600 euro fines for motorhomes overnighting outside designated areas

Spain has published updated guidelines for motorhome technical inspections (ITV). Inspection frequency depends on weight: motorhomes up to 3,500 kg require inspection every 2 years (from 4 to 10 years old) and annually after 10 years; heavier models are inspected more often. Costs range from €45 to €90 depending on region and fuel type. Special attention is paid to the legality of conversions: solar panels, bike racks, awnings, and additional equipment must be registered in the vehicle's technical documentation.

Autocaravanas Galicia in Burela reports that all its motorhomes are already reserved for summer 2026. Most customers come from southern Spain and rent vehicles to travel through the Mariña region. The surge in rental demand has been ongoing since the pandemic.

The San Sebastián municipality is not abandoning plans to build a motorhome parking lot in the Igara area, despite the provincial council's refusal to declare the project of public interest. Authorities are preparing modifications to convince the administration of the facility's importance for regulating tourist flows that generate complaints from residents and drivers.

Cantabria's Tourism Minister Luis Martínez Abad (PP) stated in parliament that the regional government lacks legal competence to prohibit motorhome parking on public roads. The new decree, he argued, simplifies procedures for opening new parking areas and removes the maximum capacity limit for service zones. The opposition (PRC) criticized the decree, saying it fails to address illegal camping and shifts regulatory and enforcement burdens to municipalities.

Valeria (20), known as Bal on TikTok, lives in a motorhome with her partner and dog. She admits the lifestyle isn't always perfect but wouldn't change it. In Spain, living in a motorhome costs between €500 and €1,200 per month on average, including financing, fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Overnight stays inside the vehicle are legal, but setting up awnings or furniture outside is prohibited, with fines from €90 to €600, and up to €5,000 in protected areas.

The Government of Cantabria will invest €700,000 to build a motorhome area with 27 spaces in Liérganes, aiming to address hygiene and noise issues from uncontrolled parking. Tourism Minister Luis Martínez Abad stated the department supports municipalities interested in such facilities to reduce unregulated parking. A new decree on motorhome tourism, approved this month, removes the limit on spaces in service areas. Opposition criticized the decree for shifting responsibility to local councils, while the minister defended it as a consensus-based update to manage growing motorhome tourism.