Greece clarified motorhome parking rules · VanLife Weekly #24

A lot happened in the world of motorhomes over the past week: right before the peak of the season, Greece clarified where you can and can't park a motorhome or caravan; in the US, the manufacturers' association made shock-protection devices mandatory on new motorhomes from 2028; in Scotland, an operator of eight holiday parks went bankrupt with £103M of debt; and meanwhile a Japanese family wrapped up a five-year round-the-world trip across 50 countries in an old pickup.

Greece clarified where you can park a motorhome and caravan

Right before the start of the summer season, Greece tidied up the rules for parking homes on wheels. The Greek association of motorhome and caravan professionals, SEARTEE (an industry body of dealers and rental operators), published official clarifications after the release of police order No. 1246/26/351380, which spells out the country's new road code (law 5209/2025).

The gist is that parking a motorhome and parking in order to sleep in it are, under Greek law, not the same thing. Ordinary parking under the traffic rules is allowed in the same places as for passenger cars, but anything that looks like a "camp" — extended awnings, tables, chairs, drained tanks — is treated as unauthorized camping and falls under fines. This is the line the authorities tried to clarify, because last summer tourists and police read the new code differently.

For travellers this means Greece stays open to motorhomes, but "wild" overnighting with your domestic setup spread out by the sea is becoming increasingly risky. Most likely, popular seaside municipalities will tighten enforcement over the summer, and demand for legal pitches and campsites will grow.

In brief

• China, new model: Great Wall is preparing a motorhome based on the Shanhai Poer pickup with a 2.4L diesel, all-wheel drive, a kitchen, a shower and even a washing machine — the model is already undergoing testing.
• Japan, new model: Moon Star Export unveiled the removable INFINITY 01 camper for pickups with a pop-up roof and self-contained equipment for 2.5M yen.
• Turkey, new model: Ortsan Outdoor is releasing the Mini House transformer caravan, which takes up 8.4 sq m on the move and expands to 20 sq m when parked; price from €16,700.
• Japan, new model: Anex Camping built a motorhome, the UTONE 500 based on the Toyota HiAce, with a "showroom-like" interior and room for two adults and three children.
• US, service: the Love's Travel Stops chain opened motorhome servicing at 431 locations — minor repairs, and at 275 of them oil changes too.
• UK, business: Motorhome Dealer Group opened its third showroom in Dorset with £20M of financing from NatWest.
• Japan, accessories: the Autobacs chain released magnetic privacy curtains for motorhomes made of dense fabric with 99.7% protection from UV and light.
• South Korea, technology: the city of Wonju launched drone delivery to campsites on June 13 — at two for now, rising to five by peak season.
• Japan, leisure: a hotel in Hakone resumed its car-sleeping plan in its car park until September 30, for 5,500 yen with unlimited access to the hot springs.
• UK, rental: the Flexter platform and Arnold Clark are combining their van fleets into a single digital rental service, launching in summer 2026.
• Japan, test: Bears Rock tested an 8-cm sleeping mat for cars on the Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Toyota Raize — sales of the model have already passed 55,000 units.
• Scotland, bankruptcy: Argyll Holidays, the operator of eight holiday parks, will be sold after its collapse with debt of more than £103M.

Where to go

The Yorkshire coast (UK), summer. If you've long had your eye on England but didn't know where to base a motorhome with both the sea and proven service, here's a fresh reason. A family company running five motorhome and caravan parks on the Yorkshire coast won a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice award across all five sites, which means each of them ranks in the top 10% of accommodation worldwide by guest reviews. The spots are convenient for family trips: nearby are long sandy beaches, fishing towns and hill-walking routes. Summer here is mild and not too hot, which is good for long drives without overheating your vehicle. For a relaxed van holiday with kids, it's an excellent option for a couple of weeks.

Watch out

• Portugal, coast, now: in Peniche a crackdown on motorhomes overnighting on the cliffs took place in ecologically sensitive zones. Don't count on "wild" parking by the cliffs on the Atlantic coast — look for official sites, or you risk a fine.
• France, Vendée, tidal roads: on the flooding Passage du Gois crossing, a car with a caravan was surrounded by the tide. If your route runs along a tidal road, check the tide schedule in advance and never set out onto it cutting it close on time.
• Bulgaria, forest roads: a German family in a camper van got stuck in the mud in a forest because the satnav led them onto a rain-washed track. Don't blindly trust short GPS routes in the mountains and forests — check the road surface on satellite maps, especially after rain.
• South Korea, sleeping in cars: the fire service of South Gyeongsang province warned of carbon monoxide poisoning when sleeping in cars and at campsites. The gas is colourless and odourless, so never use gas burners and heaters in a closed cabin without ventilation, and install a CO detector.

Something good to finish

Two stories worth forwarding.

Five years, 50 countries, one old pickup. A Japanese family of four sold their house, quit their jobs and set off on a round-the-world trip in a used 2010 Toyota Tundra. Over five years they visited 50 countries, starting from Alaska. Proof that a big journey doesn't need a new expensive motorhome — just the resolve to set off.

A thank-you 3,200 kilometres long. A couple from China's Henan province had an accident in the Tengger Desert, and rescuers towed their car 400 km for free. In gratitude, the travellers drove more than 3,200 km back to personally hand the rescuers two live roosters and a bouquet of fried chicken legs. Sometimes road solidarity comes back in the most unexpected way.

This week's questions

What changed in the motorhome parking rules in Greece?

Technically, you can still park a motorhome in Greece in the same places as a passenger car. But the new road code (law 5209/2025) and the police order clarifying it, No. 1246/26/351380, clearly distinguish ordinary parking from actual camping: as soon as you put out an awning, tables, chairs or drain the tanks, it's treated as unauthorized camping and falls under fines.

Can you sleep in a motorhome on the cliffs in Portugal?

In ecologically sensitive coastal zones — no. In Peniche there was a crackdown on illegal overnighting on the cliffs; drivers were informed about permitted spots and fines. It's safer to plan overnights at official motorhome sites, of which there are plenty on the Portuguese coast.

Where to go in a motorhome on the Yorkshire coast in summer?

A good option is a network of five family-run motorhome and caravan parks that won Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice awards. They're located along the Yorkshire coast near sandy beaches and fishing towns, are convenient for family trips and suit a relaxed holiday of one to two weeks.

What are the GMI devices that will be required on motorhomes in the US?

GMI are ground-fault monitoring devices that protect people from electric shock if the motorhome's electrical system fails. The US association RVIA made them mandatory: from January 1, 2027 for new models, and from the 2028 model year of production for all new motorhomes.

How much does it cost to convert an old bus into a motorhome?

It depends on the scope of work, but an example from last week gives a benchmark: a Turkish couple bought a decommissioned 1985 bus for 55,000 lira and over 3.5 years turned it into a full home on wheels with a kitchen, shower and toilet, spending about 5M lira on the project. So the main money goes not on the vehicle itself, but on materials and fitting it out.

Partner content

How much a motorhome roof repair costs in 2026. A small crack by the hatch or rotten decking under the membrane — and the roof repair bill jumps from a couple of hundred to $20,000. A detailed breakdown from RV Roof Force gathers a price table for every kind of work, five interactive before/after sliders from real roofs, and honest criteria: when a patch is enough, when sealing is needed, and when a full replacement is. Worth reading before a small leak turns into a costly decking repair.

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