Hi All. I’m heading to Malaga in November to do bikes. Accommodation etc for that part of the trip is sorted but me and my boyfriend are planning on staying in the area for a few days extra and doing some exploring.

Trouble is we’ll have the bikes in boxes and luggage so will need to hire a car/van to fit it all in and we’re very much on a tight budget.

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience of hiring campervans/vans in Spain and whether it’s OK to just camp at the side of the road there?

Was hoping to head to one of the national parks, maybe the Sierra Nevadas and just pull up and camp wherever looked pretty so we can travel round and stay places cheaply. Can you do that in Spain like you can here without being moved on/arrested/having horror-movie-moustachioed-locals type experiences?

I’m assuming it’s easy enough, but wondered if anyone had any tips on companies to use/avoid and any advice on nice/not-so-nice places.
Cheapness is paramount.

Cheers!

I’ve not hired in Spain, but have spent a lot of time camping in a van in Spain, mainly on the North Coast.

We never bothered with camping by the side of the road, there were plenty of sites and they really were not very expensive. For the use of toilets, showers and a bit of piece of mind it seemed worth the extra few Euros. You can get European campsite guides, which are worth it as lots of sites close in the Winter, so saves a lot of trailing around looking for the open ones.

But it may still be cheaper to just hire a small hatchback/van to carry bikes around in and stay in hostels/cheap hotels – but need to think about bike security I guess if leaving unattended in vehicle overnight.

I’d be looking to see if you can pay for secure bike storage. Or even stay in Hotel first and last night and see if they have a basement…

Campervan hire often makes budget accommodation look expensive.

Camper vans and cheap does not equate:-(
If you need somewhere to store bikes etc. near Malaga airport we can do that for you, no charge.
Then you just need a small car.
alan@sierramtb.com

Apparently you have to be careful when not using proper sites…
It’s not unheard of for people to be gassed in their sleep and wake up finding everything’s been nicked 🙁

I Thought it was a bit urban legend but it’s not.

I wouldn’t bother heading far east of Malaga to be honest. We’ve just come back from Almeria and should have believed the guidebooks that told us that the cities are industrial and unpleasant, and virtually all the land has been ruined by Plasticultura greenhouses bringing you three colours of peppers for 69p in Aldi. 😆

Where’s the ‘fistful of dollars’ pictures….

I have family in Aguilas/lorca 🙂

Really like Spain it’s very mellow….

Sorry dude…

…and another one from further up the road where they’ve got the irrigation sorted.

Thanks for putting that thought in my mind dudeofdoom. Just what I needed to hear as I lay back in my van in a dark rest area by the side of the A62 as I travel south to get my ferry from Huelva. Getting gassed in my sleep certainly wasn’t on my priority list.

@Potdog You’ll be alright 🙂

I’ve slept in my evo parked up at petrol station in the middle of nowhere in Spain(non 24 hr needing petrol) with no problems .

I can’t comment on Malaga but I have a Holiday home in Alicante, and there are plenty of designated places to park up for a night stop. But I have never seen campers just parked up along side the roads.
But I have to honest different regions in Spain have different laws as opposed to another region near by.

If you’re doing some camping and want great riding then head for the Murcia region and Camping Sierra Espuna in the Sierra Espuna regional park.Its a mecca for Spanish mountainbikers and road cyclists.
Campervans are very expensive to buy and run in Spain so it follows that hiring would be also.You can free camp , but leaving all your gear in a van while you’re out on the bikes is not recommended.

I’m so jammy Sierra Espuna is just up the road from family 🙂

I saw a few in (surf) beachside semi-formal car-parks in Northern Spain, mainly Dutch and German – but not often as the proper carpaks have signs up prohibiting during the summer. Unlike France where camping cars on every bit of spare land – it became such a big issue that lots of beaches now have height limit barriers at entrance to car parks which weren’t there a few year ago.

But I never really understood it unless stuck, as you can get pitches for Euro 10-15,sometimes less if they are municipal or out of season. Hot showers, proper bogs and at least some security

Apparently you have to be careful when not using proper sites…
It’s not unheard of for people to be gassed in their sleep and wake up finding everything’s been nicked

I Thought it was a bit urban legend but it’s not.

I think it really is…

I think it really is

… yes, I think I agree, lots of debate on the motorhome forums. But whether gassed or drunk and tired, people do really get robbed while asleep by side of road, aires du camping etc. I’d have thought you can break into most motorhomes with a teaspoon

I survived BTW.Nobody tried to gas me in my sleep. Unless I slept through it and they decided they didn’t want any of the crap in my van.

@potdog

Good… I was going to ask:-)

Think it’s rare but a few lorry drivers told me a few good stories and they have gas detectors in the cab…

Did you see any nice bikes when you were there ……. My mate was in shock over how many pinerrallo and sworks he saw whilst staying in the middle of nowhere….

dudeof doom,i used to live in the Espuna in the small village of El Berro.
Every body seems to be attracted by the big name of the Sierra Nevada but the Espuna is ace for mtb’ing and sees very few Brits riding there.

AFAIK You can camp anywhere in Spain, so long as it’s not within 1km of an official site. There are some free sites in Malaga region, near Colmenar. (Good riding there too)