Parking or camping-Spanish style.

Nothing will ever be that simple and straight forward in the UK :(
 
Spanish definitions of "what defines parking and what defines camping"
have been postedup numerous time.

Unfortunately what happens in reality is a line of m/homes strung out along
the street in an urban area generally abiding by the law ie by legal definition
parking not camping.

However the locals (often expats) find this an irritation, they approach and
often berate the local ayuntamiento and/or the police into doing something
about this. It doesn't really matter as to the complainers motives
be it jealously, overflowing rubbish bins,visual appearance of the vans, loss of
revenue to the local campsite they, the locals, pay the local rates and taxes
The cops eventually come round and ask the m/homers to move on usually
politely and reluctantly.

The question is do you stand your ground and argue the law with the cops,
incur the wrath of the locals maybe many locals in some places, or do
you resign yourself to just moving on and finding somewhere else where your
presence would be more acceptable, that is until 100 m/homers join you!

Me...... post up wildcamp spots in Spain I should coco :lol-061:
 
there is a guy parked up on the beachfront in torreiva with signs in various languages on the windows informing everyone he is parking not camping according to the friends we were visiting been there couple of years seems to have won as no local laws can be retrospective but you can see why they won't give us many chances???
 
img097.jpg
take it you mean like this one?
it works.
but nothing outside and be prpared to disciss it with a policeman.
even the guardia will understand your parking if you stand your ground .
many just move because they are afraid .
 
It's not the cops they're just piggy in tthe middle!! The main problem is the complaining local populace. You have to weigh each situation up individually. Arguing the toss with the cops will probably only a make the problems worse, eventually the authorities will just put up the barricade and ban cars and vans alike. Cowardly to run, not always so, often it's the SENSIBLE option, memories are short some complaining expats might have moved on/died, had their xmas holidays. The place may be OK on the return leg of your trip or perhaps next year.
But of course some people like to pick a fight with no regard as to the
consequences or long term outlook, shame really.
 
The Nomad said:
Would've been nice if the N332 Guardia Civil Trafico had quoted the original source for their copy-and-paste of my document, and credited me with being the person who produced it originally from the Spanish version.
Click to expand...

been obtainable for years . i got mine from a friend in valencia . also got it in catalan .
shame it actually wasnt passed around to the official folk in spain for years .
think it was 2009 i got my copy.
 
vwalan said:
been obtainable for years . i got mine from a friend in valencia . also got it in catalan .
shame it actually wasnt passed around to the official folk in spain for years .
think it was 2009 i got my copy.
Click to expand...

It was YOUR copy we ALL got. A member asked for a copy and I had the original Spanish (obtained from a Spanish website) so I published that with a request that anyone with an English translation publish it. Within half an hour, John Thompson published the English translation. A couple of years later when we met I asked how come he had an English translation so quickly - it had bemused me at the time, thought he must be a fuent Spanish speaker.

“VWAlan” he said.

Weve all been reading your copy for years.
 
maureenandtom said:
It was YOUR copy we ALL got. A member asked for a copy and I had the original Spanish (obtained from a Spanish website) so I published that with a request that anyone with an English translation publish it. Within half an hour, John Thompson published the English translation. A couple of years later when we met I asked how come he had an English translation so quickly - it had bemused me at the time, thought he must be a fuent Spanish speaker.

“VWAlan” he said.

Weve all been reading your copy for years.
Click to expand...

mine came from a friend that used to be the official spanish gvt translator . very handy person to know . hee hee .
in winter of 2009 i got took to the guardia office in aguillas for camping . i showed the 08/v-74 document and made a telephone call. was soon released when the interiour minister rang aguillas guardia office .
seems they hadnt seen it at all.
i had written to the minister before going to spain to make sure my copy was logged in his office as being sent to me. i had a few copies . i left them one .
even a couple years later i gave another guardia a copy in catalan . he hadnt seen one so was amazed i had them. he was actually parked next to us at aguillas . still park there . the local guardia used to pop in for a coffee and a laugh. mind hang a towel outside they tell me i would have to be arrested again .
 
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vwalan said:
mine came from a friend that used to be the official spanish gvt translator . very handy person to know . hee hee .
in winter of 2009 i got took to the guardia office in aguillas for camping . i showed the 08/v-74 document and made a telephone call. was soon released when the interiour minister rang aguillas guardia office .
seems they hadnt seen it at all.
i had written to the minister before going to spain to make sure my copy was logged in his office as being sent to me. i had a few copies . i left them one .
even a couple years later i gave another guardia a copy in catalan . he hadnt seen one so was amazed i had them. he was actually parked next to us at aguillas . still park there . the local guardia used to pop in for a coffee and a laugh. mind hang a towel outside they tell me i would have to be arrested again .
Click to expand...


My apologies - I thought the OP had linked to an earlier post on the N332 page where they had copied and pasted a full translation of the whole original DGT memorandum document. It was that full translation version which was the one that I had originally done about ten years ago now.
 
Just as an aside, it's perhaps worth a mention that there are some inaccuracies in that graphic and description that the N332 site has recently copied and republished from that lafurgoteta website.

The actual interpretation of Motorhome traffic law as described in DGT Instrucción 08/V-74 says that you MUST (not "may", but "must") use wheelchocks if your motorhome is above 3500kgs and you park it on an incline (ie it's not optional but mandatory); whereas the graphic says that you can instead of doing that just turn your front wheels to face towards the kerb.

The actual DGT document says that you must NOT rely on turning your front wheels to face towards the kerb.

Semantics perhaps, but maybe worth knowing in case you come across a situation in Spain where the Policia Local are looking for reasons to fine you/move you on.
 
The Nomad said:
Just as an aside, it's perhaps worth a mention that there are some inaccuracies in that graphic and description that the N332 site has recently copied and republished from that lafurgoteta website.

The actual interpretation of Motorhome traffic law as described in DGT Instrucción 08/V-74 says that you MUST (not "may", but "must") use wheelchocks if your motorhome is above 3500kgs and you park it on an incline (ie it's not optional but mandatory); whereas the graphic says that you can instead of doing that just turn your front wheels to face towards the kerb.

The actual DGT document says that you must NOT rely on turning your front wheels to face towards the kerb.

Semantics perhaps, but maybe worth knowing in case you come across a situation in Spain where the Policia Local are looking for reasons to fine you/move you on.
Click to expand...

thats correct.
i noticed that as well. i know many trucks etc come new with chocks fitted as standard .
when i knew the rules it all made sense. i have carried them for years even before the 08/v ,
also you cant use stones etc.
we do park in a carpark area on a slope and find the local guardia always put thumbs up to us as we use the chocks . mind these days only two nights then move . some places one night then use another place for one night then back again .
it really is just a game .
there is also the bit about carrying jacks,tools, and a spare wheel. still many dont carry one . relying on recovery /breakdown insurance .
all good fun really.
 
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