A practical checklist for deciding where to spend the night with your motorhome: services, access, noise, safety, price and reviews from other travellers.
Two stops ten minutes apart can offer very different nights. Before you set off, spend five minutes on these ten points. They will save you impossible manoeuvres, noisy nights and surprises with the price.
1. The size of your vehicle
Check the maximum length and the entrance height. It is not unusual for a stop to accept seven-metre vehicles while the access road or the height barrier keeps you out. If your motorhome is over seven metres, confirm your pitch before you arrive.
2. The services you really need
Make a short list: electricity, drinking water, grey and black water disposal, showers, wifi. Not every stop has everything, and some services are paid separately. If you depend on electricity, check the available power too.
3. The price per night
See whether the price includes electricity, water and disposal or whether each service is charged. A low price with expensive extras can end up worse than a medium price with everything included. If no price is published, treat it as unconfirmed and ask.
4. The ground and the slope
Gravel or firm asphalt is more comfortable than a field after rain. Look at the photos: if the pitches are level, you can sleep without wedges or surprises.
5. Noise and surroundings
A nearby road, a bar or a club can ruin your sleep. Reviews usually warn about this. If you want quiet, favour stops away from nightlife.
6. Safety
See whether the stop is lit, fenced or supervised, and what travellers say about feeling safe. As a general rule, do not leave valuables in sight.
7. Distance to what you want to visit
A stop in the middle of a town saves you the car but often has less room. One on the outskirts is calmer but may mean taking a bike or a bus. Decide which you prefer.
8. The rules of the stop
Check how many nights you can stay, the arrival and departure times and whether pets are allowed. Some stops have a maximum stay.
9. How recent the information is
Prices and services change. A review from three years ago is worth less than one from this month. Look at when the stop was last verified and at the most recent opinions.
10. Reviews from other travellers
Real opinions tell you what the listings do not: the state of the dump point, how the manager treats guests, whether there is room in summer. Read several and look for what repeats.
How Parkvan helps
On Parkvan every stop has a page with photos, price, services, pitches and maximum length, and around it you see the washing and dump points. You filter by what you need and read other travellers' reviews before you decide.
