25 Best Places to Sleep When Living in Your Car

This is a complete list of the 25 best places you can safely park to sleep if you’re living or traveling in your car. This is of course also good for van dwellers, RVer’s and everything else if your just looking for ideas on where you can park and sleep for the night.

I hope this video will help you and take away some of the stress worrying where should you park for the night.

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CAR CAMPING/SUV GEAR LIST
Cooking/Kitchen
Cone coffee pour over
Stop Amicus Stove

Electronics/Video
Full size tripod for iPhone

Misc
Car window sun shades
Telescoping tarp poles
4.9 gallon water container
Heavy duty suction cups

[fuzzybwill]

I lived in my vehicle from 2016-2022. My job has showers so that's a blessing for me. I used to rotate 5 different places ...1. job 2. UPS parking lot 3. FedEx parking lot 4. 24 hr gym. 5. Police station. I saved a lot of money over the 6 years. I miss car life since I'm a loner anyway

[pamelavalente]

Most major, and even some smaller, airports have Cell Phone Parking Lots where you can park while waiting for an incoming plane to land (instead of constantly circling the pick-up area). Taxis, limousines and just regular everyday people make use of these lots. No one keeps track of how long you've been there, and, they're usually free and open 24 hrs.. Love your list, thanks! 💗

[nicole-uocd]

My town has a 24 hour laundromat so you can park your car, do your laundry AND catch a few z's!
Also, if you work at night it seems to me that it's much easier to stealth park DURING THE DAY. So if you can sleep during the day, your best option for work is the NIGHT SHIFT!

[horrorthroughhereyespod]

Marmalade...I just wanted to say how happy I am I found your channel. At the end of March of this year, I said F it and literally walked away from my life with what I could fit in my car. My rent was raised and I was barely making it before that, so I left BEFORE it became a problem. I have a college degree and work 2 jobs, but still struggle. Its just how it is nowadays. My kids are grown and its just me. One of the things Im really struggling with is the stigma. Like, one side of me says, good for you you've always been a nomad at heart, the other says, "You are 54 and living out of your car so OBVIOUSLY you are a complete loser?! How can you let yourself get to this point?" But then I ask myself, if you could go back, would you? And the answer is always no, but I have told about 2 people Im doing this...and well now all of YouTube lol. I dont want to tell my kids because I dont want them to worry for me. And I just dont want anyone else's judgement. But...despite the hardships that come with it, and really, its just trading one set of hardships for another, non-domiciled vs. domiciled, I am kind of having the time of my life. I work 2 jobs, both remote and there are a lot of "workshare" spaces opening up around and Ive been using those for work. Its a pretty cool idea and I believe you will see more of them as remote working becomes the norm. I am on a podcast too that records once a week and both of the workshare spaces I have used have podcasting booths so that's been great. Also, I'm doing all this in a Ford Fiesta, luckily I am only 5'1". I see so many people doing this with vans and SUVs and if people are reading this and seeing these posts and thinking, I can never do that with my car...chances are, you probably can. I have stayed at Walmarts, Pilot Truck Stops, Loves Truck Stops. Im in the Midwest. Walmarts have been the best, I find...just try to park away from the lights that I think are meant to land planes. And I've🚗 gotten a hotel room here or there, and AIRBNB to visit my kids last week. I also got the Planet Fitness Black Card...if you are going to do this, that is the BEST $27/month you can possibly spend.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for making me feel like what I am doing is okay, or that others are also doing it. Also, I saw what you said about your luck on dating sites and those women are dumb, you are adorable. I think we are on the cusp and being renegades for those who will follow behind us. This stigma with change to some degree, but it will definitely take some time and probably never fully go away. I KNOW I am choosing this, but I have to get over feeling like a failure. Also, in case this helps anyone else...I am off all my anxiety medicine for the first time since 2005. At first i thought I was opening up a giant mental can of worms by leaping off this ledge...but it has had the exact opposite affect on me. "Letting go" is AMAZING. And there is something so soothing about that little cocoon of my back seat.
Ok, if I keep going I will have to get my own YouTube channel. Best of luck to you, and thank you for being so vulnerable for the benefit of the rest of us. Just wanted to let you know you really helped someone feel better. I know from my podcasting that feedback, especially positive, reminds us why we put ourselves out there in the first place.

[joannejohnson]

I did think of police stations. I had not thought of hospital parking lots! Thanks for a great list of ideas for upping my parking game when I am urban.🖤

[HeyokaCat_]

Four Guidelines/Rules
1- Safety
2- Respectful
3- Stealthy
4- Bathroom/Restroom

25 Overnight Camping Spots

1- Hotel Parking Lots
2- Hospital Parking Lots
3- Campgrounds
4- Reststops
5- Walmart Parking Lots
6- Cracker Barrel Parking Lots
7- Industrial Park/ Commercial Lots
8- Welcome Centers
9- Car Dealerships
10- Parking Garages
11- Casino Parking Lots
12- BLM Land
13- Grocery Stores / Malls / Shopping Centers
14- Church Parking Lots
15- City Street Parking (after hours)
16- Residential Areas
17- Rent-A-Space (ads & apps)
18- Apartment Complexes (non-gated; visitor areas)
19- Truck Stops
20- 24-Hr Business Parking Lots
21- Safe Parking Programs
22- Friend's & Family Driveway & Parking Spaces
23- Park-N-Rides
24- Police Stations
25- 24-Hr Fitness Gyms

[thehouseofgraellc]

As a female that loves to do car life I thank you much for this list.

[FranfromFL]

I read a suggestion to park at a tire dealer or mechanic's place. Pull in after they have closed and leave early. All kinds of vehicles parked there waiting for service the next day so you will blend in.

[suzannepharr]

Someone mentioned airport cell phone lots but even better is the airport Uber/Lyft lot. I live in the Atlanta area, and drive for Uber for a while. There were always some drivers sleeping there overnight, and no one ever checked. I met an Uber driver who lived in his car, had a small storage space for his stuff, and used Planet Fitness for showers. He slept at the Uber lot every night.

[yellowbird]

I cannot tell you how much it bothers me that we pay taxes all our life, for city, county, state and federal taxes, in addition to "fees, " and other mysterious add-ons, that ostensibly go for roads and infrastructure, along with many other things. We buy a car, we pay insurance, we pay taxes on that, we continue to pay taxes on the gasoline, and taxes on car repairs. Yet, in spite of all this, we are not allowed to stay in our car, on a public street or public space. If we are "caught" living in our car, we are told we are not allowed to do that. On what planet, and under what conditions WOULD we be able to? If we have paid for all of it ourselves, how does the government come along and say we are now not allowed to use it?? They are our streets. Our parks. Our recreational areas. We paid for them, and are STILL paying for them. The government has no money of it's own, yet it tells us we are not welcome on that for which we have paid dearly. Something is deeply wrong here.

If you are in your car, bothering no one, parked on a public street, what is the harm? I could see it if you built a patio off your car and put out a grill, furniture, etc. as that is not what streets are for, or sidewalks, either. But simply being in a vehicle for as long as you want anywhere you want as long as it doesn't infringe on anyone else, should be allowed. To me, it is outrageous that people have to sneak around like criminals in order to "be" somewhere legally. Unbelievable.

[johnfake]

One tip I've learned in my own travels. If you sleep at a rest stop on a toll road that uses tickets, you might get asked when exiting the road/paying the toll where you where and why it took so long. This, for instance, can happen on the New York State thruway. It has to do with monitoring for drug traffickers, who sometimes do meet ups at rest stops. This has happened to me twice and in neither case was it a problem. But just be aware that you might get asked and if - like many people - a suspecting inquiry can make you feel guilty, it makes sense to be prepared for the question, lest they hold you up for further questioning.

[mmccreedy]

I've had many times to park just on side streets here in Hawaii... The only 2 times the police knocked on my window I explained that I had been out drinking with friends, and I couldn't drive safely yet... They always (actually they pretty much have to) then just tell me to be careful and they take off....

[marthahackett]

Hi I recently was in a large city in a community with row houses. I first drove past around 7pm but thought this main street would fill up late at night. To my surprise 10:30 pm there were a lot of empty parks I pulled in and had a good nights sleep the passing cars didnt bother me at all. I also love to stay in hospital level parking and park where the workers park. I do shift parking and Ive always remained stealth. I park around 45 min before a shift starts and leave within 45min after a shift ends. In bad weather or when I dont feel like moving I park as if Im doing a double. Inside Im completely blacked out and have never been discovered. I have everything I need in my minivan. During a big snow workers were out cleaning off snow from the cars and plowing the driveways. Only thing is that you cant turn your engine on. So I have enough power to last. i often heat water for hot water bottles. The daylight if sun is strong it heats up a vehicle just be prepared with warm clothing and bedding.
I love my life

[johnfake]

In my experience, truck stops welcome car travelers sleeping overnight. I traveled for four months all around the country sleeping almost exclusively at truck stops. I preferred Loves, particularly for the $11 (in 2015) clean shower rooms for rent. Truck stops are great because you have proximity to food, drink, supplies and bathroom facilities. There is no hassle whatsoever. I found that Loves tended to have almost no shady activity going on, although sometimes you will see an escort show up and jump into the cab of a truck. But I never had any problem or any hassle sleeping at truck stops during my 22k mile road trip around the U.S.

[nataliepierce-shult]

Suggestion as a truck driver if you wanna park your car at a truckstop, do not take up any of the truck parking spots. We as truckers have legal hours that we can run and if we violate those hours it can cause us to lose our license so we have to be able to have parking spots, y’all people that are homeless and just you know on road trips and stuff have a little respect because you can park anywhere and we can’t for every truck that’s on the road there’s 11 trucks to one parking spot so it’s very difficult for us to find safe parking

[daviddeborde]

I used to park at a student driver school only because my car looked similar to theirs.

[patriciaanndemello]

I never considered a hospital for parking. Very intriguing.

[gapeach]

I'm in the South and I have often thought that car repair places would be a great place to sleep. There are typically lots of different vehicles parked around and they don't open super early :)

[kenpresley]

Storage rental facilities, especially if you rent a space large enough to park your car inside.

[noname]

LColorado Springs Walmart won't let anyone park, and cracker barrel might w permission but have signs up for no overnight parking.
Kinda blending in w overnight shift workers at grocery stores. Truck stops, which I usually do during travel. Dennys, IHOP, and I once parked overnight at a car service shop in amarillo. I have been doing this since 2018.