Coastal camper vans causing concern (1 Viewer)

[scotjimland]

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Coastal camper vans causing concern

RTN HAS been contacted by several Orihuela Costa residents with regards to the presence of several campervans on the Mercadona car park in Playa Flamenca. A large number of vans seem to pay an annual visit to this plot of land, especially during this time of year and residents are frustrated that the van owners are using this plot of land as a ‘free’ campsite and worry about the hygiene implications of having so many people there with only basic toilet facilities.

 

[GJH]

So much for off site camping being welcome everywhere in Europe then

 

[vwalan]

this is where we have to use the eu law . are you camping or parking. camping isnt allowed .parking is . all comes back to the 08/v-74 instructions in spain. i have had a few discusions in guardia civil offices about this . i use it and it works . does take abit of hassle sometimes. and you may get arrested . but keep showing a copy and abide by their rules its ok. all the fun of the travelling game. arrest you today ,have coffee with you tomorrow. unfortunately most m,homers do not abide with the rules and make it bad for innocent folk like me .hee hee.

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[spannermanwigan]

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Written in English by some one English about probably English
Whinging like the English, about what someone else considers
a nice way to live/holiday, in a part of another country where
the real locals, the Spaniards DONT mind at all, in fact they welcome it.

Regards

Steve

 

[redchad]

Link Removed

Written in English by some one English about probably English
Whinging like the English, about what someone else considers
a nice way to live/holiday, in a part of another country where
the real locals, the Spaniards DONT mind at all, in fact they welcome it.

Regards

Steve

The problem is very few of the local residents down there are Spanish. I was down there in December not in the MH and was shocked at the number of vans parked up which was over 40. As im gonna be touring myself this year i went over and had a mooch, out of the 40 vans 2 were Brits and a couple of Dutch the others were German and these were big vans. Nearly all are down for the winter but questions do spring to mind such as where do they dispose of grey water and empty the toilets. as there are no public ones nearby. I consider myself responsible but you only need 1 out of the 40 the ruin it for everyone else

 

[bobandjanie]

Link Removed

Written in English by some one English about probably English
Whinging like the English, about what someone else considers
a nice way to live/holiday, in a part of another country where
the real locals, the Spaniards DONT mind at all, in fact they welcome it.

Hi there, do you know for a fact that the Spanish, as a population, do not mind or in fact welcome it? IMHO, the Spanish being human just like the rest of us, you will find that there will be some that do not care either way, or possibly even notice. There will be others that think it is a bloody cheek. Others that wish they felt they could do it and others who are affected by it, do not like it and think these people should pay to park like so many of them do. I must say most Spanish vans I have seen have been camping on sites rather than being parked wherever they want. Funnily enough on one campsite a Spanish van was displaying the regulations. The waste issue, is of course, the biggest of all, some van owners are irresponsible and will tip it wherever they feel they can get away with it.
Jane

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[spannermanwigan]

The problem is very few of the local residents down there are Spanish.

Exactly the point i was trying to make...

Talk about the Kettle calling the pan Black!

The people doing the complaining are not locals, they are the same as you and me
and those motorhomers, people from other countries except they want to rule the place,
just because they bought a few bricks and mortar,(or time shared them).

there are aire de servicios for camping cars in that area to go to empty their waste,
as the report says, the local police DONT have a problem with the motorhomes.

Regards
Steve

 

[chatter]

This used to be a big problem in Mazarron, vans used to park up most of the winter on the rough ground area near the beach and along the front and in roads off the front road. The Spanish have a addressed this problem now and the whole area has been turned into a pedestrian prom with no vehicles allowed and a new road put in further back for access to the town

 

[vwalan]

lets be fair ,there are places where anything up to 200 or so vans get there in november and dont move till april or may. . i,m sure lots of locals will be put out by it. i thought the idea was a few days here few days there . thats what i try to do . but see some year after year in their place.
we have park ups where locals invite us to parties . even to weddings etc . some even ring us to know when to expect us . but i,m sure their neighbors arent so keen.
know a lovely place in roquetas de mar at first i thought dont know about this .but now mos of the locals come out nd greet us . not a place i want to stay along time but i know we could one or to others do.
bu we cant camp, no chairs etc ,even the steps must not touch the ground . the police are great but have explained all the regs to us . they liked the idea i carry the letter fro the interiour minister.but if we camp we must go.
have fun . it will be an on going thing.
another friend found a letter when his dad died . it was from them saying all the park ups in spain were disapearing and they might not tour spain soon.
it was dated 1976 ,so its been going on a long time.

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[scotjimland]

The people doing the complaining are not locals, they are the same as you and me
and those motorhomers, people from other countries except they want to rule the place,
[HI]just because they bought a few bricks and mortar[/HI],(or time shared them).

I think they have every right.. they have bought property and pay taxes the same as a local but have no rights ?

nothing wrong with stopping for a night .. but these don't , they stay the winter .. effectively making it an unofficial site ... this is not travelling .. but FREELOADING ..

 

[darklord]

The Croatians sorted the problem another way, they call motorhomers "tomato people" because they only buy fruit and veg from the roadside stalls and put little else into the economy, so they intorduced a "tourist tax" which everyone has to pay, I think it was 70p per day last time i went.
In the great scheme of things, and on a moral level, I would sooner pay "something" rather than nothing and have a clear concience and welcoming locals myself, but each to their own.

 

[thefman]

the worlds policeman talking bollox again Oh Please!

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[wivvy's dad]

the worlds policeman talking bollox again Oh Please!

? ? ?

 

[JJ]

In the good old days we vanners were able to longterm, off site park in Cabanas in the Eastern Algarve. Some on the beach side road and some in amongst the orange trees. Invisible to any residents and appreciated by the local traders.

A big sign went up advertising a huge new development of apartments closely followed by a sales booth.

Much to the disgust of the vanners I went in to enquire about the prices etc.

When I came out I explained to everyone that if I bought a sea facing flat with balcony I would be the first person to complain about the free loading motorhomers spoiling my view...

Luckily I didn't buy... (the original people took all the deposits of 20% and ran off with the money to Brazil!)

Now it is a horrible, soul less tourist spot with empty apartments (except for a few weeks in season) motor homes banned and no people around anymore.

JJ :Cool:

I "off site" park but rarely choose to do so with hundreds of other vans... imo YUCCKKK...

 

[zaskar]

Hmmmm.Ok, so this is our first time down here. We're NOT massivly experienced and we're NOT rich having given up our jobs for a less well payed lifestyle when we get back, but, from what we've seen here on the Costa Blanca, fly campers get all the sh*t they deserve!!!:Angry:
Some people will park ANYWHERE just cos its bl***dy free! For crying out loud, show some class! You've payed MULTI thousands for a nice rig and then show yourselves up for being a tight ar$ed sod and not using sites! Some of the places we've seen van staying just begger belief! Down from us in Calpe, there's a side street where at least 7 vans have been on every night, one of them a Bishoff Niesman (sp) A class which even second hand must have cost a bomb! Is it any wonder locals get peed off?
I'm all for the freedom aspect of the lifestyle, in fact, we stayed one night in a French forrest on the way down here and it was wonderfull, but the fact is, we were a "one off" van in an isolated area!
If your gonna do it, find some where quite/isolated where your presence isn't gonna wind locals up but if you''re gonna use urban areas (as they seem to do here!) dont be surprised if you get moved on or talked about!
BTW, from what I've seen here, there doesn't seem to be a front runner in tight a$ed fly campers between any of the European nations.

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[vwalan]

hi zaskar,it might seem strange but the guardia prefer you to be in urban areas .they even direct campers to streets lined with hotels etc. its another way of thinking down in spain. takes a bit of getting used to.go to the beach in the day return to the town at night . we used to park right outside the police stations in some places . if you parked anywhere else they told you to move. calpe they.let you park out on the lidl area and round to the other super market . some do it every year have been for years .
it doesnt follow normal uk thinking but works there. have fun .

 

[zaskar]

............ calpe they.let you park out on the lidl area and round to the other super market .................[/or years .
QUOTE]

That's the very street I'm talking about.....................funny how tonight they've all been moved on and there's NO ONE there? Perhaps they're all at the policemans ball?oh:

Edit +=

And while we're at it , (thanks Mrs Zaskar for rreminding me!) how abou the German guy who was moved on last week for wiring his hook up into the lamp post!!!!!!!!! Cheers you kn*b! thats gonna do us ALL a favour!

 

[scotjimland]

That's the very street I'm talking about.....................funny how tonight they've all been moved on and there's NO ONE there? Perhaps they're all at the policemans ball?oh:

I'm like you, frankly I can't see the sense in buying a $$$$$$$$ rig and parking up by a supermarket... it's not being tight .. it's way beyond tight ..

I could understand a couple of poor kids in a beat up camper on a surfing trip ... but many of them are loaded.. they are just freeloading tossers who are giving motorhomers a real bad image.

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[vwalan]

it happens .bet theres more tomorrow. .just move on to another place . we wuld say time to move anyway. loads of places most are far better than there as well. its a game .

 

[zaskar]

it happens .bet theres more tomorrow. .just move on to another place . we wuld say time to move anyway. loads of places most are far better than there as well. its a game .

........and in the meantime, DECENT vanner's like me, and a great many others, gets tarred with the same brush!
CHEERS!!!!!!oh:

 

[vwalan]

itys been happening since way back in the 60,s . its actually not really got any worse for a few years . bet theres thousands free parking in spain . more thousands in portugal. get to maroc and even more . 26,000 campers hitmaroc in the winter . they all have to come back so wait till march april every little gap is full. its normal.
near agadir there used to be as many as 3-4000 on the beach. you are only seeing a hand full at the momet. yes it must be a shock if its your first time.
just up the coast from you between denia and cullera i bet theres thousands there now. i could name more places . some even get mail delivered by the postman.
i know some people that are on a postcard with their camper . they have parked in the same place for so many winters every one knows them that live localy . its another world over there.

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[wander]

calpe they.let you park out on the lidl area and round to the other super market . some do it every year have been for years .

As someone who lives in Calpe I can tell you that there are plenty of locals, Spanish and otherwise who get fed up with the influx of freeloading motorhomers who just park up anywhere they like and who no doubt dump their grey and toilet waste on the nearest bit of waste ground for ramblers and dog walkers to trudge through. They are not just here for one night but some for the whole winter. There are plenty of camp sites all along the coast so why don't you do the decent thing and use them. I bet if you had a load of vans parked up your street in the UK or in your supermarket carpark you'd be the first to be up in arms and complain!

 

[vwalan]

got one on my drive now from germany. i think many of our super markets could allow it . i will not complain. many lidls in spain openly encourage it.
i can agree some do stay far too long. i was really trying to explain to zaskar that as his first time it may seem strange . but as you know there are thousands out there . i doubt there is enough campsites to accomadate them all. to me its just normal. infact there could be less in spain now as maroc as got alot more now. tunisia is also getting alot more m,homes .
plus alot are driving down to gambia.

 

[zaskar]

..................... to me its just normal. .

............and I think there, lies your argument?

I'm trying to see the wider picture.

I love my lifestyle. A great many "house dwellers" do NOT, so I prefer not to antagonise them.:thumb:

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[JJ]

Thanks Zaskar... :thumb:

I was worried Fun was getting a bit bland for me...

Haven't been "sparked up" about a post for ages...

I feel obliged to point out that just because some one chooses NOT to park up on a paid site, next door (and in straight lines) with LOADS of other vans etc (like a squashed up housing estate) does NOT NECESSARILY MEAN they are tight with their money..

Thank you for getting me out of bed to post this... I needed to get up despite working all through last night (and day)...

JJ :Cool:

I struggle to understand why people would want to spend month after month in one place with loads of strangers, be it free or paid... for me motor homes mean flexibilty and freedom from rules and rubbish neighbours...

 

[vwalan]

life is differant for all. just as well we all dont like the same.
i think campsitesare like prison or concentration camps . cant understand anyone using them but i,m glad they do leaves more room outside. can i just say i hope none of us fall out .
it might be that oneday free camping/parking is finished . but i know its been going on for 50 yrs . mind we did use sites in the early 60,s as well as village squares etc. its also going on right round the med maybe not in libya at the moment .but syria egypt etc turkey you name it thousands more . makes interesting discusion though. have fun where ever you stop .

 

[2657]

Thanks Zaskar... :thumb:

I was worried Fun was getting a bit bland for me...

Haven't been "sparked up" about a post for ages...

I feel obliged to point out that just because some one chooses NOT to park up on a paid site, next door (and in straight lines) with LOADS of other vans etc (like a squashed up housing estate) does NOT NECESSARILY MEAN they are tight with their money..

Thank you for getting me out of bed to post this... I needed to get up despite working all through last night (and day)...

JJ :Cool:

I struggle to understand why people would want to spend month after month in one place with loads of strangers, be it free or paid... for me motor homes mean flexibilty and freedom from rules and rubbish neighbours...

Agree with your last comment but why else other than to save money would anyone park up door to door at places like Vila Real de Santo Antonio. I stop on sites for month on end because I find quiet sites with a FEW like minded people who become friends but move when I FEEL like it. As Eccles said ' everybody's got to be somewhere' You seem to like 'meets' or rallies what are they if not organised camp sites!! Never been to one, never will !!

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[Reallyretired]

I quite agree. I stay on sites/aires/whatever but my prime idea is to have peace and quiet in a pleasant place with a pronounced absence of lots of other people. Whether I have to pay for it is immaterial, I certainly wouldn't choose a crowded free place if I could have a bit of space in a paid one.

I make an exception for meets/rallies occasionally, not completely antisocial.

 

[JJ]

Agree with your last comment but why else other than to save money would anyone park up door to door at places like Vila Real de Santo Antonio. I stop on sites for month on end because I find quiet sites with a FEW like minded people who become friends but move when I FEEL like it. As Eccles said ' everybody's got to be somewhere' [HI]You seem to like 'meets' or rallies what are they if not organised camp sites!! [/HI]Never been to one, never will !!

Afraid you won't be able to do any point scoring by bringing up Funsters' Meets being on official sites with me... matamoros.

In post after post after post after post I state that I RARELY visit any paid for sites except for meets... Why anyone would want to try to "pull me up" on this, confuses me... as the teenagers say "and your (attempted) point is?"

As for the people who DO park where YOU think it is horrid... well here are SOME possiblities that come to my mind...

Maybe they are cheapskates...

Maybe they have spent all their money on the motorhome...

Maybe they lost their jobs, had their home repossessed and are now living hand to mouth the best way they know how...

Maybe they are there because they, and their friends enjoy it there...

Maybe they need every penny they have to pay for medicine for their sick child...

Maybe they arrived too late to get into the [STRIKE]concentration[/STRIKE] campsite...

There are reasons for everything... many times though we don't KNOW what those reasons are...

I state again... the reasons people do not park on "paid for sites" are not necessarily for economic reasons...

JJ :Cool:

 

[zaskar]

Thanks Zaskar... :thumb:
I was worried Fun was getting a bit bland for me...
Haven't been "sparked up" about a post for ages...]

You're very welcome, tho I must point out that at no point was my intention to spark anything or anyone up

I feel obliged to point out that just because some one chooses NOT to park up on a paid site, next door (and in straight lines) with LOADS of other vans etc (like a squashed up housing estate) does NOT NECESSARILY MEAN they are tight with their money.....]

Agreed.........to a point:Cool:
I have NO PROBLEM AT ALL with people either needing or simply wanting to wild camp. It's cheap, good fun and brings back some of the feeling of freedom that we all used to enjoy in the infancy of "vanning".
My problem, is WHERE some people wild camp.
Many of us have seen some of the photos you've posted of the wonderfull and sometimes isolated places you've stayed and I've got to be honest that it sometimes makes me green with envy and I take my hat off to you, I really do.
THAT, IMHO, is propper wild camping. NOT staying on a street in a residential area just cos you can get away with it.
It doesn't matter how poor someone is or how dire straights they're in, they dont NEED to stay on a residential street in full view of the residents, there are ALWAYS quiet places to be found, eveen if it meens walking/driving a bit further for supplies.

Wild camping in residential streets is absolutely NOT necessary and will do no end of harm to our reputation.
If you're gonna do it, GO FOR iT! and enjoy it, but do it quietly and subtley. Simples:thumb:

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