Especially in the summer months, when parking spaces and campsites are fully booked almost everywhere, it may seem tempting to camp in the great outdoors. Regardless of whether you park your caravan on the beach, spend the night in the forest with your motorhome or make yourself comfortable on a free patch of meadow by the lake: wild camping , i.e. “free standing” outside of designated camping or parking spaces , is generally prohibited. It is therefore always advisable to spend the night on a parking space or campsite.
We explain the background, detailed regulations in the federal states and fines for wild camping .
Wild camping: The regulations in detail
Wild camping is generally prohibited in Germany. The main reason for this is the interference with nature. The sensitive ecosystem can be damaged, especially when camping with a motorhome or caravan in the forest. This applies not only to camping in the forest or in the parking lot, but also to standing alone by a lake.
Caution : Illegal camping on private property is also prohibited. It is not always immediately clear whether the targeted location is private property. You not only risk a hefty fine, but also a charge of trespassing and a prison sentence of up to one year.
Small exceptions : Wild camping is permitted in some federal states if you obtain permission from the forest owner. However, determining the forest owner is a complex matter. It is therefore better to avoid wild camping and book a campsite or parking space.
This will be expensive: fines for wild camping
How high the fines are for wild camping depends on the respective federal state and whether you are just setting up a caravan or a tent or whether you are parking or camping with a motorhome. The duration of wild camping also plays a role. If you park a motorhome or tent outside of protected areas, you may face fines of 10 to 250 euros , depending on the federal state.
It becomes significantly more expensive if you camp wild in a landscape protection area or nature reserve. If you are caught and asked to leave your location, you can often get away with a warning and a small fine. However, if you refuse to leave the place, it can get really expensive. In some federal states there is even a risk of fines of up to 5,000 euros. The amount of the fines is regulated in the fine catalogs of the individual federal states.
It is therefore much cheaper and more worry-free to legally book a plot on a parking space or campsite . Sensitive fines apply especially if you not only park your motorhome or go camping, but also light an open fire in nature. Here too, the penalties vary depending on the federal state.
Restoration of ability to drive: One night is permitted
You can park your motorhome anywhere where there is no explicit ban, but you are not allowed to spend the night there. However, there is an exception to restoring driving ability.
If you are tired from driving, you can rest first. However, you are not allowed to stay longer than ten hours. A night to recover driving ability means that you stay in the motorhome, do not unpack the camping furniture and do not eat a meal outside the motorhome in the parking lot.
Otherwise, the overnight stay can quickly become a special use that requires approval. A special use that requires approval is if you spend several nights in a public parking lot. You then use the parking lot for residential purposes. If you park your mobile home on private property, you need the permission of the property owner .
Overnight stays in Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein for non-motorized campers
In the federal states of Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein it is permitted to spend a night in nature - but not with a motorhome or caravan, but only as a non-motorized hiker. The following areas are excluded from this:
- Nature reserves
- National parks
- National natural monuments
You must be authorized to do so under private law. A legal regulation must not prevent overnight stays in nature.
The situation is similar in Schleswig-Holstein. There are around 20 places to stay in nature that you can use for one night. The prerequisite here is that you are not motorized.
Difference between wild camping and bivouacing
Strictly speaking, the permitted overnight stays outside of public campsites in the federal states of Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein are not wild camping. You are not allowed to have a motor vehicle there, only on foot or by bike. This is considered bivouacing .
Conclusion: Better to book a parking space
You should avoid wild camping . While some federal states have strictly regulated bans on wild camping, the regulations in other parts of the country are rather vague. Either way, when you stand free you are always in a legal gray area and sometimes risk a hefty fine .
In any case, you will be on the safe and certainly more relaxed side if you book a parking space in good time. At stellplatz.info you can now choose from almost 17,000 pitches across Europe with real camper reviews. You can even book many of them directly.
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