It´s the number one question when on a van trip: where to sleep for the night? How to find a safe place, a fun place, a beautiful place, a convenient place, etc.
There are many ways to do so, but why make it complicated, when it can be SO easy! Let me introduce you to something really fancy: the Internet.
Yes, there is an app for everything nowadays, so of course there is one totally catered to the many, many van travelers around the world. Let me explain to you how we are using Park4Night app to find the best spots to park our van.
Sleeping with a view of the sunrise in Guadix, Andalucía, Spain and sleeping in the Dolomiti mountains, Italy
What can you use Park4Night for?
Park4Night helps you find ánd share locations to sleep, park during the day, fill up your water, do your laundry, etc. Using different categories, you can search around a specific area that you need. Furthermore, using a 1-5 star rating, there is a feedback system that allows you to rate this spot.
We use Park4Night all the time. Sometimes to find a quiet place to sleep (either wild camping or on an official camper spot), sometimes to find van-fit parking close to a city, or to find a legal place to dump grey waters.
The entire app is crowd-sourced based and thus all information is being entered by the vanlife community itself.
By looking at the comments and evaluations, we feel better informed about whether a spot is quiet, or if there is a certain risk of leaving your van (for example, if there are reportings of robberies, we opt for another one). Also, since the app is so popular, especially in Europe, there always tend to be 1 or more vans with us, adding to our general feeling of safety.
An amazing sleeping spot among the vineyards close to Lago di Garda, Italy
What are some of the advantages, and disadvantages, of using Park4Night?
Advantages
- It´s really easy to use. The general information is for free, but for more detailed info you pay a one-time fee of 10,- euros (totally worth it!)
- The information is really detailed, often includes photos and allows you to use it in whichever navigation system you are using (given that the person who entered this location of course entered the correct GPS location)
- It´s one of the most-used vanlife parking apps in the world, so wherever in the world you are, you will always find some info.
Waking up with views on the snow in Northern Albania
Disadvantages:
- You´ll need some kind of connection to use the app, so if you´re completely off-road and out of the air, you will not be able to use the app
- Everything is crowd-sourced, so use your own eyes and brain as well. Meaning, it might say that a spot is legal. For example, Portugal has recently changed its wild camping rules, so where spots published before 2022 might say it´s completely fine and legal to park there, might end up giving you a police visit and a fine now.
- What is an advantage in off-seasons, the popularity of the app, and depending on where you are, might mean over-crowding in peak seasons!
- The location or the information is not verified by the app itself, and is purely crowd sourced, so if the person enters the location wrong, it will take you to the wrong spot. Again, read (and leave yourself) the comments and feedback. This will often provide you with the necessary info.
So, there you go. Why we are using the Park4Night app to find the best spots to park our van.
And you? Anything you would like to add? What are your experiences using Park4Night, and/or what other vanlife apps do you like?
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Overnighting in a pine forest and overnighting with views of the waves, both in in southern Portugal
