Whether you’re traveling across Texas or the U.S. in an RV or a sedan, the idea of finding a parking lot to doze off without shelling out the cash for a pricey hotel room is enticing. But there are a surprising number of hospitable stores that welcome your business but not your beauty rest. Is Walmart one of these businesses?
Turns out, the answer is unsurprisingly complicated. Walmart’s official policy is to welcome RV campers and weary travelers. But in reality, it’s left to store managers’ discretion.
“While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart value RV travelers and considers them among our best customers,” the company frequently asked questions page states. “Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store parking lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws.”
The company urges sleepy travelers to speak with local management before settling in for the night. According to experienced parking-lot campers, there’s a surprising number of stores across Texas that aren’t keen on customers catching some Zs in their parking lots.
Walmart is often seen as the go-to place to find a safe place to sleep. Van-life content creators and RV vloggers often consider Walmart parking lots an old reliable. But local rules can throw a wrench in this assumption, and store managers will often turn people away, according to a thread on AllStays.
Many major metros with skyrocketing rents, like Los Angeles or New York City, allow drivers to sleep in their vehicles without the risk of police intervention. But in Texas, most big cities, like Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, have ordinances that ban it. This can lead to issues if an officer patrolling near a Walmart spots a vehicle after hours. If an officer doesn’t intervene, store managers in Texas cities seem likely to.
Travelers on AllStays compiled a list of Walmart stores in Texas where a manager told them to leave. In San Antonio, roughly half of the stores were unfriendly to overnight visitors. In fact, 17 of the roughly 33 stores in town turned sleepy travelers away. That’s more than were reported in Dallas (13) or Austin (8). But a whopping 25 stores were listed in Houston.
So, if you find yourself looking for a place to catch up on some rest, it’s best to check in with a manager before kicking your feet up in a Walmart parking lot.