Europe is ideal for campervan travel. Yes it can be crowded so choose your season and thus location, well. Many campsites are located in what many will say are ‘prime real estate! This writer urges anyone making such a trip to use smaller campvervans so that your driving on secondary roads means you can use those small tight roads. American size vehicles are not recommended.
For camping enthusiasts, the camper has became a lifestyle – a travel approach that, in Italy, applies to 5.6 million tourists (annually), including both Italians and foreigners. This editor has camped throughout Europe when lived there and can vouch for the extensive and comfortable range of camp grounds. A camper vacation invites travelers to escape from the usual, well-trodden itineraries of mass tourism, and instead to discover the magic of undiscovered Italy: its pristine nature, evocative landscapes and ancient traditions (all without, however, denying one’s desire for both convenience and creature comforts). The image to the right shows how some campsites can give you prime beach position!
The practice of a a motor home creates flexibility without parallel, allowing the planning of customised itineraries that can also be modified at any time; those in campers can organize a “slow” and easy holiday, or depart at the last minute, in any season, completely independent of the traditional rules on when, where, and how to go on vacation. From the peaks of the Dolomites in Trentino-Alto Adige to magnificent Sicilian beaches, Italy is ideal for those who want to go on a “camper” vacation with family or friends. With all this flexibility and all the wonders of the Bel Paese – 7,458 kilometers (4,634 miles) of gorgeous coastline, art cities, marvellous mountain localities, 24 national parks and 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – a camping holiday is a possibility 365 days a year.
For those looking for direct contact with nature, Italy’s national parks and their well-equipped camping facilities make for an unmissable destination and excellent occasion to explore the incredible biodiversity that characterizes the entire Peninsula. The Camper’s Vade Mecum Rest stops and parking grounds for campers and trailers number about 1,870 throughout the country. They are located just outside campsites, and are divided between “equipped,” “camper services,” “parking lots (not equipped),” and integrated areas.
Circulation and Stops
In Italy, campers are equal to other vehicles. The governing regulations can change according to the zoning type (historic centres, hospital areas) or according to particular road conditions or structures, but generally they apply to all drivers. Free Stops: Campers that inhabit rest stops – on the autostrada or other roads – are not allowed to place anything on the ground besides their own wheels, and cannot occupy any space other than that required for the camper itself. Stepping-stools, awnings, tables or chairs are not permitted. As long as these rules are followed, stays as long as one night are allowed. Individual Communes or municipalities also have the right to issue further specific ordinances for campers (including bans on entry) given particular needs. It is advised that campers consult local authorities on rules and regulations in order to avoid fines, penalties and other sanctions. On the Autostrada: In service areas and parking lots on the Autostrada, it is advised to stay for one night, but not for an entire camping trip. In fact, the maximum time allowed per motor home is 24 hours. But, really would you want to – think of the noise!! Discharge of Water Waste: The law explicitly forbids the discharge of organic residues in streets, fields or manholes. Rather, all discharge goes in the appropriate disposal installations; otherwise, any violation will be followed by sanctions.
Federcampeggio.it. A complete list of camping sites with location map is issued free by the Federazione Italiana del Campeggio e del Caravanning (Federcampeggio). Their web site is in Italian and English
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