Hotels full, campsites full. Can you just settle somewhere in Germany with your tent or caravan?
Germany is on vacation and on vacation. According to numerous recommendations from politicians, many Germans spend this time in Germany during the corona pandemic. The result: overbooked hotels and full campsites as far as the eye can see. If you still want to take a spontaneous trip, you could simply use a beautiful meadow on a beautiful lake for a camp or simply park your camper in a nearby parking lot. But be careful: there are high fines! What are the rules for wild camping in Germany?
Just put up a tent somewhere?
First of all: The exact rules for a classic wild camping with a tent in the wild are relatively opaque in Germany and regulated in numerous different laws and regulations in the individual federal states. So it is always advisable to take a look at the regulations of the federal states. A general entry into nature and forest, however, is always permitted throughout Germany thanks to the Federal Nature Conservation Act or the Federal Forest Act "for the purpose of recreation". However, this does not include camping.
Bivouacking, i.e. spending the night outdoors, is generally tolerated, at least for one night. Exceptions could be nature reserves or national parks. The following applies to every bivouac and tent fan: find out in advance, speak to the responsible authorities or private property owners. Otherwise, there may be high fines if you violate existing laws or regulations.
Just put the camper in a parking lot?
However, other rules apply to owners of caravans or motorhomes. In general, only designated pitches or campsites should be driven here. Otherwise, fines can otherwise be high. But there is an exception here as well: Parking of mobile homes, teams and caravans is generally always permitted where it is not expressly prohibited by road traffic regulations or signs. According to the ADAC, for example, it is also permitted to take a "one-off overnight stay to restore roadworthiness".
One assumes a period of up to ten hours, in which "of course the camping equipment in the vehicle may also be used. However, multiple overnight stays at the same location are not permitted, otherwise the public transport routes and parking spaces would otherwise no longer be" Permission from the owner must always be obtained on private property such as parking lots of restaurants, petrol stations, sports facilities or the like.