Motorhome ready, route planned.. off we go!!
But where do I park the motorhome?
For those who use a motorhome or intend to rent one for their holidays, it is important to know and respect certain rules set out in the highway code.
Law 336/91, confirmed by Ministerial Circular no. 277 of 14/01/2018, specifies that the motorhome is treated as a car and is therefore subject to the same regulations, so parking a motorhome cannot be prohibited on the basis of the type of vehicle.
Let us now look at the main points of correct parking:
- you must check that roadside parking is permitted on that stretch of road
- the dimensions of the vehicle must not cause an obstruction and it must fit within the parking bays
- with the engine off
- windows and/or rooflights, step and doors must be closed
- the awning must not be used
- you must not occupy cycle lanes or deploy levelling feet
- no waste may be discharged, such as grey water, which is permitted only in dedicated areas such as motorhome service points, where it is also possible to fill up with water; the penalty is a fine ranging from 84 to 355 euros.
FREE PARKING
Free parking is tolerated for a maximum of 48 hours, after which it becomes occupation of public land. In service areas and motorway car parks, overnight stops are permitted for a maximum of 24 hours. Always check that the land is not privately owned. Paid parking is always possible, even in areas intended for cars, but at a 50% surcharge and with no services of any kind. Motorhome service points are generally found at motorway service areas or on campsites, and most of the time allow you to empty and refill liquids for a fee.
SERVICED AREA
It is always regulated by the local authorities, so you must always check with the municipality, but in general you cannot stay more than 2/3 days.
In these serviced areas it is forbidden to anchor the vehicle to the ground and to set up tents or gazebos. The areas are paid.
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To be a good motorhome traveller it is very important to remember the good rules set out above, in compliance with Art. 185, which states:
Art. 185 Highway Code. Circulation and parking of motorhomes
1. The vehicles referred to in Art. 54, paragraph 1, letter m), for the purposes of road traffic in general and for the effects of the prohibitions and restrictions provided for in Articles 6 and 7, are subject to the same rules as other vehicles.
2. The parking of motorhomes, where permitted, on the roadway does not constitute camping, pitching tents and the like if the vehicle rests on the ground only with its wheels, does not discharge any waste of its own, apart from that of the mechanical engine, and in any case does not occupy the roadway to an extent exceeding the vehicle's own dimensions.
3. In the case of paid stopping or parking, rates 50% higher than those charged for cars in similar car parks in the area apply to motorhomes.
4. It is forbidden to discharge organic waste and clean and dirty water on roads and public areas other than at dedicated sanitary disposal facilities.
5. The prohibition referred to in paragraph 4 also extends to other motor vehicles equipped with dedicated internal collection systems.
6. Anyone who violates the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 5 is subject to an administrative fine of between Euro 87 and Euro 345.
7. The regulation sets out the criteria for the construction, along roads and motorways, in serviced areas reserved for the stopping and parking of motorhomes and on campsites, of sanitary facilities suitable for receiving the organic waste and clean and dirty water collected in the dedicated internal systems of such vehicles, the tariffs for the use of the sanitary facilities, as well as the criteria for the establishment by municipalities of similar serviced areas within their respective territories and the specific road sign by which each facility must be indicated.
8. By decree of the Minister of Health, in agreement with the Minister of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, the characteristics of the liquids and chemical substances used in the treatment of organic waste and clean and dirty water discharged into the sanitary facilities referred to in paragraph 4 are determined.
