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Coastal vanlife & overnight

Coastal campervan touring, overnight parking, aires and the beaches and swim spots within reach.

20 guides

Vanlife guides for the coast: where to park overnight, free vs paid aires, the overnight rules by country, services, and the best beaches and swim spots to wake up beside.

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VAN

Coastal vanlife guides - overnight parking, aires and beaches

20 guides
A camper van parked at a coastal state-park campground above a Big Sur cove on California's Pacific Coast Highway at golden hour
Coastal vanlife guide / 11 min read

California PCH Vanlife: Overnight Rules on Highway 1

Vanlife on California's Pacific Coast Highway: honest overnight rules, why you can't sleep on PCH pullouts, state parks, Big Sur tips and the best beaches.

A camper van at a legal campsite above a cliff-backed surf beach on Portugal's Costa Vicentina with Atlantic waves rolling in
Coastal vanlife guide / 11 min read

Costa Vicentina Vanlife: Portugal's West-Coast Surf Rules

Surf and coastal vanlife on Portugal's Costa Vicentina: the strict protected-park overnight ban, where you can legally stay, the best beaches and swim safety.

A campervan parked near golden cliffs above a turquoise Algarve beach at sunset in southern Portugal
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Algarve Coastal Vanlife: Where to Park, Sleep & Swim

An honest Algarve vanlife guide: legal aires vs. banned wild camping, the best beach towns, sea temperatures and where to actually sleep along Portugal's southern coast.

A campervan on a coastal road above a pine-fringed turquoise cove on the Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain
Coastal vanlife guide / 9 min read

Costa Brava Vanlife: Coves, Calas & Where to Stay

A practical Costa Brava vanlife guide: where motorhomes can legally park, the best hidden calas around Begur and Cadaqués, sea temperatures and quiet swim spots in Catalonia.

A campervan beside a wide empty Atlantic beach with dunes on the Costa de la Luz in Andalusia, southern Spain
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Andalusia Coastal Vanlife: Costa de la Luz to Cabo de Gata

An honest Andalusia vanlife guide: legal overnight parking, the wild Costa de la Luz dunes, Cabo de Gata's volcanic coves, sea temperatures and where to swim year-round.

A campervan on a green clifftop above an Atlantic surf beach on the Basque coast between France and Spain
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Basque Coast Vanlife: Biarritz to Bilbao by Van

A cross-border Basque coast vanlife guide: legal overnight parking in France and Spain, the best surf and swim beaches from Biarritz to San Sebastián, sea temperatures and tips.

Campervan parked above a turquoise Sardinian cove with granite rocks and pine trees at golden hour
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Sardinia Coastal Vanlife: Beaches, Aree di Sosta & Honest Rules

A real-world Sardinia campervan guide: turquoise beaches, legal aree di sosta, where overnight stops are tolerated, sea conditions and the strict wild-camping ban.

Campervan on a sandy track beside umbrella pines and a long Tuscan Maremma beach at sunset
Coastal vanlife guide / 9 min read

Tuscany & Maremma Coastal Vanlife: Wild Beaches & Camper Stops

A campervan guide to the Tuscan coast and Maremma: pine-backed beaches, legal aree di sosta, the Parco della Maremma, Argentario and honest overnight-parking rules.

Campervan on a coastal road above the clear blue Adriatic with a Dalmatian island in the distance
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Croatia Dalmatian Coast Vanlife: Islands, Beaches & the Real Rules

A Dalmatian coast campervan guide: pebble coves, island ferries, the best legal camps and a frank warning on Croatia's strict, well-enforced wild-camping ban.

Campervan on a clifftop track above a horseshoe bay in the Peloponnese with turquoise water below
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Peloponnese Coastal Vanlife: Beaches, Ruins & Greece's New Rules

A Peloponnese campervan guide: Mani beaches, Voidokilia, Elafonisos, honest coverage of Greece's 2025 camping laws, and where you can legally park overnight.

Campervan parked at a coastal motorhome aire at sunset with the sea in the background
Coastal vanlife guide / 9 min read

Free vs Paid Aires: How Overnight Van Parking Works in Europe

Understand how Europe's network of aires, sostas and stellplätze works, what free and paid spots cost, and how to pick the right overnight stop near the coast.

Campervan parked overnight on a coastal road overlooking a quiet beach at dusk
Coastal vanlife guide / 10 min read

Is It Legal to Sleep in a Campervan by the Beach? Rules by Country

Whether you can legally sleep in a campervan by the beach depends entirely on the country and region. Here's an honest, country-by-country overview for Europe.

Person checking a map app inside a campervan parked near a coastal dune path
Coastal vanlife guide / 9 min read

How to Find Safe, Legal Overnight Van Spots Near the Beach

A practical method for finding overnight campervan spots near the coast that are both legal and safe, using apps, signage, conditions data and a daylight recce.

Campervan service point with a fresh water tap and waste disposal drain near a coastal town
Coastal vanlife guide / 9 min read

Coastal Vanlife Services: Fresh Water, Waste, Showers & Beach Access

A practical guide to managing fresh water, grey and black waste, showers and beach access for coastal vanlife — where to find services and how to do it responsibly.

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