrong place at the wrong time I´m afraid, a day earlier or later and nothing might have happened. It´s bit unpredictable what the GNR will do on any given day.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

keith

Free Member
Aug 25, 2007
3,421
1,864
Ecclefechan
Funster No
168
MH
Autocruise Starseeker
Exp
Caravaning since 1974 - Motorhoming since 2003
Have your step 'out' = camping = .. fined ??

More reasons to spend 'hard earned' at home..

There are quite a few more reasons to spend time in Portugal Jim, the weather for one in winter.
We will still go but there are now many alternatives to wild camping so you pays your money and takes your pick.
 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,079
8,988
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
There are quite a few more reasons to spend time in Portugal Jim, the weather for one in winter.
We will still go but there are now many alternatives to wild camping so you pays your money and takes your pick.

yes, I know the reasons.. and I'm not an avid wilder.. but being fined for just having your step out is way OTT ...

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top