（１）[Tips for campervan travel] Where can campervans stay overnight?

Camping Car Travel Expert Taishi Kawaminami Shares Tips for Camping Car Travel

There are primarily three places where you can stay overnight in a camper van.

Auto Campsite
RV Park
Roadside station（Michi no Eki）

１．Auto Campsite

There are two types of campgrounds in Japan: tent-only campgrounds and auto campgrounds where you can stay in a camper van.

You cannot stay in a camper van at tent-only campgrounds.

At auto campgrounds, you can stay in a camper van.

Visually, it can be quite difficult to tell which campgrounds are tent-only and which are auto campgrounds.

If you’re unsure during your trip whether a particular campground allows camper vans, please feel free to contact me, and I’ll provide the information.

Most auto campgrounds have restrooms and cooking areas.

Many also offer external charging stations.

※Note: Some locations do not provide external charging.

Set up outdoor chairs and tables to enjoy BBQs. Purchase meat, seafood, vegetables, and other items at a supermarket beforehand before heading to the auto campground.

In Japan, campfires are typically done using your own portable fire stand. Fire pits or designated fire circles are rarely provided at auto campgrounds.

We offer a premium rental option for our BBQ Grill & Fire Pit, which combines a BBQ grill and fire pit. Please feel free to inquire about this as well.

The BBQ Grill & Fire Pit set includes a BBQ grill grate, grate stand, gas burner, and fire tongs.

※For rentals of 5 days or more, you’ll receive one bundle of firewood (approx. 5kg), one box of BBQ charcoal, and fire starters.

Hokkaido is a treasure trove of meat, vegetables, and seafood. Buying delicious local ingredients for your BBQ is the best!

Also, enjoying drinks by the campfire at night while stargazing with your family will surely create unforgettable memories.

Some auto campgrounds feature well-equipped facilities, with shower rooms, laundry facilities, and hot spring baths located nearby.

Many also provide designated areas for trash disposal. (There are two types: free disposal sites and paid disposal sites.)

※Auto campgrounds typically operate from late April to October.

From November to mid-April, few campgrounds remain open, although some are available.

Most auto campgrounds require reservations up to one day in advance.

The final check-in time for many campgrounds is 5:00 PM. Please be mindful of the time and avoid being late.

２．ＲＶ Park

An RV park is a paid parking facility where campers can stay overnight.

It is an overnight parking facility that meets the conditions set by the Japan RV Association to provide “a place where you can comfortably and safely sleep in your vehicle.”
RV parks are being established nationwide at various facilities such as hot springs, inns, roadside stations, and amusement parks.

While RV Parks vary in features, they must meet the following two essential requirements:

24-hour accessible restrooms
100V power outlets available

Even in Hokkaido during midsummer, temperatures can be surprisingly high on certain days

Please use the room air conditioner in your camper van. To do so, you’ll need to connect an external power source, so we recommend using auto campgrounds or RV parks.

Also, while most RV parks generally don’t allow setting up outdoor chairs and tables for BBQs, some facilities permit cooking using gas grills.

If you’d like to know which RV parks allow outdoor cooking, just reach out to me and I will let you know.

Some RV parks feature shower rooms, laundry facilities, cooking areas, and garbage disposal sites (both free and paid options available).

RV park facilities are also sometimes located in the parking lots of hot spring facilities or restaurants.

※Most RV parks operate from late April to October.

From November to mid-April, few campgrounds remain open, although some are available.

Most auto campgrounds require reservations up to one day in advance.

The final check-in time at most RV parks is 5:00 PM. Please be mindful of the time to avoid being late.

3．Roadsite station（Michi no Eki）

Roadside Stations are facilities established along public roads (such as national highways) that serve three major functions: providing rest areas, disseminating information, and fostering regional collaboration. They offer comfortable rest stops for road users while also acting as hubs for regional revitalization through the sale of local specialties and provision of tourist information. They typically offer free, 24-hour parking and restrooms as standard, often featuring restaurants, parks, hot springs, and local specialty shops. They serve as meeting places for local residents and tourists

In other words, they are not facilities specifically designed for campers.

While rental car companies like mine cannot say, “It’s okay to stay overnight in your camper at a Roadside Station!”, the reality is that many people do stay overnight in their campers, trucks, or regular cars.

Staying overnight in a campervan at a roadside station requires proper etiquette

Do not idle the engine.
Do not set up outdoor chairs or tables for cooking.
Do not dispose of trash.
Do not fill the camper’s water tank with water from toilets or similar sources.

I recommend arriving at the roadside station around 5 PM, using the restroom, spending the night in your camper, and departing around 9 AM the next morning.

If you stay parked in the roadside station lot throughout the day, complaints might arise from the general public who wish to use the station.

Roadside stations are freely accessible tourist facilities—use them with the customary Japanese consideration.

Hokkaido has numerous roadside stations in each town. (Larger cities, such as Sapporo, do not have roadside stations.)

Visiting roadside stations to buy local specialty agricultural and marine products or dine at their restaurants is a lot of fun.

Since Hokkaido produces a lot of milk, trying the soft serve ice cream at each roadside station is also a fun experience.

As the Soft Serve Prince, I have my personal favorite soft serve recommendations too, so I’ll share those with you individually!

Some of my guests have even challenged themselves to complete the roadside station stamp rally. (You can get commemorative stamps at each roadside station.)