Place me · Switzerland
Wild camping and free overnight stays in Switzerland
In Switzerland, sleeping in a motorhome outside campsites is a matter for the cantons and municipalities. Here is every canton’s rule – as Place me applies it on the map.
There is no national rule on sleeping in a motorhome on car parks; cantons and municipalities decide. The principle: parking is not camping. Anyone who sleeps in the vehicle without putting out chairs, awnings or levelling jacks is parking.
Where a canton does not expressly regulate overnight stays, road traffic law and on-site signage, the municipal bylaw and, on private land, the owner’s consent apply – that is how the canton of Lucerne puts it. Valais treats wild camping with installations as requiring a permit (Art. 22 Spatial Planning Act, Art. 16 para. 2 lit. a Building Ordinance).
The overview below summarises every canton’s rule, with source and check date. It is guidance, not legal advice: signs on site always take precedence.
The rules of the cantons
Status, summary, source and check date – exactly as Place me applies them on the map.
Allowed: sleeping in the vehicle is expressly permitted. Tolerated: no rule of its own or only with restrictions – signage and the municipality decide. Forbidden: only on official sites.
Aargau
AllowedOne night on a public car park is allowed if there is no prohibition sign. Chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed; otherwise the municipality and landowner decide.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026) (no cantonal legal basis cited), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Appenzell Innerrhoden
ForbiddenOvernight stays are only allowed on car parks with marked camper bays. On other car parks and in nature it is not permitted.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Bern
ToleratedWild camping is not generally allowed; for sleeping in the vehicle on car parks the canton has no rule of its own, the municipality decides. The City of Bern bans camping on public ground outside designated areas.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Basel-Landschaft
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Basel-Stadt
ForbiddenSleeping in a motorhome on public car parks is not allowed; illegally parked vehicles may be removed. The canton offers motorhome bays at Bäumlihofstrasse (free, max. 24 hours).
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Fribourg
ForbiddenOvernight stays in a motorhome are only allowed on official motorhome sites (e.g. Romont, Charmey), not on ordinary car parks or in nature.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Geneva
ToleratedCamping vehicles may be parked for less than 24 hours on public car parks; camping in public space requires a permit from the managing authority.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Glarus
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Grisons
ToleratedWild camping is not generally allowed and is banned in hunting reserves, nature reserves, biotopes and the National Park. For sleeping in the vehicle on car parks the canton has no rule of its own; the municipality decides.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Jura
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Lucerne
ToleratedWhere road traffic law or signage does not prohibit it, sleeping (but not camping) on car parks and rest areas is allowed. On municipal land the municipal bylaw applies, on private land the owner's consent.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Neuchâtel
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Nidwalden
ForbiddenSleeping in a motorhome on public car parks is not allowed. On private land it is possible with the owner's consent for at most two months.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Obwalden
AllowedFor a single night a motorhome, caravan or tent may be set up without a permit outside licensed campsites, provided no public or private interests are impaired (Art. 8 Camping Act). At your own risk; protected areas are off limits.
Source: Kanton Obwalden – Gesetz über das Campieren (GDB 971.4), Art. 8 Einmaliges Übernachten, as of 6 September 2026 · gdb.ow.ch
St. Gallen
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Schaffhausen
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Solothurn
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Schwyz
ToleratedSleeping in a motorhome on car parks is not generally prohibited; observe signage and parking fees. Caravans and the like may be used for more than 48 hours only on licensed campsites.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Thurgau
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Ticino
ForbiddenOvernight stays on rest areas or car parks are not allowed. Only a one-night bivouac above the tree line is permitted.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Uri
ToleratedSleeping in a motorhome on car parks is generally allowed unless prohibited or restricted by signage (e.g. no parking at night). Observe municipal regulations.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Vaud
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Valais
ForbiddenWild camping requires a permit (Art. 22 Spatial Planning Act, Art. 16 para. 2 lit. a Building Ordinance). Overnight stays on national motorway rest areas are banned, on cantonal roads need a permit, on municipal roads the municipal bylaw applies.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026) (information from the canton of Valais), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Zug
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner apply. Sleep in the vehicle only – chairs, a table or an awning outside are not allowed.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Zurich
ToleratedNo cantonal rule on sleeping in the vehicle on car parks; the municipality and landowner decide. In the forest a single night without additional installations is permitted.
Source: according to TCS – Wildcampen in der Schweiz, Kantonsübersicht (as of 1 July 2026), as of 6 September 2026 · www.tcs.ch
Popular spots – Switzerland
Sorted by community check-ins and views.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sleep in a motorhome on a car park in Switzerland?+
There is no national rule; cantons and municipalities decide. Aargau allows one night on a public car park if there is no prohibition sign. Lucerne and Uri allow overnight stays where signage or road traffic law do not prohibit them. Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Ticino and Fribourg do not allow it, or only on official motorhome sites. In most other cantons, on-site signage, municipal bylaws and the landowner decide.
Does the rule “one night is allowed” apply in Switzerland?+
Not nationwide. Aargau (public car park without prohibition sign) and Obwalden (a single night without a permit outside campsites, Art. 8 Camping Act, provided no public or private interests are impaired) expressly allow one night. Geneva limits parking camping vehicles on public car parks to less than 24 hours; Zurich permits a single night in the forest without additional installations.
Can I sleep on a motorway rest area?+
The cantons regulate this differently. Valais: banned on national motorway rest areas, permit required on cantonal roads. Ticino: overnight stays on rest areas are not allowed. Lucerne: allowed on car parks and rest areas where road traffic law or signage do not prohibit it. Without a cantonal rule, on-site signage applies.
What applies on a municipal car park?+
Many cantons – both Appenzells, Basel-Landschaft, Glarus, Jura, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, Thurgau, Vaud and Zug – have no rule of their own; then on-site signage, the municipal bylaw and the landowner decide. In the canton of Bern the municipality decides; the City of Bern bans camping on public ground outside designated areas. So read the signs and, if in doubt, ask the municipality.
Can I stay overnight on a farm or on private land?+
On private land you need the owner’s consent (Lucerne, for example). Nidwalden allows it with the landowner’s consent for at most two months. Farms on Place me are places the host expressly offers – which is why we show them as allowed, just like official stopovers and campsites.
What is the difference between parking and camping?+
Parking is not camping: no chairs, awnings or levelling jacks (TCS). Lucerne allows sleeping but not camping; Schwyz restricts the use of caravans and the like beyond 48 hours to licensed campsites. Anyone who sleeps in the vehicle and sets nothing up is still parking in most cantons.
What fines are there?+
Our sources give no fine amounts for Switzerland, but consequences: in Basel-Stadt, illegally parked vehicles may be removed; in Valais, wild camping requires a permit (Art. 22 Spatial Planning Act, Art. 16 para. 2 lit. a Building Ordinance). If you follow signage and the municipal bylaw and set nothing up, you are still parking.
Where is wild camping expressly banned?+
Graubünden: in hunting reserves, nature reserves, biotopes and the National Park. Obwalden: protected areas are off limits even for a single night. Ticino: only a one-night bivouac above the tree line is permitted. Valais: permit required. Appenzell Innerrhoden: overnight stays only on car parks with marked camper bays.
The information comes from OpenStreetMap and from campers. Check signs and bans on site – the light is guidance, not legal advice. Caraplace accepts no liability for accuracy or currency; you stay at your own risk.
Only legal places on the map
The “Legal” filter shows only places with a green or amber light – official stopovers, campsites, farms and car parks in regions that allow or tolerate overnight stays.
Only legal places on the mapStopovers by canton
Rules in other countries
- Wild camping Albania
- Wild camping Andorra
- Wild camping Austria
- Wild camping Belgium
- Wild camping Bulgaria
- Wild camping Croatia
- Wild camping Czechia
- Wild camping Denmark
- Wild camping Estonia
- Wild camping Finland
- Wild camping France
- Wild camping Germany
- Wild camping Greece
- Wild camping Iceland
- Wild camping Italy
- Wild camping Malta
- Wild camping Monaco
- Wild camping Netherlands
- Wild camping Norway
- Wild camping Poland
- Wild camping Portugal
- Wild camping Slovakia
- Wild camping Slovenia
- Wild camping Spain
- Wild camping Sweden