Easter Holidays on Wheels: Seaside Campgrounds Full of Tourists Choosing Freedom Over Hotels

Algovia Vans has introduced the Escape 540, a compact camper based on Stellantis vans. Its key feature is a rear kitchen that doubles as an outdoor cooking area when the tailgate is open. The model sleeps up to six people and includes a pop-up roof, gas hob, and Truma systems.

Dacia is preparing the Sandman, an affordable hybrid camper expected to cost around €20,000. The vehicle will feature a hybrid powertrain running on petrol and LPG, with an electric motor on the rear axle. Standard equipment includes fold-flat front seats, a folding table, and a sleep kit; optional extras include a mini-kitchen, toilet, and outdoor shower.

Bürstner has halted caravan production as demand fell 13%. Poland is proposing to scrap road tolls for campervans, while Liguria counts the cost of 8,000 motorhomes descending on the region. Tom Hanks' son has swapped Hollywood for a trailer in pursuit of a music career, and a French couple has driven 100,000 km from the North Cape to Senegal — and that's not even the whole story. All this in this issue.

Greece has cancelled its own camper van ban — a year and a half on, as if it got cold feet. In Tenerife, 500 motorhomes blocked a motorway demanding the same — pitches and dump stations. In Miami, 200 families are being evicted from a motorhome park by September, while Córdoba is only just applying for permission for a new overnight area. Plus 21 kg of cocaine in a motorhome in Lanzarote, a fake eight-wheeled Mercedes-AMG G63 and a Starbucks coffee trailer in Seoul — in this issue.

Almería is putting up physical barriers to keep motorhomers off its former fairground — while Turkey simply evicts them from the beach. Lightship is quadrupling its electric-caravan factory in Colorado, even as 50% of Italian motorhome renters turn out to be under 35. Plus 800 kg of hashish in a motorhome at the Spanish border, Anker's 800 W charger running off the alternator, and Carstay as the mobile HQ of a Tokyo festival — all in this issue.

Motorhome owners have occupied the banks of the Olt River in the Sibiu area, installing toilets and setting up improvised camps. Anglers complain that public fishing areas have become inaccessible, while the fishing association states it lacks authority to regulate camping. During the fishing ban from April 9 to June 7, violators face fines up to 10,000 lei.