With a recent, but absurd legislation Greece practically prohibits one of the forms of alternative tourism, popular among local and foreign holidaymakers: the camper.
Campers are now not only prohibited from being installed whereever one wants to but also to be parked in any public space, such as municipality parking lots, even for a short time just for the purpose of making provisions or have a coffee while traveling around.
Crazy? We are in Greece, folks, where the legislator does whatever he wants without even taking into consideration or care about harming the country, one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world.
The strict restrictions for campers became public by chance, when a local police team recently fined with 300 euros each camper owner who had parked and was enjoying fair weather, sun and the sea, at a beach of Achaia, in Peloponnese.
The incident revealed that there is law 5170/2025, voted on January 16 and in force since January 20, 2025, and its specifically article 27 that prohibits:
“The installation of tents and the parking of trailers, semi-trailers and motorhomes (campers) in archaeological sites, seashores, beaches, edges of public forests and in general public areas, as well as the free hosting of more than one caravan by private individuals, without prejudice to article 34 of the Road Traffic Code (law 2696/1999, A’ 57).
Violators are punished with imprisonment for up to three (3) months or with a fine of the following paragraph, provided that no heavier penalty is provided for by another provision, ordered at the same time by the court of their forcible expulsion.
The procedure established by articles 417 et seq. of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the investigation and trial of in-violence misdemeanors is followed.
Violators are punished with a fine of three hundred (300) euros per person or per campsite or per means of transport, imposed by the police or port authority that confirms the violation and collected, in accordance with the provisions of article 104 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In inspections by mixed teams, the penalty of the fine is imposed by the police authority present during the inspection. When parking the above vehicles, where permitted by the Highway Code, it is not permitted to occupy space in addition to the vehicle.
The installation at certain places was prohibited anyway, but not even the parking in public spaces, with the exception on lots on motorways?
What is the goal of such an absurd legislation? Profit for organized tourism facilities, that is legally operating campsites.
During the debate in Parliament in January 2025, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni (neo-liberal New Democracy) set the goal clear:
“Regarding now the issue raised by many colleagues and concerning the provision prohibiting the parking of motorized caravans in archaeological sites, beaches, forests and in general public areas, we would like to clarify that the installation of tents and the parking of caravans is expressly permitted in the special spaces provided for in campsites that have such spaces and are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and of course where provided for by the Highway Code. And so that there is no attempt to distort the truth, this specific regulation was fully accepted by the competent body, the Greek Camping Federation, as expressed in the hearing of non-parliamentary persons, the bodies we are talking about.”
MP Christos Katsotis from Communist KKE had a different approach saying: “Article 27 reinforces glamour camping, luxury clamping, with the construction of relevant facilities in areas within the plan. Obviously it concerns the Attica and Athens Riviera. In addition to the ban on installation, a ban on parking caravans is also provided. The poor are excluded from everywhere.”
In its forum mycamper.gr the Club of Greek Campers is up in arms and calls for “a direct frontal attack targeted by the club, by the merchants, with mobilization towards the TV channels and even at the toll booths with banners on the side, of course, without obstructing traffic nationwide, otherwise we will not get anywhere. It has been proven that they do not count on us. They will withdraw the law or amend it only if they are shaken…..”
According to estimations, there are currently some 2,100 campers in Greece, while a large number come from abroad every year.
Note that free camping was “criminalized” in Greece in 2012.
PS: So you’re traveling with your caravan in Greece, you park/install in a legally operating campsite, you want to go to the nearby village/archaeological site, beach whatever 5 km away and … you call a taxi? A donkey? Or a Jet ski?
Good!! Facetious comments from you!
The law allows for free parking of a caravan (hospitality) under Article 34 of the Road Traffic Code (Law 2696/1999), as long as it does not exceed 24 consecutive hours in residential zones. Beyond this, designated fenced areas must be used, as defined by municipalities.
how do they check if a van is parked 24 hours?
Who knows? It doesn’t really matter as the police have the authority to decide at their discretion. When you park you better be prepared to prove when you arrived. Some countries even have parking attendants keeping track of this.
This is outrageous 😠
Question…….can I park in a Supermarket car park while I buy provisions?
no idea. sorry.
Fortunately there are other more welcoming countries. You just need to put signs up saying no overnight parking to protect busier places. Totally over the top
C’est scandaleux. Le lobby du tourisme n’en finit plus. Que l’État se préoccupe plutôt des hôtels et équipements touristiques construits avec des permis abusifs, sans respect de la bande côtière, et avec une origine parfois douteuse des fonds.
Skandal ,planowałem wczasy w Grecji ale rezygnuję, są kraje przyjazne kamperom i tam pojadę.
La mejos manera es colgar al responsable en el Partenón, así el siguiente se lo pensará.
This is very dissapointing. They should withdraw this law that reinforces luxury vacation. There are so many families with children that cannot aford expencive vacation. The past few years prices for rent studio or apartment skyrocket in Greece. Јustice for the campers! 🙂
That’s Greece removed from our destination list then.
It’s their loss we take our business to a more friendly country. Byeee Greece.
Good! No more emptying of chemical toilets into the makia, no more turtle run behind slow campers (f.e. Volos->Pilio),
CHRYSTUS
Wystarczy powołać do …
sorry, I can’t approve a comment where I understand no a single word.
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