Picturesque landscapes, world famous art cities and a wide range of campsites make Italy a popular destination for campervan tourists. Anyone who crosses Italy from South Tyrol to Sicily with a motorhome will experience surprising contrasts and cultural diversity.
Discover Italy with a campervan (© Stefano Neri – Fotolia.com)
No other holiday way promises as much freedom and flexibility as the one with a motorhome or caravan. With its mild climate, countless sights and a huge selection of campsites, Italy is an ideal country for a RV holiday.
The charming hills of Tuscany and the Caribbean-like beaches of Sardinia can be discovered with the campervan particularly well. In the south of Italy, Calabria and in the Cilento National Park undiscovered bays, away from mass tourism, attract visitors. Also the Italians appreciate the beauty of their country: especially in Northern Italy the holiday with the RV or caravan is very popular.
Italy is perfect for holidays with a camper van
There is an excellent infrastructure with well-equipped campsites. Whether on cozy camping pitches right on the lake or in comfortable holiday resorts on the Adriatic coast, Italy offers idyllic places for all tastes for motorhomes and caravans.
A popular alternative to the campsite is the “agricampeggio“. Some Italian farms and winery offer camping pitches with electricity, washing facilities and toilet for a small fee. You can find also farms (“agriturismo“) with their own trattoria and excellent local cuisine. Some of the guesthouses have their own car park.
Reserve a campsite in advance
The summer time is high season in Italy. Especially in August, an early booking is highly recommended. Online reservation is possible for some camping pitches in Italy, e.g. with our partner Booking.com.
Good planning is essential
The online reservation of a RV or caravan allows the comparison of equipment and prices. Whether on-line rental or on-site reservation: in any case you should familiarize yourself before the departure with the technical equipment of the motorhome.
In addition, it is important to plan the route well and to inform about the rules to drive in Italy with a campervan. It is better not to rely exclusively on the GPS navigator. Many Italian roads are narrow and unsuitable for motorhomes. In addition, some areas are hidden and their address can not be clearly identified by the navigation system. If you want to explore Italy off the main roads, you can look at the quality of the streets and the exact location of the pitches with Google Streetview.
Better avoid
You should avoid parking spaces near discotheques. An empty car park can fill up quickly after midnight. Even large places in the village can turn out to be a nightly meeting place – or even as a venue for the weekly market. Traffic jams are to be expected on Easter Monday and August 15 (Ferragosto). Also critical are the first and last weekend of August.
Caution: Driving some Italian roads, such as the curving Amalfi Coast, is restricted to motorhomes and caravans. In Italy, motorways, some passports and tunnels are subject to charges. A higher road toll may be due for double-axle vehicles.
Ferries to Sardinia, Sicily, and Elba
If you plan to visit an Italian island with a RV, you should book in advance a ticket, especially if you travel in the high season. Plan some hours to board on the ferry in the weekends of July and August and during the Italian long weekends.
You cannot reach Capri and Procida by RV (it is not allowed). Ischia allows access to RV only in short periods of the year. The best tip here is to park the motorhome in Sorrento (for Capri) or Naples (for Ischia and Procida) and then take the ferry to visit the islands in the gulf of Naples. In the post “Ferries from Naples – what you must know” we answer the most important questions.
Online booking of ferry tickets
O ‘sole mio: Rent a motorhome with air condition
In the summer you should hire a motorhome with air conditioning. In Southern Italy the thermometer climbs rapidly over 40 degrees in July and August, and even at night it remains hot.
Visit of Italian cities with a campervan
It is not advisable to drive with a RV through Italian cities. Many roads are closed to traffic (ZTL or “zona traffico limitato” = restricted traffic zone). In some cities, new environmental zones have been set up with different regulations, such as Milan (Ecopass), Rome, Venice and Bolzano.
For caravans and campervans, it is advisable to park in a guarded car park and to use public transport.
In Rome, there are a variety of campsites, such as Camping Flaminio in the north of the city. Visitors to the southern Italian city of Naples will appreciate the camping pitch Il Vulcano Solfatara in Pozzuoli. With the subway you can quickly reach the city – and stay at the volcano Solfatara, the most famous of the Phlegraean Fields.
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