This is a list of the apps I use for full-time van life in Europe – tested across four years and 13 countries. It covers overnight parking, food, fuel, navigation, weather, and trail safety. No apps I tried once. No affiliate padding. Just what I use every single day on the road.
| Category | App | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight parking | Park4Night | 120,000+ community-reviewed spots across Europe |
| Overnight parking | Search for Sites | Traditional campsites with good price and facility filters |
| Shopping | Listonic | Shared shopping list that syncs between two phones in real time |
| Food | Glovo | Food delivery to your van – genuinely useful in Spain |
| Food | HappyCow | Plant-based and decent restaurants worldwide, with real reviews |
| Fuel | LPG Finder | Nearest LPG stations with prices and opening hours across Europe |
| Navigation | Google Maps | Offline maps – download the region before you lose signal |
| Navigation | Google Translate | Download languages offline – image translation for signs and menus |
| Weather | iLMeteo | Italian Alps and Slovenia – more accurate for mountain microclimates |
| Weather | AccuWeather | Everywhere else – hourly forecasts and severe weather alerts |
| Trail safety | Relive | GPS tracking so you can retrace your steps if you lose the path |
| Trail safety | Live location sharing with someone who knows your return time |
Finding somewhere to sleep
Park4Night is the first app I open when we’re deciding where to stop for the night. It has over 120,000 locations across Europe – car parks, laybys, campsites, wild spots – all reviewed by real van lifers. You can filter by facilities like water, toilets, or electricity, and the community reviews tell you whether a spot is usable or whether it’s been closed since 2019. I’ve been using this for four years, and it has never let me down.
Search for Sites is worth having alongside it, particularly if you want more traditional campsite options with amenities. Good filters for price, location, and facilities.
Shopping and food on the road
Listonic is our shared shopping list app and genuinely one of the most useful things on my phone. Tomas and I both have it – when one of us thinks of something we need, it goes straight on the list. No more arriving at a supermarket and realising you forgot the one thing you actually came for.
Glovo – this one might surprise you. Food delivery to a van sounds ridiculous until you’ve been parked up in a Spanish town with no energy to cook after a long day on the road and Glovo delivers straight to your location. In Spain especially, delivery areas are wide enough that it works even when you’re not in the centre of a city. I’m not saying we use it every day. I’m saying it has saved us more than once.
HappyCow is essential if you eat plant-based or just want to find somewhere decent to eat that isn’t a tourist trap. It covers restaurants, cafes, and shops worldwide, with user reviews and photos. Four years in and I still open it every time we arrive somewhere new.
Fuel
LPG Finder is Europe-only and essential if your van runs on LPG. It shows you the nearest stations with prices and opening hours. Running out of LPG is not a situation you want to be in on a Sunday evening in rural Croatia.
Navigation and maps
Google Maps – obvious, but the offline maps feature is non-negotiable for van life. Before I go anywhere, I download the offline map for that region. We often have no signal for days at a time in mountain areas, and offline maps are the difference between finding your way and being lost.
The same logic applies to Google Translate – download the languages you need before you travel, not when you arrive and have no signal. I always have Spanish, Italian and French downloaded as a minimum. The image translation feature is particularly useful for menus and road signs.
Weather
Weather matters a lot when you’re deciding where to park, whether to attempt a climb, or whether to drive a mountain pass. I use two apps depending on where I am.
iLMeteo is my go-to when we’re in the Italian Alps or Slovenia. It’s an Italian weather app that pulls from local meteorological data and is noticeably more accurate for mountain microclimates than the big international apps. If you spend any time in the Alps, download this.
AccuWeather covers everywhere else. Hourly forecasts, severe weather alerts, and reliable enough for general trip planning across Europe.
Safety on the trail
WhatsApp location sharing is the simplest safety tool I use when hiking, especially solo. Before I head out, I share my live location with someone who knows where I am and when I’m expected back. It costs nothing and takes ten seconds. For anything more serious – a via ferrata, a multi-pitch climb, anything where we have to leave Summer and Shadow in the van – I share my location and an estimated return time with my sister back in England. She has made me a solemn promise that if something happens to us, she will drop everything and come get the dogs. She lives in England. I choose to believe she means it.
Relive was my very first remote working job when we started van life, so this app has a special place in my heart. But I still use it religiously for one very practical reason: when I hike solo, it’s my safety net. If I get lost or lose the path, I can retrace my exact steps back to where I started. That peace of mind matters a lot when you’re on a mountain trail with no signal and no one around. The 3D flyover videos are a nice bonus, but honestly, that’s not why I open it every single time I head out.
What’s on your phone that I’ve missed? Drop it in the comments – I’m always looking for something new to try!
FAQ
What is the best app for finding overnight parking in Europe for van life?
Park4Night is the most reliable option for full-time van lifers in Europe. It has over 120,000 community-reviewed locations across the continent, covering wild spots, laybys, car parks, and campsites. I’ve used it for four years across 13 countries, and it has never let me down.
Is Park4Night free?
The basic version is free and covers most needs. A premium subscription removes ads and adds offline access to reviews, which is worth it if you’re travelling in areas with poor signal.
What apps do van lifers use for safety on hikes?
I use two in combination: WhatsApp live location sharing with someone who knows my expected return time, and Relive for GPS tracking so I can retrace my steps if I lose the path. Both are free.
What weather app is best for van life in the Alps?
iLMeteo. It pulls from local Italian meteorological data and is noticeably more accurate for mountain microclimates than international apps like AccuWeather or Weather.com. I use it specifically when we’re in the Italian Alps or Slovenia.
Do you need offline maps for van life in Europe?
Yes, without question. We regularly spend days at a time in mountain areas with no signal at all. Download offline maps for every region before you leave, not when you arrive. Google Maps offline works well and is free.
What shopping app is useful for van life as a couple?
Listonic is a shared shopping list app that syncs between two phones in real time. When one of us thinks of something we need, it goes straight on the list. It sounds simple, but it genuinely removes a lot of friction from daily life on the road.
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