A two-month road trip around Italy
We’ve just come back from a two-month long road trip around Italy and would like to tell you a little bit about it! Where did the idea for the road trip come from? Basically, we planned a road trip around Scandinavia for this summer, but Covid happened and we all saw what was going on a few months ago in Italy, so as soon as it got better quite spontaneously we decided to travel around Italy and convince others to visit this beautiful country. Initially, we planned to buy a van, but in the end we got an SUV. We converted it a little bit, built a special wooden platform, put a mattress inside so we could sleep comfortably and hit the road! (we’ll write more about the conversion soon)
Dolomites
We decided to start our Italian adventure in the mountains - the Dolomites. We visited, among others Val di Funes, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, Tre Cime, Lago di Sorapis, Carezza, Braies. We spent most nights at a campsite in Val di Funes.
A word about wild camping - wild camping is officially prohibited in Italy and can cost you between 100 to 500 Euro if you are caught. But we’ve seen people doing it anyway. Outside tourist areas it’s mostly tolerated by the inhabitants and authorities. You can risk it, we prefer staying at campsites. There’s also a great alternative - gardensharing.it. It’s basically like an airbnb for Italian garden owners to offer cheap places to pitch your tent or park your campervan on their land.
The Dolomites are a very specific region of Italy, because these areas once belonged to Austria, later, as a result of various political and war turmoil, were incorporated into Italy, but to this day most of the inhabitants identify themselves with the Austrian, typically alpine culture. People living there speak German, Italian and Ladin which is spoken by Ladin people - an ancient tribe who still live in the area.
The Dolomites are very very interesting and totally worth seeing. The highlight for us is spending the night at the parking lot right next to the Tre Cime. The entrance with a car costs 30 Euro and you can spend 24 hours there. The views are just breathtaking.
After the Dolomites, we went to Lago di Garda, we had a little rest there, we visited Riva del Garda, other towns also worth recommending are Limone, Malcesine and Sirmione. There are many campsites around the lake, so it's easy to find accommodation there.
It’s very easy to drive around Italy, there are many highways, they’re called “autostrade” and they’re toll roads. You must take a ticket when you enter the highway, and pay when you exit.
Italian Riviera
Our next destination was the Italian Riviera, we drove to Rapallo and Portofino. How to visit Portofino by car and on a budget? We slept at the campsite in Rapallo, drove to Portofino and left the car at the paid parking garage. Alternatively, you can park a car in towns before Portofino, there are even some free options. In Portofino we recommend you a romantic walk to the lighthouse, especially for the sunset. Is Portofino expensive? In restaurants, the prices are a bit higher compared to other places and very often it is difficult to find a table in the evening without a reservation. It is worth booking a table in advance. What's free in Portofino? A beautiful public beach at the Baia Cannone.
From Portofino and Rapallo, we drove to Cinque Terre, five picturesque towns by the sea. Here, we recommend leaving the car at the campsite in Levanto (we did this this year) or in the parking lot in La Spezia (which we did last year) and visit all the towns by train (it's worth buying a train card, the cost is 29 Euro for 2 days). We’ve visited all the towns and our favourites are Vernazza and Corniglia.
Pisa
After Cinque Terre, we went to Pisa, left the car at the campsite again and went to see the famous leaning tower on foot. The entrance fee is 18 euro. The next day we went to the beautiful Natural Park of Migliarino San Rossore near Pisa.
Florence
The next was Florence. It is definitely one of the most beautiful Italian cities, it is estimated that 1/3 of all Italian works of art is in Florence. The dome and the facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral makes a huge impression. How to visit Florence by car? Leave the car at the campsite on the outskirts of the city, go to the city center by bus, it takes about 20-30 minutes. What's worth seeing in Florence? First of all, the cathedral, the Uffizi galleries, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio and you just have to get lost in the streets and admire the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo.
Unfortunately, a lot of admission tickets are quite expensive, around EUR 20, so adding up all the tickets for the main attractions, it is around EUR 100-120 per person, so it's better to choose what you want to see the most.
Tuscan countryside
Next we visited the Tuscan countryside. Here we can recommend you to see towns and villages such as Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Monticchiello, Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena; there are so many of them worth seeing! It’s also worth here to take a break from sleeping in a car and book an agriturismo for a few nights. Try local wines, pecorino cheese, see the famous spot from the Gladiator movie and take a picture with cypresses.
We weren’t lucky with the weather this year so we visited hot springs. How come there are hot springs in Tuscany? It’s because of the extinct volcano - Monte Amiata.
On our way to Rome, fascinated by the Etruscan civilization we stopped to visit one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, famously known as “the dying city” - Civita di Bagnoregio. The village was founded by Etruscans more than 2,500 years ago. Today the only access is a footbridge from the nearby town.
Rome
From there, we drove to Rome. Since there is no point in visiting the city by car, we left the car in a parking garage on the outskirts of the city and rented a budget hotel room in the very center, literally right next to the Pantheon. If you travel through Italy by car and want to visit Rome, we recommend you doing the same. Most of the monuments are close to each other, so it is worth visiting Rome on foot or renting an electric scooter. In Rome you can visit many places for free - St. Peter's Basilica (which is technically in the Vatican), Pantheon, see the famous Caravaggio’s painting at Saint Louis church.
A tip for you - the food is diverse like anywhere else in Italy, if you like sushi, poke bowls, you will find them here and, importantly, throughout Italy, there is a siesta from around 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. during these hours you can’t eat anything in restaurants because the kitchen is closed. But in Rome, most downtown restaurants and shops are open.
If you crave a good breakfast, you have to remember that in Italy the breakfasts are sweet, you get a croissant, sweet bread, jam, nutella, and cake. If you don’t feel like sweetening your morning, ask for European breakfast.
Positano and Amalfi Coast
Next we drove to the Amalfi Coast, the journey takes 3,5 hours so we had to stop at a petrol station. It is worth noting here that the petrol stations on motorways are very well stocked. You will find everything there - souvenirs, books, toys, food, restaurants, bars etc. You can also spend a night there. Look for Autogrill, Sarni and Chef Express.
And finally we made it to Positano. We heard so much about this place. That it’s beautiful, breathtaking... we wanted to see if it really is so. This place totally exceeded our expectations. It’s gorgeous, magical and very romantic. We were so charmed that on the first evening, we decided to extend our stay by one more night.
There are no campsites in Positano. Generally, it is not recommended to go there by car, because the streets are very narrow and the parking spaces are very limited, people leave their cars along the main road, sometimes 3 km from the town. We had no choice and we just had to look for an accommodation with a parking space, we were very lucky, because we were able to find not only a room that came with a parking space, but also with a wonderful view of the town.
This place offers many possibilities: you can rent a boat or buy a ferry ticket and go to other nearby towns such as Amalfi, Atrani, Salerno, Ravello, go to the island of Capri. You just definitely have to see the Amalfi coast from the sea, it’s a must-do. It’s also a great place if you love hiking - we reccomend the famous Path of the Gods trail - a spectacular route with magnificent views of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. And if you get tired, be sure to relax on one of the beaches - for example, Fornillo or Arienzo, or on the main beach, Spiaggia Grande - the cost of sunbeds is between 15 to 50 Euro per person. There is also a small free beach. And you have to try the famous delizia al limone dessert.
Is Positano expensive? Prices in restaurants are a bit higher, accommodation is also more expensive than in other parts of Italy, but we believe that there are places that are simply worth the price and Positano is definitely one of them.
On our way back we stopped in Sorrento, Rome, Tuscany and the Dolomites.
Why do we like traveling around Italy? Italy is incredibly diverse, you will find everything here: epic mountains, beautiful sea, lakes, charming towns. Rich history and delicious food, very nice people. Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world for a reason.
We hope we encouraged you to travel around Italy a bit, we will definitely be back next year.
We only wish Italian drivers were a bit more calm on the roads and started using the indicators. And it would be perfect ;)
