I've been wanting to go to Greece for years. I made it as far as Croatia about twenty years ago, but that's as far as I got. Jamie's always wanted to take me, remembering a holiday there years ago drinking retsina and eating kalamari, though he refused to eat octopus now.

It was the plan to drive down there next year, resuming our Land Rover drive across Europe cut short by my Dad's death. We've been really looking forward to it.

'Camping' in Galicia

Then the news hit that Greece is making it difficult for travellers who drive and wild camp there, like Portugal, the UK, Switzerland and other countries. The move seems even more fascist, given the nuances of the law effective since January this year.

The law basically bans public area parking - motorhomes, caravans and trailers are now prohibted from parking or setting up in public spaces such as parks, forests, beaches, archaeological sites,and public or municipal parking lots. Private land owners can host one motorhome or camper, but no more unless they have a license. The most you can stay anywhere is 24 hours, and you can only stay for any lenght in designated spaces managed by municipalities or local authorities.

We don't always 'freecamp' - particularly if it's a nice caravan park with reasonable rates.

And if you get caught violating, you can be fined 300 Euro per vehicle or person, and even imprisoned for three months.

I understand the rationale - it's desinged to protect public spaces and the tourist infrastructure, prventing degradation and misuse of public areas.

Fucking vanlifers, ruining it for everyone again. Extended stays in beach carparks, defecating in public places, loud music, barbecues, and so on. Motorhomes messing up the view and taking up parking spaces, and leaving their grey waste behind, and so on.

But the crazy thing is you can be fined for parking for any amount of time at these sites. What happens if you want to spend a day at the beach? At an archaelogical site? Do you have to pay to stay at a regulated camp and get a donkey ride into the tourist area? Madness. There's certainly a lot of kickback from the motorhome and caravan communities - and vanlifers.

I'm not sure how we actually fit into this - we're a 4x4 that looks like a car, until you pop the top. We knew wild camping was banned in Greece since 2012, but we also knew that, like Portugal, local authorities would often turn a blind eye if you were discreet, and just passing through - you'd spend money in their town, after all. Now it seems a lot more authoritarian and worrying - we don't want to be fined for sleeping in our car, or get fined because they think we are sleeping in it whilst parked somewhere enjoying the sights.

It's also worrying that our right as human beings to camp on the land is being curtailed more and more. Governments want to ensure we are spending money, and those that pay rent or buy houses can't abide by people who don't choose that life. Many are also being pushed into vehicles because they can't afford that life - it is cheaper to live in a motorhome and travel that in is to live in a house and pay related expenses, even if you don't have a mortgage, and the price of hotels is insane.

Beachside day camping, Portugal - lunch and a sleep whilst admiring the view.

For us, we like travelling in the car because we like our own space. I don't mind a caravan park whilst travelling if the price is reasonable, but I'd also like the choice of camping in the wild too. And sleeping in a car keeps our costs down, so we can travel.

Our personal freedoms seem to be more and more diminished, it seems, just at a time when we want to be more free.

However, this may be all nothing to worry about. Maybe we'll stay in legal camps, it won't cost too much, we'll be allowed to park at sites to go for a walk or have a look around because we have a car, not a camper (arguably) and if not, we will pass through the country quicker than we would like.

Do you travel in a motorhome in Europe? What are your thoughts about this issue?