Camper complain: Germany remains far behind at rest areas!

Camper complain: Germany remains far behind at rest areas!

Hadern, Deutschland - The joy of camping is unbroken, but the rest stops in Germany are strongly criticized. A current ADAC survey has shown that many campers are dissatisfied with the conditions on motorway rastals. According to Merkur want over 53 percent of the respondents want special parking areas for motorhomes, camping buses and caravans, which are often missing or of Trucks are delivered.

The survey in March 2025 comprised 1,003 adults who had camped at least two nights since 2022. Over 740 of these participants had used an managed motorway rast area in the past three years. The results speak a clear language: In the years 2023 and 2024, the ADAC examined 80 rest areas, and only each fourth had its own parking spaces for motorhomes.

wishes and needs of the camper

Another central concern of many camper is the availability of service lines. For example, 40 percent of additional facilities such as cassette toilet emptying and fresh water fillings want, but none of the systems tested offered these services. The survey shows that 45 percent of travelers would be willing to pay for a fenced rest area with video surveillance. In addition, it is not too much for 31 percent of the participants to drive up to 10 kilometers from the highway to use such an offer.

In addition, many campers complain about poor signage. According to ADAC , 49 percent feel the signage as inadequate, which leads to difficult parking spaces. Over 28 percent are annoyed that the camper parking spaces are often blocked by trucks. Therefore, separate parking areas and clearer signage are urgently necessary.

comparison with neighboring countries

In international comparison, Germany does badly in the campers: With a score of 50, it only scored half of the points that the neighboring countries Austria reached with 69 and Switzerland even with 79. the equipment and the ambience in the other countries are perceived as much better. Over 75 percent of campers would keep German rest areas more often if their needs are taken seriously and the facilities are improved accordingly.

The trend shows an increasing new registration of motorhomes, which should only increase the demand for suitable rest areas. Many campers therefore not only want enough parking space, but also a better entire equipment of the rest sites.