New parking rules aim to curb camper vans in Danish holiday towns

Local residents and tourism operators in Løkken, a popular holiday town in northern Jutland, have introduced new parking restrictions to address congestion caused by the rising number of camper vans, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The vehicles, registered as passenger cars, have been clogging narrow streets and occupying parking spaces for extended periods. To ease pressure on the town centre, Hjørring Municipality has imposed time limits on all central parking lots and created additional temporary parking areas, including a school lot unused during summer and a site loaned by a sports association.

Stefan Karlborg, chair of Løkken’s tourism and trade association, said the town relies on visitors but must manage limited parking capacity. The measures aim to encourage tourists to park farther from the centre.

Other coastal towns in the municipality face similar issues. Søren Homann, chair of the local environment and technical committee, said new pictograms and QR codes now direct camper van drivers to designated overnight spots, waste disposal, and fresh water points via a multilingual guide.

Nearly 15,000 camper vans are registered in Denmark, a 40 percent increase since 2020.