Greece’s Tourism Ministry has reportedly taken a step back on the legislation on Campers and Motorhomes following strong reactions in Greece and outrage across Europe.
Video: Angry Motorhome traveler from Norway
Provisions of Article 27 of the bill 5170/2025 prohibit not only the parking of motorhomes and caravans in public spaces including archaeological sites, beaches etc but also the temporary stop and parking in not assigned public places (KTG reported HERE).
After a meeting with the chairwoman of the Greek Motorhome Club on Friday, May 9, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni reportedly admitted that there should be some changes on the bill.
According to news247.gr, it is understood that ultimately the stopping and parking of motor-home vehicles and caravan will be allowed normally where and as defined by the Road Traffic Code Article 34 of legislation of 1999 that is still in force.
This legislation states that “… in residential areas, the parking of trailers, caravans and boats is prohibited, beyond 24 continuous hours. Their parking may be carried out in appropriate fenced areas designated by the relevant municipalities or communities…”.
Furthermore, the Tourism Ministry recognized the need to “create an institutional framework for the provision of special temporary parking areas for motorhomes (Camper Stop)”. As the ministry stated in a relevant announcement it “will propose the relevant initiative by the competent ministries.”
The Minister did not timely specified when this “institutional framework” will come in effect.
German couple arrested
Meanwhile in Messinia, south Peloponnese, a German couple was arrested on Sunday, May 11, for parking their motorhome at a not designed place at a beach.
Citing a police press release, local media, tharrosnews.gr reported the arrest of a 70-year-old woman and her 66-year-old husband on the beach of Kalo Nero, because they had parked their caravan in a place where there was no designated camping area.
The arrest was made as part of an extensive police operation throughout the Region.
It should be noted that the controversial regulation has caused great confusion among motorhome tourists and it essentially puts a tombstone in this sector of tourism, which is developing rapidly throughout the rest of Europe.
PS And I personally don’t think the Toursm Ministry statement added much into clarification. Your opinion?
It’s an easy enough fix.
Parking for shopping should be allowed in a proper car park, not on the street, for a maximum of two hours.
All other parking for tourism, archaeological sites and beaches should be restricted to a properly designated place for no more than 10 hours.
A charge for parking motorhomes should be made and the funds raised directed towards constructing a sufficient number of properly designated parking places.
It won’t be a quick fix, but it will be a permanent fix.
What is bothering you that campers should not be allowed to park on the street for shopping? They should tackle local problems, not this ridiculous law. And they should make camper-stops for the night. With a camper, you don’t need the facilities of a camp site that ask high prices for overnight.
Everybody needs to plan ahead BEFORE one embarks on trip: Where could I and where would I be allowed to rest, refuel, get rid of my waste etc.. – if you travel by foot, by bicycle, by private plane or whatever. Only the motor caravaners seem to think the entire public space is theirs for all their daily needs. And if restrictions are imposed, they cry for cheap camper stops like ” why is there no cheap airport for my private plane”.
That is not true!! In Greece there is a chaos what the parking is concerned. Have you ever been in a small village in Greece? The majority does not have a designated parking space for guests with normal cars, never mind RV’s. People park everywhere and there no signs. RV’s is not the problem they are just added to this chaos. The simplest way is that the local authorities either provide a space for cars and RV’s or they should place a sign to prohibit RV’s from parking. This way there will be RV friendly areas which appreciate this kind of tourism and not friendly ones. Then should be clear for everybody.
Eine Regulierung der Situation mit den Wohnmobilen halte ich für sinnvoll. Jahr für Jahr werden immer mehr Wohnmobile an den Stränden angestellt, oft direkt vor den Duschen, oder den wenigen Schattenplätzen.
Für die Einheimischen wird der Zugang zum Strand massiv behindert.
A campervan is like a car and should be allowed to park anywhere, where a regular car is allowed to park. If beaches are crowded, it is not the campers that park anywhere. And they are very keen on keeping the place clean in contrary to many local bathers. If campers cause too much problems, they should act locally with height fences to limit access.
Greece like most EU countries is being swallowed up by foreign (mainly American/Isreali) Hedgefund companies who are slowly but surely taking control and implementing their laws. It’s a very dangerous and difficult time as these predators control 90% of the world’s politicians. They introduce their desires quickly, quietly, and deceitfully with very little input from the public.
EU money is being poured into Greece & her Islands( money that was ROBBED from the Greek people during the banking crisis of 2011), now Greece becomes the Bitch of the EU
Follow the money, the demons in power created this crisis for a reason to line their own pockets in guaranting wealth of future family heirs, money & land, pillaged, from the Indigenous hardworking folk
I wish people could just WAKE UP! to topple the feckers that they keep voting back into power
Jetzt werden die Türken zufrieden sein.. ein Wohnmobil hinterlässt 100€ pro Tag.
Motor homes should be banned from staying over night in car parks , beaches and all ,
Use designated sites!!
The couple is not from Norway, but Finland. Anyway, changes in this law are too late. Damage is already done and is spreading all over social media. Elderly people, ie. most motor home owners, will not take the chance of getting arrested or fined.
Again the greek Mafia strikes down on our freedoms for the profits of already filthy rich people. Soon we won’t be allow to put our towels down on the beach anymore without paying 15 euros for an umbrella. These criminals must be thrown out of the Parliament, they did enough damage already. Shame on them for ruining the freedoms of normal people.
Well, I’m not going to visit Greece in my motorhome. There are plenty of other nice places that welcome motorhome users.
We were planning a trip to Greece in our motorhome this year but are now seriously reconsidering. I have never been to Greece and was really looking forward to it but unless there are places for us to stay, why would we go there and risk arrest?
except greece has barely any infrastructure for campsites, has hardly any designated parking, cant affrod to lose the money from this tourism as they will just go elsewhere (especially the ones with the most money) plus the government has a chip on it shoulder that countries like turkey, bulgaria, albania etc allow it and want so desperately to look like a serious EU country despite being so corrupt and easy to amnipulate by international hedgefunds against their peoples interests they are just an international joke. Its very shortsighted, should be dealt with regionally as im sure in some places there are too many but in remote areas it just brings money to local cafes and restaurants etc. But that of course would be more difficult than just making a blanket ban which will have to be picked apart later on which has just scared off lots of money from the country. Van dwellers wont just swap it for a hotel resort they will just go spend ther money elsewhere as greece has awful infrastucture. Total fail.