How We Stayed for Free Every Night in Japan with a Camper Van

Another stop had one of the nicest views of Mount Fuji we'd seen during the whole trip.

You never quite knew what you'd find next.

They're much more than just somewhere to park

We quickly realised these weren't just places to sleep.

Some of our favourite afternoons happened because we'd arrived somewhere earlier than expected and started wandering around.

One had a little museum that was completely free.

Another had an indoor soft play area.

Others had huge outdoor playgrounds, splash parks and walking trails.

It genuinely felt like the local community used them just as much as travellers did, which made them feel much more welcoming than a standard campsite.

The farm shops became another favourite.

We'd often pick up fresh fruit, vegetables or snacks we'd never seen before.

Sometimes we'd buy dinner there and cook it back at the van.

Other times we'd just grab an ice cream and have a wander around.

The food was another surprise.

We expected the usual motorway service station meals.

Instead we'd often find proper local food being cooked fresh.

Some of the meals we had at Michi-No-Eki were honestly better than restaurants we'd paid much more for elsewhere.

What about showers?

This was probably our biggest worry before arriving.

Toilets were one thing.

Showers felt like they'd be much harder to find.

Some Michi-No-Eki do have coin showers but they're definitely not everywhere.

Whenever we found one, we'd make the most of it because it made the rest of the day much easier.

Most worked the same way.

You'd put in around 200 yen and get roughly five minutes of hot water.

Five minutes doesn't sound like much.

It turns out it's just about enough.

Me and Jax could both squeeze into one five minute session if everyone moved quickly enough.

Or I could wash my hair and attempt to shave my legs, although "attempt" is definitely the important word there.

If you needed another few minutes, you just added another coin.

Even though coin showers weren't available at every stop, we never struggled to stay clean.

Between campsite showers, tattoo-friendly onsens and Kaikatsu Club, there was always another option nearby.

Once we'd worked out our little routine it became something we barely thought about.

We didn't spend a penny on accommodation

This is probably the bit that surprised us most.

During the whole three weeks we had the camper van, we didn't spend anything staying overnight.

Not one penny.

That obviously made a huge difference to our budget.

Accommodation is usually one of the biggest travel expenses for us.

Removing that cost meant we could spend more on activities, food or simply stay in Japan for longer.

It also made every day feel far more flexible.

We never needed to race somewhere because we'd already paid for a campsite.

If we found somewhere we loved, we stayed longer.

If we fancied driving another hour, we drove another hour.

There wasn't any pressure.

The facilities made that possible.

Would we stay at Michi-No-Eki again?

Without even thinking about it.

They're clean, practical, easy to find and often become little destinations in their own right.

Some of our favourite evenings during the whole trip were simply parked up, cooking dinner, watching the sun go down and planning where we'd head the following morning.

If you're thinking about hiring a camper van in Japan, don't overlook them.

For us, they weren't just somewhere to sleep.

They quietly became one of the reasons we enjoyed the road trip as much as we did.

A few things we'd recommend

• If you find one with coin showers, it's worth planning to stop there.
• Don't rush off first thing. Wander around the shops and see what else is there.
• Keep a few 100 yen coins handy for showers and vending machines.
• Try the local food whenever you can. It was nearly always excellent.
• Don't judge them by the car park. Some of the most ordinary looking stops ended up being our favourites.
• If you're hiring a camper van, we'd happily recommend giving Michi-No-Eki a go before booking campsites. They completely changed how we travelled around Japan.