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Starting October 1, four northern Italian regions — Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto — will ban diesel vehicles meeting Euro 5 standards (roughly 2009–2015 models). The restrictions cover cities like Venice and Milan. Many motorhomes, often kept for decades, may not comply, affecting travel plans.
The Michigan DNR and Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency have designated 11 state parks where fireworks will be banned on Independence Day as a courtesy to veterans with PTSD, pet owners, and others sensitive to loud noises. Participating parks, including Tahquamenon Falls State Park, will post signage and inform visitors of the regulations. Most projectile fireworks like bottle rockets and roman candles are already illegal in state parks, while sparklers and ground spinners remain allowed.
The municipality of Muros de Nalón (Asturias) will close the parking lot at Aguilar beach from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. from July 1 to September 30. The measure aims to prevent vans and motorhomes from staying overnight, as Mayor Celestino Novo reports daily litter and feces on the parking area. Showers and public toilets will also be closed from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. due to misuse (washing dishes, bathing dogs), with wastewater contaminating the stream that flows into the sea. Additionally, the beach bar is closed after three companies declined its concession.
Agaden-Ecologistas en Acción has praised the Civil Guard operation that evicted 78 motorhomes and camper vans from Los Carriles area in the Strait Natural Park, but insists that similar oversight must apply to beach bars and leisure establishments within the protected area. The group claims these venues create makeshift parking lots, increase fire and waste risks, and their outdoor concerts disturb birds in the ZEPA and Biosphere Reserve. Agaden calls on Tarifa's mayor to conduct inspections throughout the summer, citing laws that assign control duties to the municipality.
The mayor of Batz-sur-Mer announced a series of measures to prevent illegal caravan installations. The commune will refuse all requests for temporary or permanent electrical connections and will strengthen water supply controls. Works have been carried out on municipal land, details of which are not disclosed to maintain effectiveness.
Activist Jennifer Branje withdrew a petition to ban freedom camping for international visitors after receiving violent threats against herself, her family, and her business. The petition on the New Zealand Parliament website had gathered nearly 8,000 signatures. Branje had aimed to spark a discussion on tourism rules after border reopening and to stop taxpayer funding for free camping sites. The New Zealand First party has since taken up the cause, polling public opinion.
Cornwall Council has partially refused a planning application by Seasons Holiday PLC to expand Bude Coastal Resort with up to 100 holiday lodges. The council approved 58 lodges on fields B, C, and D, replacing existing glamping tents and brick cottages. However, it refused 42 lodges on fields E–G, citing that the development would encroach on undeveloped agricultural land and harm the landscape corridor separating Bude, Stratton, and Flexbury, leading to settlement coalescence.
The Regional Administrative Court of Bolzano annulled a ban on overnight parking for motorhomes imposed by the municipal council of Selva di Val Gardena, ruling that the council lacked the authority to enact such a measure. The Italian National Camper Association challenged the ban, and the court sided with it, ordering the municipality to reimburse legal costs of approximately €20,000.
In New Plymouth, New Zealand, 80-year-old Bill McMurray, who has lived in his motorhome with two dogs for nearly 11 years, received a $400 fine for overstaying at the free Lake Rotomanu freedom camping site. He stayed an extra night due to high winds reaching 100 km/h, deeming it unsafe to drive his 7-metre-long vehicle. The New Plymouth District Council acknowledged the weather but upheld the fine, suggesting he could have parked elsewhere or used a campground within a half-hour drive. Since June last year, 359 infringement notices have been issued at the site, with 95 successfully challenged.
A petition launched by Zach Demarco urges Maltese authorities to enforce stricter rules against caravans, RVs and boats occupying parts of the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq coastline. It has gathered 1,175 signatures. Demarco argues that the growing number of vehicles reduces public access to the coast and affects the area's natural beauty. Proposed measures include regular patrols, fines, removal of unauthorised vehicles, and designated parking areas away from the shoreline.
A metal barrier has been installed at the Salines parking lot in La Rochelle to block trucks and caravans over 2 meters high. The structure cost around €20,000 and was ordered by the previous municipal administration but retained by the new team under Mayor Olivier Falorni as part of a security policy. Two other entrances to the lot have been blocked with concrete barriers.
Turkey
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In the Erdek and Kapıdağ regions of Turkey, locals and legal campsite owners are demanding stricter controls due to an uncontrolled influx of caravans parking on beaches, roadsides, and public areas, causing environmental damage.
The Lofoten Islands, a popular destination for motorhome travel, have introduced restrictions on overnight stays due to mass tourism. Since 2021, local authorities have banned overnight parking in the most visited areas, and parking lots along the E-10 highway now have a time limit of up to 4 hours. The fine for improper parking is about 80 euros.
The Hliník reservoir in Ratíškovice has started the summer season with a new regulation. Camping and caravan parking are now prohibited.
Spain's traffic authority (DGT) has reminded of rules for sleeping in vehicles on the Canary Islands. Sleeping in a properly parked vehicle is allowed, but placing tables, chairs, or awnings outside is considered illegal camping and carries fines from €60 to €600. Fines may be higher in protected areas. Authorities also warn of heat and theft risks.
The Cantabrian government has installed wooden stakes along the Braña del Mozucu recreational area in Udías to prevent it from becoming an improvised parking lot for motorhomes and camper vans. The measure follows last summer when the site was used as a parking area, damaging the grass and trees and leaving litter. According to the local forestry chief, the barrier is already working, but its effectiveness will be tested during the peak tourist season.
Spain
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Spain intensifies crackdown on illegal motorhome parking: Guardia Civil evicted 78 vehicles from a natural park in Tarifa, while Cantabria installed posts to block access
In Izernore (Ain department), over 150 caravans of an evangelical community have occupied the municipal stadium and its surroundings since June 14. A prefectural decree dated June 17 orders the group to leave. This is part of a series of illegal occupations of sports facilities in the region.
In Schio (Vicenza province), 8 to 10 motorhomes have been permanently stationed at Piazzale Pubblici e Spettacoli and the via Istria parking lot, prompting resident complaints about litter and misuse of green areas. Fratelli d’Italia councilors Alex Cioni and Gianmario Munari filed three inquiries to the mayor, noting that social services were unaware of seven minors in these families, and the school service had not verified their attendance. Cioni and Munari demand enforcement of Article 41 of the local police regulations banning camping in public spaces, and coordination between police and social services.
Police reported that the unhoused population has moved outside city limits. 24 people living in 16 RVs left the port area after a two-week notice. One trailer remains, with its owner having registered the vehicle in compliance with city codes.
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