North through Italy - several nights of free camping

Writer: Helena Bergström

We have now travelled north through Italy on our motorhome trip, from Naples in the south all the way up to Lake Garda. Along the way, we have mostly stopped for food shopping and other practical errands and at night it has become fricamping ...

Northwards through Italy

When we finished the visit to Pompeii it was time to start heading north. We usually set the GPS to avoid toll roads, simply to keep costs down (and sometimes because it's also more pleasant), but through Italy it became toll roads. Partly because we had a long way to go, but also because the free roads in southern Italy not suitable for motorhomes - all the potholes and cavities make it feel like the motorhome is going to shake

During the first part of the journey, in the south of the country, the roads were constantly lined with rubbish. How tragic that it looks like this!

As we moved northwards, the rubbish disappeared. That's great!

Many different free campsites

We drive a maximum of around three hours a day, and the rest of the time we use for computer work, practical chores, lunch breaks and night stops. Travelling through Italy, we have been free camping every night. When we are only going to sleep somewhere on the road, we don't want to spend money on camping, and we need to keep average prices per night down during this trip.

So, how does it work to fricampa in Italy? We think it works just fine. Sometimes there are more boring places and sometimes nicer ones, but we always find somewhere to stay for the night. We use the "Park4Night" app and read the reviews carefully. Please note that you should not "camp" (i.e. don't unfold the awning or take out tables and chairs) and of course you have to respect local rules and signs. Read more here about free camping in Europe!

Fricamping 1 during the journey north

The first night we stayed in a free car park in a small town outside Rome. It was quite busy and bustling, but the atmosphere was calm and pleasant.

At the car park, there was a tap with fresh water and here residents were constantly queuing to fill water bottles and water cans ...

Fricamping 2 during the journey north

The second night we found a more cosy place, relatively close to the church Pieve di San Pietro outside Florence. On a remote road through the forest there was a small car park marked "P", and here we had both rubbish bins and a view through the branches towards a small village below.

We walked to the remote little church, and it was a surprise that it was so nice, and in a way really powerful.

Fricamping 3 during the journey north

The third night of free camping was by far the best. We found a small car park in the small town of Pescantina in the Verona region. The site was at a very quiet end of town and the only sound was the water of the river, rushing at high speed.

We fell asleep and woke up to the sound of the river. Absolutely marvellous!

This week: Grateful for ...

This week we are infinitely grateful that it worked out with the brakes of the motorhomeand that we were able to get north through Italy without any problems. We are also grateful for the fact that we have had a fairly good spin on income lately while managing to keep expenses down somewhat - a good balance simply!

What are you thankful for this week?

The week ahead

We are now in the area around Lake Garda in northern Italy. You can expect reports on a fantastic castle we visited in southern Italy. After that, you can expect content about places around Lake Garda. We also have some ideas of things we want to write about, in terms of both food and motorhome holidays in Sardinia and Italy - we'll see what we can do!

Did you miss the last Happy Friday? Read the Travelling is not always convenient...