# Spanish Parking Fine



## doonhamer (Jul 18, 2008)

Has anyone had a similar experience?

In Feb I was moved off La Marina beach (30 km south of Alicante) by the Guardia Civil - they were extremely pleasant about it and gave us a couple of hours grace. They did however take photos of my passport and car papers. I was surprised because there are no signs prohibiting camping cars or parking and I had parked at this spot in previous years and the patrolling local police had taken no notice. 

Today I received a three page letter by recorded delivery from the "Servicio Provincial de Costas en Alicante" advising that I had infringed several sections of some1988 Reglagento General and that the penalty was 30,03 euros per metre and as most vans were 8 m the fine was 240,40 euros.

The letter is now in the bin and I will be giving Alicante a wide berth in the future.


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

ooooooooohhhhh
that sounds ominous


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

doonhamer said:


> Has anyone had a similar experience?
> 
> In Feb I was moved off La Marina beach (30 km south of Alicante) by the Guardia Civil - they were extremely pleasant about it and gave us a couple of hours grace. They did however take photos of my passport and car papers. I was surprised because there are no signs prohibiting camping cars or parking and I had parked at this spot in previous years and the patrolling local police had taken no notice.
> 
> ...


Ignore it! We got booked in a hire car in Salou a few years ago, had left car a few minutes to go into shop for bread, when we came back, we had a ticket "For parking in a resident's only space". There were no signs warning of this. It turned out there were very faint blue lines marking these spaces on the road, but these were completely covered with sand. We got a letter when we returned home, on the advice of a friend we ignored it. Never heard any more. Mind you, when we went to Spain again two years later, hubby was fearful he'd be arrested as soon as he entered the country (he wasn't)!


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

Exactly where were you parked. If it was on one of the areas at the end of the road leading to the beach, the road opp the pottery place then yes you had no right to park there. I have several times posted info on how to park in Spain and pointed out that you can park wherever a car can officially park providing you are not obstructing, There is no sign saying No aparcar. have no rear stabilisers deployed, no awnings, tables, chairs etc. So you go to the north end of La Marina, drive down towards El Pinet beach and park in the car park at the end of the road opp the wood. You cannot be moved from there. When I say park I mean overnight as complying with these rules means you are parked not camped. I find that some Garda dont know or dont care about this concession but I make sure they know if they challenge me. Its only happened 2 times and of course both times they had to walk away.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

well Ken, either you are a brave man, :wink: :wink: or your spanish is very good. :lol: :lol: 

cabby


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

Hi Cabby
What I do is get the official letter out, tell them to read it and as they are reading tell them what it says. They cannot argue as its approved by all the top authorities incl the top brass at traffico . There are areas not covered and they are classed as maritime areas like near the port at Denia and probanly near all the other ports but why park there ?


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## Wilmannie (Feb 7, 2010)

:?: Hi Ken - What 'Official Letter'?


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

I have a letter 08/V-74 signed and stamped that clearly states these facts. It was given to me freely but I agreed I would not distribute it on the web. However if anyone ends up with a fine and are certain they have not infringed the rules I am happy to provide a copy. Its only any use if you have a problem which most of the time you wont have . It will only help if you park in the areas I have described. Thats why you now see motorhomes parked in side streets with dotted parking at the side or in tarmac car parks with clear white lined spaces . Dirt areas are not official car parks so don't comply although the Spanish park their cars there when going to the beach . Note rear stabilisers can't be lowered but yellow levelling blocks are deemed OK. typical


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## Marjal (Aug 25, 2010)

Spanish authorities are not empowered to claim that fine, they send it to get you scared and see if they make you pay.

I got 2 parking fines from London here in Spain, they keep menacing me to make me pay, but there is no agreement between both countries for these matters (yet).


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Stuff Spain.

The more I hear about tourists in whatever mode being targeted by officials, burocracy (?) or villains, the less likely I am to visit.

The Spanish economy is reliant on tourism. Let them shoot themselves in the foot and then cry for help.

Ray.


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi ken, both car parks at la marina, el pinet and the south end now have 3.5 tonne weight restrictions on. my van is 4.2 so that rules me out this winter!! shame, i liked it there, all the best sean


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

Hi Sean
I knew the south ones were 3.5t but thought El Pinet was OK. If its got a restriction I had not noticed the sign. I will look next week
regards ken


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

on the right side of the road as you turn down to pinet. dont know how long they have been there though, never noticed them before, sean.


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

raynipper said:


> Stuff Spain.
> 
> The more I hear about tourists in whatever mode being targeted by officials, burocracy (?) or villains, the less likely I am to visit.
> 
> ...


Well unfortunately the motorhomer/traveller/RVer has only himself to blame, I stayed at La Marina in the car park by the beach last year and was horrified to see after dark the stream of people going into the woods with cassette toilets, bloody disgusting, the Spanish don't like Motorhomers because of that.

If we were to clean up our act and not expect something for nothing all the time perhaps we would be welcome.

Loddy


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

Exactly Loddy.....

Given that the vast majority of motorhome/caravan owners are "behaved" and ARE of course welcome down here it is, as has been said, the minority. Rather than make a judgement from a snapshot view of a week or so stay in the area a longer look would see that there is a problem.

Today I have already been to our town market, held in a Feria/Market area. It's well signed re the Thursday market and two UK reg motorhomes have been using it for the last 3 days, for FREE. Nobody, police or otherwise, have given them the slightest problem....but where are they today? Sitting in the middle of the stalls, thinking it's a great laugh......sitting outside, wine in hand already and waiting on the full English we can smell being prepared.

Some of the car parks and even free seafront parking areas are dotted with Mhomes, not moved for days.......

Some of those will moan that there is no alternative. A quite nice inland site here is closing at end of season after only being open 5 or so years [going static homes]. The owner responded to the need and request for large pitches and built 3 RV size plots...rarely used. Owners said they want rural and quite locations.....empty. Of course not one sided, probably cost issues etc etc......but fact is, soon gone.

Spain IS quite motorhome friendly in a lay-back sort of way.

The fact is you can wilderness camp without official hassle, take a drive towards Ronda and see them tucked away. And see the overnighters up at El Chorro etc etc.......BUT, the minority WILL **** it up for the majority and dump waist and leave litter and overstay.

Our business started life many years ago in the off road 4x4, Bike, etc sector and the writing was on the wall from the start.....green lanes, rupps etc., remember them? Abuse it and lose it.

Anyway....off topic. Sorry.

Parking fine. As some will know, my Son-in-Law is a Capt. in the Guardia and this came up before. No, they are unlikely to chase you for the payment. BUT, if you are caught parking, driving or whatever in Spain in the future it's an immediate payment [with interest] or a tow away.... and why not!

NO, the Spanish are not targeting tourist.... there is far less crap and crime down here...... The _minority _of tourist are targeting the Spanish.

.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

The instructions 08v-74 are available by doing a web search.

http://www.autocapa.com/INSTRUCCION-08-V-74-DGT-b-18-10-2008-10-55-29-.pdf

The English translation has been provided on a number of Motorhome forums. I have a copy myself.


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi loddy, i've stayed at la marina (el pinet)quite a few times and never seen anyone dumping a cassette in the woods. what i have seen however is people going to the sewer manhole at the edge of the woods and using that, which the local guardia are quite happy with. cant speak for the southern end as i dont stay there. the thing is if i ever saw this happening i would be out of my van like a shot and making whoever clean their mess up. ray, i would disagree with you on the crime in spain, i have twice seen campers being broken into in supermarket carparks in broad daylight!! i wouldnt leave my camper anywhere in spain unattended other than a campsite regards sean


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

I know you didn't mean that exactly Seamo, but it's a fact that crime in general is lower in Spain......there is life outside of a motorhome  

Where would you leave your Mhome, unattended, in the UK then :lol: 

Sun has gone in......cool breeze........hope it rains, Mmm, no chance!

.


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi ray, i agree, i would'nt leave my van unattended in uk either thats why i live in france  i agree that crime in general is probably lower than other places in europe but tourist related crime is off the scale in comparison. ok spain has more tourists (probably) but every year i meet more and more people who have fallen foul of these criminals. if the gaurdia have so little to do maybe send them up to barcelona to sort out the road side robberies which seem to be getting more common or the fake police that tried to pull me over! while your at it send me some sun! all the best sean


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