At a glance
- Overnight window
- 11pm to 8am
- Who can stay
- Self-contained motorhomes with an on-board WC
- Ticket
- A motorhome overnight ticket for each night. 24-hour, weekly, season, resident, Rover tickets and the Disabled Parking Exemption are not valid for this.
- Price
- 'Charges apply' – the price is on the signs in each car park, not on the council's summary page
- Night limit
- Signs give examples such as a maximum of two consecutive nights – check the board on site
- Bays
- No dedicated motorhome bays – use standard bays and pay for every bay you cover
Not clear from the source
- The overnight price isn't given on the council's main motorhome page. It says to follow the tariff and information signs in each car park.
- 'Maximum of two consecutive nights' is listed as an example of what the signs may say, not as a county-wide rule. Rules could differ by car park.
- The page doesn't list facilities (water, waste, toilets) for the overnight car parks.
The short version
Cornwall Council is clear about one thing: if you want to stay overnight (11pm to 8am) in a council car park, you're limited to a named list of car parks, and only if your van is self-contained with its own on-board WC. Elsewhere, some car parks actively ban motorhomes overnight, so the individual car park page is the thing to check.
The 11 overnight car parks
According to the council, overnight motorhome parking is allowed in:
- Bodmin – Victoria Square
- Bude – Crescent
- Falmouth – Gyllyngvase
- Fowey – Main
- Launceston – Cattle Market (short stay)
- Marazion – Marazion Station
- Newquay – Watergate Bay
- Padstow – Link Road
- Perranporth – Wheal Leisure
- Seaton – Bridge
- St Ives – Trenwith
That's a decent spread, from the north coast surf towns to the south coast and inland market towns.
The ticket trap
This is the bit that catches people out. You need a motorhome overnight ticket for each night. Ordinary pay and display tickets and permits don't count – the council specifically names 24-hour tickets, weekly tickets, season and resident season tickets, Rover tickets and the Disabled Parking Exemption as not valid for overnight motorhome parking. So if you bought a 24-hour ticket at 2pm thinking it covers you until tomorrow, it doesn't cover sleeping there.
Size, weight and bays
There are no special motorhome bays. You park in normal bays and pay for every bay your vehicle covers – two bays, two tickets. Blue Badge bays are off limits unless you display a badge, and so are reserved or permit bays. Each car park also has its own weight limit, shown in a table at the bottom of its page; if your vehicle is over it, you can't park there.
Code of conduct
The council points you to the signs in each car park and gives examples of what they contain: a maximum of two consecutive nights, self-contained vehicles only, leave no trace (rubbish and dog waste), be respectful to residents, and vehicles are parked at the owner's risk. A Penalty Charge Notice may be issued if you don't comply.
Wader's tip
Open the individual car park page before you set off – it's where the weight restriction and vehicle suitability table live. Then read the tariff board when you arrive for the actual overnight price.