March 15, 2022
Camping is booming and in recent years it has become increasingly crowded on European campsites. Especially in the high season, many campsites are fully booked weeks or even months in advance. Campers who prefer to set off spontaneously and drift off according to their mood and the weather are currently having a hard time. There is a lack of simple pitches that can be accessed spontaneously. In the following interview with the Flims campsite, you can find out how such pitches can now be created and managed with little effort.
What to do when the campsites are full? Simple pitches are a popular alternative to campsites. But the supply of pitches in Switzerland is still scarce because they are not so easy to manage. The founders of the digital parking space platform Parkn'Sleep recognized this and launched a digital payment system for non-reservable parking spaces on the market in 2021. The so-called "parking app for campers" includes a live availability display of pitches, digital check-in, integrated payment and automatic settlement of visitor's tax with the local municipality. This expands the range of legal and easy parking spaces and brings calm to the tense wild camping situation. In the first 4 months, around 550 individual pitches were created at over 70 locations. A win-win situation for everyone involved.
Campsites in particular can now benefit from the digital pitch app and create an attractive additional offer. In this interview, Benjamin Schmid, aka Benj, reveals how this works and why it can be useful for campsite operators to offer additional pitches on Parkn'Sleep. Together with his partner, Benj runs the Flims campsite and has recorded over 300 overnight stays via Parkn'Sleep in the last four months.
At the end of the article, we explain how you too can become a host and offer a pitch via Parkn'Sleep.
Benj, how long have you been running the Flims campsite?
We took over the campsite in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic on May 1, 2020. That was a huge challenge! While we weren't allowed to accept any guests at the beginning due to the lockdown, we were completely overrun after reopening on June 6, 2020. It just didn't stop. We had to turn so many people away throughout the summer because we were constantly fully booked.
How did you hear about Parkn'Sleep?
The founder of Parkn'Sleep came to visit us this spring during a bike vacation and introduced us to the concept of digital parking spaces. Until then, I had never heard of Parkn'Sleep. He explained to us how the app works. We naturally wanted to try it out, as we have had six so-called "Stop & Go" pitches outside the campsite for some time now.
How do the pitches you offer on Parkn'Sleep differ from the pitches on your campsite?
The six pitches we offer at Parkn'Sleep are larger parking spaces with electricity, located outside the campsite. A fixed all-inclusive price of CHF 35.00 per night and camper, including visitor's tax, currently applies to these pitches. This applies regardless of how many people are actually staying in the camper. This is cheaper than on the campsite. People staying on the pitches can use the entire infrastructure of the campsite and also receive the guest card.
In addition, these pitches cannot be reserved in advance, but there is no minimum length of stay during the high season, as is the case at our campsite. Parkn'Sleep users can use the live availability display to see in advance whether there are any pitches available or not. The biggest difference, however, is that check-in and payment are not handled via our campsite reception, but entirely via the Parkn'Sleep web app.
Who are your Parkn'Sleep pitches suitable for?
They are very popular with our active guests. In other words, for those who only need the camper to stay overnight and are out and about during the day. Here in Flims you can do a lot of things. The pitch is also popular with people who are traveling spontaneously or only need a place to sleep for one night.
How exactly does check-in work for guests?
They simply scan the QR code at the check-in point on site and can then choose on the app whether they want to check in for one or more nights. The stay can be extended at any time. We don't have a maximum length of stay, guests can stay as long as they like.
How long have you been using Parkn'Sleep?
Since this summer 2021, so for about 4-5 months. During this time, we have been able to process over 300 overnight stays via the platform.
Would you have been able to sell these overnight stays without Parkn'Sleep?
Probably yes, because camping is still a huge hype. At the moment, you could probably put a free parking space with a parking meter or a Parkn'Sleep panel anywhere and the thing would work. Nevertheless, the introduction of Parkn'Sleep has paid off for us, because the concept of digital parking spaces reduces our workload considerably.
How do you use the Parkn'Sleep service in everyday life?
We had previously rented out the six pitches as "stop and go" pitches. At that time, check-in and payment were handled by our campsite reception. With the introduction of Parkn'Sleep, this effort is now no longer necessary, as check-in and payment are done digitally. This leaves us more time for other things.
The web app also helps us to check the parking spaces. For example, when I come to work in the morning, I can stop at the pitch on the way and use my smartphone to check whether all the parked campers have checked in. That wasn't so easy before, there were always black sheep who avoided paying.
Are you planning to use Parkn'Sleep all year round? Or do you see it more as a mid-season solution?
We will certainly use the system all year round, as it takes a lot of work off our hands. However, we will close the pitches on some days, for example over Christmas and New Year, because the whole campsite and pitches are fully booked then.
How do you like the Parkn'Sleep web app?
Setting up our offer was simple and our questions were answered quickly by Parkn'Sleep. I find the app very user-friendly, it is clearly laid out and everything works without any problems.
And how does the payout to you work?
This is also simple. We can view our current balance at any time and have it paid out at the touch of a button.
How reliable is the availability display of free parking spaces on the app?
It works perfectly and is always up to date. It rarely happens that someone has problems checking in - for example, because the guest is not using a smartphone or the credit card does not work. In such cases, it is possible to pay at reception. We can then block the pitch ourselves via the app so that the availability display is still correct.
What guest reactions have you had to the new Parkn'Sleep pitches?
The feedback from guests has been very positive. Many of the guests who come to us are already using the app. They see the available seats, drive up, stand and are satisfied.
We haven't had any negative experiences so far. If someone has made a mistake in the app and booked one night too many, for example, we have always been able to resolve the problem promptly with the support team. But we are also always happy to help if someone wants to use Parkn'Sleep and doesn't know how. This sometimes affects older people who have perhaps never scanned a QR code before.
What advantages do you see in Parkn'Sleep's "non-reservable pitches" concept?
The offer is great for campers who don't want to stay at a campsite. They can travel spontaneously and flexibly and can see where there are free pitches at any time. On site, they can check in, pay and manage their booking themselves using their cell phone.
For us hosts, it is an easy way to manage pitches and process bookings. Private individuals also have the opportunity to offer pitches. I think the concept is brilliant.
What would you say - for which campsites is the introduction of Parkn'Sleep worthwhile and why?
Personally, I think it makes particular sense where a campsite offers separate pitches, as is the case with us. With Parkn'Sleep, these can be digitized, which eliminates the work involved in check-in, payment and visitor's tax billing for the campsite. With the app, guests who want to arrive and depart outside reception opening hours now also have the option of making their stay uncomplicated.
I find the live availability display of free pitches particularly ingenious. As already mentioned, the app can also be used to check the camping vehicles parked on the pitch.
Finally, your personal conclusion in one sentence?
I see enormous potential in Parkn'Sleep and we will definitely continue to use it.
Contact Camping Flims
Campsite Flims
+41 81 911 15 75
Via Prau la Selva 4
7018 Flims-Waldhaus
Offer a camper pitch with Parkn'Sleep
If you, as a campsite operator, restaurant guide, private landowner, mountain railroad or municipality, want to turn a piece of land, a few empty parking spaces or a detached backyard into a parking space and generate a passive side income, then become a host on Parkn'Sleep!
To set up a parking space, you must be registered as a host on Parkn'Sleep and equip the parking space with a QR code on site. You will receive the corresponding signs and/or stickers free of charge. The activation and use of the system is free of charge, there is no minimum contract period and you can deregister at any time. For the service fee, 15% of the accommodation price goes to the platform.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Parkn'Sleep team by e-mail at support@parknsleep.app or by telephone on 041 552 31 33.
Author of this article - Stephanie Köllinger:
Steffi travels with her camper and dog whenever possible and loves to explore Switzerland in hiking boots or on her mountain bike. As a camping author, she regularly writes articles and texts about everything to do with camping and vanlife. Follow Steffi on Instagram or visit her on her website.
You can now become a co-owner of Parkn'Sleep by buying digital shares in our company.
You can find out how to do this here:
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