Wild Campers in Portugal getting tickets again. ? (1 Viewer)

[bobandjanie]

That should be 23.00hrs to 04.00. ? Bob.

 

[Franck]

We were on the Aire at Lagos, €3 a night, when vans came on saying they had been told by the maritime police that if they stayed on the beach car park after midnight they would be fined. Most of the beach car parks already have signs saying no motorhome parking.

 

[irnbru]

Aires are cheap enough in Portugal, even for me

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[bobandjanie]

This is interesting the Spanish are not happy. ? Bob.

 

[DavidG58]

Is it really as simple as MHers ignoring no parking or sleeping overnight signs then getting upset when told off?

or am I missing something ?

 

[Minxy]

We were recently on our way from Spain and just into Portugal with the intention of going on to Tavira to stay for a few days on the area near the fort next to the sea but found out via the Park4Night app that a couple of days before we were due to arrive that some MHers had been warned not to stay overnight by the local police as it wasn't permitted anymore (it was December 2018 when we were there for a few absolutely glorious days). Reading more P4N reviews we found that more and more were being marked as day parking only. Consequently we never made it to Tavira or bothered going further into Portugal but returned to Spain instead.

I suspect that more MHers won't bother to visit Portugal if they continue with this restriction, especially with the tolls and the cost of food etc being more than Spain. Shame but if we're not welcome then we won't go.

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[DavidG58]

Minxy Girl ist that just the problem with P4N and some similar site locators, anyone can just submit where they parked

they are not official options, I have nit been to Portugal yet, but have heard there are plenty of resonantly priced official parking options and even sites aren’t too expensive

why should folk be allowed to park where it says not to ?

 

[irnbru]

Minxy Girl ist that just the problem with P4N and some similar site locators, anyone can just submit where they parked

they are not official options, I have nit been to Portugal yet, but have heard there are plenty of resonantly priced official parking options and even sites aren’t too expensive

why should folk be allowed to park where it says not to ?

In Portugal there are many many affordable aires but sometimes they are full leaving folk with no choice to wild. We've mostly always been lucky to get in somewhere. Campsites are cheap too 10 euros with 3 pools at Albufeira, you just cant knock their prices. If only the UK would follow suit but as long as folk are willing to pay then they will charge whatever.

 

[Vic. Parsons.]

There are plenty of cheap commercial aires and a few free ones on the Algarve, so really no excuse for wild camping in car parks running the risk of being fined or moved on. It's been the case for a few years now, so folk should know by now.
I guess some folk want free parking so are willing to take the risk.
A French MH was parked at Mina sao do mingos on a peninsula by the lake with clear signs saying no camping or overnight stays. When the GNR asked him to leave, he got the hump and started arguing with them. He was then fined by the GNR but he refused to pay the fine so he was arrested and taken to a cash point machine, he refused again to pay them and then spent the night in jail. Served him right IMHO. ?

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[bobandjanie]

We were recently on our way from Spain and just into Portugal with the intention of going on to Tavira to stay for a few days on the area near the fort next to the sea but found out via the Park4Night app that a couple of days before we were due to arrive that some MHers had been warned not to stay overnight by the local police as it wasn't permitted anymore (it was December 2018 when we were there for a few absolutely glorious days). Reading more P4N reviews we found that more and more were being marked as day parking only. Consequently we never made it to Tavira or bothered going further into Portugal but returned to Spain instead.

I suspect that more MHers won't bother to visit Portugal if they continue with this restriction, especially with the tolls and the cost of food etc being more than Spain. Shame but if we're not welcome then we won't go.

We love Portugal and find it very easy to free park, loads of places to get water and lots of free Aires, ? once you get away from the algarve, but you don't have much choice in winter, and it's like Spain everyone hugging the coast for the weather, and after a while they are fed up with them and start moving or fines are handed out. ?
We use park4night but always make our own mind up, because we know from the motorhomes here in Javea, some get tickets and they put it on p4n then someone gets away with it no problems, they all come back, ? then they start all over again, ? I think they have a purge when the funds are getting low. ? Bob.

 

[andy63]

Only been once a few years back and my recollections are that its got little to do with the spots been free parking.. They are simply stunning places to park and that's why people use them.. But its not sustainable with the numbers who are doing it now so we need to abide by their rules or just dont go..
Andy..

 

[Minxy]

Minxy Girl ist that just the problem with P4N and some similar site locators, anyone can just submit where they parked they are not official options,

Yes anyone can give a location I believe (I've never done it myself) they usually give details on what theyr'e like/where and if they are restricted they say so, it is then up to the app user to determine whether they want to go there or not. We rely on a lot of the reviews/comments to determine which ones to go to, or not, and we don't want to upset the 'locals' by going somewhere that may cause them issues, even if there aren't any restrictions in place.

I have nit been to Portugal yet, but have heard there are plenty of resonantly priced official parking options and even sites aren’t too expensive

We do not like sites, it nothing to do with the cost for us, being hemmed in just isn't our 'thing' nor feeling like we're in a 'prison' ... we like to be away from it all, also we don't need or want the services of a fully-fledged site. Additionally with having to let Romy out several times overnight if we were on a site we'd disturb other campers when we are going in/out of the door as despite how quiet we are you can't stop the 'clunk' as it shuts.

why should folk be allowed to park where it says not to ?

I don't have any problem at all with the police clamping down on people parking MHs in areas where it specifically says they cannot, or they can but not allowed to stay overnight, but sometimes there are 'non-official' influences over the decision ... there are areas where we've been told that new campsites have opened the owners of which are putting a lot of pressure on the police/council to 'dissuade' MHers from 'wild camping'. We've also had reports that some of the local businesses aren't happy as the MHers brought in a regular bit of income for them (cafes/bars/restaurants/shops) but the new 'no overnight parking' restriction has meant some MHers are no longer going there.

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[SteveJulesMontycame2]

We “dodged” Portugal completely on our grand tour of the Iberian peninsula last autumn. During the trip, we worked out we were spending around €250 to €300 per week (in Spain). Then multiply that by how many hundred vans?
If Portugal don’t want the tourist dollar and so don’t invest in Aires etc, then that’s their loss!

 

[DavidG58]

I will go this year and report back on what we find ?

we do use Park 4 night, but depend more on Camper Contact and Search for Sites for what we find to be more reliable official parking / overnight / camping options

from the numbers I read about on here that do go to Portugal it can’t be bad enough to serve completely surely ??

 

[2657]

We were recently on our way from Spain and just into Portugal with the intention of going on to Tavira to stay for a few days on the area near the fort next to the sea but found out via the Park4Night app that a couple of days before we were due to arrive that some MHers had been warned not to stay overnight by the local police as it wasn't permitted anymore (it was December 2018 when we were there for a few absolutely glorious days). Reading more P4N reviews we found that more and more were being marked as day parking only. Consequently we never made it to Tavira or bothered going further into Portugal but returned to Spain instead.

I suspect that more MHers won't bother to visit Portugal if they continue with this restriction, especially with the tolls and the cost of food etc being more than Spain. Shame but if we're not welcome then we won't go.

Overnight parking has never been allowed in that spot, enforcement is very patchy, believe it or not the GNR sometimes have more important things to do.

The area is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park and along with all Natural Parks in Portugal overnight parking/camping is illegal except in authorised locations.

There is a new Aire in Tavira, 2 campsites, campsite in Monte Gordo, Aires in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Manta Rota, Castro Marim at the exorbitant rate of €5.

If I try and book a hotel somewhere and it is full I do not expect to be able to sleep in the car park.

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[Minxy]

There is a new Aire in Tavira, 2 campsites, campsite in Monte Gordo, Aires in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Manta Rota, Castro Marim at the exorbitant rate of €5.

I'm not sure what the exact ones are that you are referring to but some I've found are near railway tracks, out of the way, noisy etc so not out cup of tea anyway. The below is a link to one at Tavira which some liked it and others didn't, but the train track would rule it out for us immediately as we know only too well how noisy they are at night when they tend to use it for the long 'clunking' good trains.

park4night - (8800-228) Algarve Motorhome Park Tavira

Reception area and services for motorhomes, close to the centre of Tavira, to the beach, to the Saltworks and to the "Via Algarviana"(walking and cycling route). Pitches of at least 70m2, with individual electrical hook-up, water, free wifi, showers, laundry service, petanque areas, selective...

www.park4night.com

If I try and book a hotel somewhere and it is full I do not expect to be able to sleep in the car park.

If I tried to book a campsite then I agree that wishing to park in its car park 'free' wasn't acceptable, but I hadn't and wouldn't.

 

[spitfire]

GNR fined vans for illegal parking in Silves and warned if caught again it would be the bigger fine . But they are starting to gather again as many as 15 so it is a matter of time . As said if a hotel is full you don’t sleep in the car park . Also it in unbelievable how many if these people wait until the owners are not here and come in to empty or get water . There is a barrier and times of when owners are there so no reason not to wait and pay . You wouldn’t go into a shop take something off the shelf and walk out with it if there was no one on the checkout . In both cases in my opinion it is theft .

 

[2657]

I'm not sure what the exact ones are that you are referring to but some I've found are near railway tracks, out of the way, noisy etc so not out cup of tea anyway. The below is a link to one at Tavira which some liked it and others didn't, but the train track would rule it out for us immediately as we know only too well how noisy they are at night when they tend to use it for the long 'clunking' good trains.

park4night - (8800-228) Algarve Motorhome Park Tavira

Reception area and services for motorhomes, close to the centre of Tavira, to the beach, to the Saltworks and to the "Via Algarviana"(walking and cycling route). Pitches of at least 70m2, with individual electrical hook-up, water, free wifi, showers, laundry service, petanque areas, selective...

www.park4night.com

If I tried to book a campsite then I agree that wishing to park in its car park 'free' wasn't acceptable, but I hadn't and wouldn't.

There are no overnight trains on that line and it's not exactly busy at other times.

Manta Rota Aire is next to a beach, Vila Real is next to the Guadiana River, Castro Marim is near to an old town with two castles.

If you don't like sites or aires then I am afraid overnighting in beauty spots will become increasingly problematic in both Portugal and Spain.

It is highly unlikely that the cash strapped municipalities will do much more to cater for the large number of motorhomes visiting these areas especially as lots seem to ignore restrictions and park wherever they like.

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[wanderer]

I have been staying at an Airbnb in Isleta de Moro [Almeria] for the last 3 weeks and have been watching with interest the parking area overlooking the beach . The signs clearly state no overnight camping for motorhomes and also no dogs on the beach , both are ignored and a build up of vehicles up to 25 before the Guardia arrive and they are moved on . When the vans are there there are always untethered dogs roaming and I have been attacked by 3 dogs from one German van . I can understand the wish to wild camp in remote areas but I fail to see the pleasure in being herded together in some kind of jumbled mess to save paying . I have also seen on 3 separate occasions campers walking into the bushes to carry out their morning duties . Proper wild camping yes but this behaviour is not sustainable

 

[2657]

I have been staying at an Airbnb in Isleta de Moro [Almeria] for the last 3 weeks and have been watching with interest the parking area overlooking the beach . The signs clearly state no overnight camping for motorhomes and also no dogs on the beach , both are ignored and a build up of vehicles up to 25 before the Guardia arrive and they are moved on . When the vans are there there are always untethered dogs roaming and I have been attacked by 3 dogs from one German van . I can understand the wish to wild camp in remote areas but I fail to see the pleasure in being herded together in some kind of jumbled mess to save paying . I have also seen on 3 separate occasions campers walking into the bushes to carry out their morning duties . Proper wild camping yes but this behaviour is not sustainable

And there is a campsite and three reasonable aires within a few miles of that spot.

We love that area

 

[Vic. Parsons.]

GNR fined vans for illegal parking in Silves and warned if caught again it would be the bigger fine . But they are starting to gather again as many as 15 so it is a matter of time . As said if a hotel is full you don’t sleep in the car park . Also it in unbelievable how many if these people wait until the owners are not here and come in to empty or get water . There is a barrier and times of when owners are there so no reason not to wait and pay . You wouldn’t go into a shop take something off the shelf and walk out with it if there was no one on the checkout . In both cases in my opinion it is theft .

We've spent a fair bit of time at the Parque do Rio aire and there's usually a fair few Van's in the parking outside.
The GNR will be clearing them out in preparation for the Orange festival In February anyway.
No excuse for using the services after Rui and Philip have left. They're great guys and really helpful to everyone if asked and it's not like they charge a lot for use of the services.
Some that stay on the parking who have been before even use the wifi and showers because they know the codes or have been given them.
Some claim they're waiting for a spot on the aire, but if that was the case and they had spoken to Rui or Philip, they would be allowed in to park on the services overnight to avoid falling foul of the GNR.
We'll be heading there in a few days time and will phone ahead for a pitch and I know Rui or Philip will keep a spot for us when it becomes available and phone us to let us know.

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