Vanlife & Car Camping

Confirm that you may stay overnight first

Being able to park is not the same as being allowed to spend the night in your vehicle. Even campsites that accept vehicle stays can set conditions on hours, pitches, applications, idling, generators and fire. Roadside stations and expressway service areas are generally for rest and short naps, and many are not meant for staying the way you would at a campsite.

Avoid use that disturbs others, and always confirm in the operator's own notice. Treat the vehicle-stay information on this site as something to verify against the official current information before you go.

Measure the sleeping area in your own vehicle before choosing

Choose bedding by the actual length, width and steps of your folded-down seats, not by the vehicle model. Even the same model gives different usable space depending on your luggage and seat arrangement.

• Length and width with the seats folded down, and where the steps are
• The mat's unfolded and packed dimensions
• Mat thickness and insulation (does it suit the season?)
• The slope where you park (a head-to-foot height difference makes sleep difficult)
• Whether bedding and luggage together still leave a route back to the driver's seat

Privacy, ventilation and condensation

Choose window covers by vehicle fit, how they attach and how quickly you can remove them before driving. Remove all of them before driving to keep a clear view front, back and sides. Ventilation items are an aid, not a guarantee of safety. Cars get wet from condensation, so also consider how easily covers dry and how waterproof the storage bag is.

Do not feel safe just because a window is slightly open, and never use combustion appliances inside the car. If you run the engine for warmth in winter, check that the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow. It is safer to prepare bedding and insulation that let you sleep without the engine.

Heat and cold are not always solved by gear

A closed car in midsummer reaches dangerous temperatures even with a window cracked. In deep winter too, equipment alone may not keep you safe. In such conditions the right decision may be not to sleep in the car at all. Check temperatures and warnings, and think of an indoor alternative in advance.

Power, light and the car battery

Running interior lights, or powering devices off the car with the engine off, can flatten the car battery. Bring an independent LED light. For devices, check their power draw and cover them with a power station or mobile battery. The portable power page explains how to choose.

Security and manners

Keep valuables and luggage out of sight from outside. Avoid sleeping with a window open, for both security and insects. At night, door sounds, voices, the engine and headlights disturb other users. Do not occupy a parking area for longer than needed, and take your rubbish home.

Cautions specific to free and low-cost campsites

Where toilets are far, closed at night, or there is no tap, plan to bring a portable toilet kit and water. Small parking areas can fill up, and having a fallback location avoids a scramble. Do not stay in one posture for long; build breaks and drinking water into your plan.

Common mistakes

Typical ones are buying without measuring, making the first night the one on site, blocking the way to the driver's seat with luggage, and driving off with window covers still on. Sleeping once in your home parking space to test the setup prevents most of them.