Say Goodbye to Wild Camping: New Greek Laws Limit Motorhome Freedom!
Penalties for camper van usage are becoming severe and rigid.
Tired of roaming the beautiful Greek landscapes with your motorhome, setting up camp wherever you pleased? Prepare for a major change, because {} - a dream destination for motorhome vacationers due to its lax regulations - has introduced a series of new laws to crack down on wild camping, effective early 2025.
For years, wild camping - with a tent or a motorhome - was technically prohibited in Greece. However, authorities and visitors flouted the rule, enjoying the freedom it offered.
But patience is over! The Greek authorities are now set on enforcing stricter rules against wild camping. As of now, motorhomes can no longer park in residential areas for more than 24 hours unless they are on a designated campsite or a motorhome-specific parking lot provided by the municipality. The local newspaper "Ekathimerini" reported this new regulation, which in turn has been disseminated by the ADAC.
These new regulations, laid out in law number 5170/2025, put severe limitations on where and how you can camp with a motorhome:
- Archaeological sites
- Coastal strips
- Beaches
- Forest edges and forests
The new rules aim to ensure that the misuse of public space, potentially harming the environment, historical sites, and public hygiene, is curbed. The Ministry of Tourism emphasizes that the law's main goal is to safeguard legally operated campsites, protect citizens, and visitors, and prevent environmental degradation.
Resembling these strict measures, wild camping is also outlawed and consistently enforced in Germany. Violators of the rules face fines ranging from €5 to €5,000, depending on where the violation occurs and any resulting damage.
Greece's new laws stand among the strictest clampdowns on motorhome wild camping in Europe, effectively ending the freedom once synonymous with vanlife tourism in Greece. These new measures could require travelers to carefully plan their itinerary around official camping grounds or designated parking lots. Enforcement of these laws has already begun, with fines being issued since January 2025.
- The community policy in Greece, effective from early 2025, where law number 5170/2025 is enforced, restricts motorhome camping at archaeological sites, coastal strips, beaches, and forest edges and forests.
- Vocational training for those working in home-and-garden industries may include lessons on eco-friendly camping practices, given the growing need to minimize environmental impact in light of stricter motorhome camping regulations in Europe, such as the new Greek laws.
- General-news outlets, like Ekathimerini and ADAC, have reported on the new Greek laws that limit motorhome freedom, which may have implications for travelers planning lifestyle expeditions in motorhomes.
- In addition to Greece, wild camping with motorhomes is also enforced and subject to fines in Germany, serving as a reminder of the importance of adhering to community policies while on the road.
- The growing trend of motorhome travel as a form of vocational training or lifestyle choice may face challenges due to the increased regulation of wild camping practices, as seen in the new Greek laws set to be enforced in 2025.
