Italy - where are all the Campers (1 Viewer)

[moggyg]

We have been in Italy for 3 days and not seen a single camper. Cittavechia on our own.... Velletri on our own..... Great on our own.... Not that I need pals on the road but thought there would be more.

Ciao
Marco

 

[Vanderek]

Benidorm

 

[ianthebuilder]

We have been in Italy for 3 days and not seen a single camper. Cittavechia on our own.... Velletri on our own..... Great on our own.... Not that I need pals on the road but thought there would be more.

Ciao
Marco

They were there,, but they all retreated when you turned up!!

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[LesW]

We have been in Italy for 3 days and not seen a single camper. Cittavechia on our own.... Velletri on our own..... Great on our own.... Not that I need pals on the road but thought there would be more.

Ciao
Marco

Sounds perfect, what's the weather like?

 

[tacr2man]

They are all probably transporting immigrants to the french border

 

[peterc10]

When we toured Italy in Spring 2016 we too were surprised at the few motorhomes on the road. I think we only saw one British registered one in the 4 or 5 weeks we were there. Only got really busy when we were staying in Sorrento over the Easter break. And after that it quietened down again. Those people who think that Spain and Portugal or too busy should try Italy I think.

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[hilldweller]

>> Italy - where are all the Campers

I suspect they are waiting for the good weather. Italy is May-Sept for us. Not all of that time of course.

 

[PP Bear]

I'm thinking that they've all downloaded the new Apple cloaking device app on either their iPads or iPhones.

They're really good, especially when wild camping in places where you're not allowed too

 

[moggyg]

Thanks for all the replies. Weather was great today 15ish but sunny all day. Cold tonight. We are at Gaeta north of Napoli and deciding whether to cross to the heel of Italy or scoot down to sicily.

Gaeta is a real gem and has an area di sosta right in the centre. Currently free but think it's 15 euro in summer.

P. S.

Another Italian Van turned up tonight so I have a pal "ciao, buona sera"

Marco

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[TerryL]

I'd think Italy would normally be too cold for many in February. We'll be heading that way but will leave it until late March/April.

 

[maison]

March next year for us.

Please let us know when it actually gets busier.

 

[moggyg]

Saw another british Van yesterday in Trani North of Bari. If you are on this site I apologise for distracting you with a massive double handed wave.....

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[Popeye]

When we toured Italy in Spring 2016 we too were surprised at the few motorhomes on the road.

We all knew you were going there.....

 

[Tincataylor]

Thanks for the info MoggyG. We are thinking of doing Italy next winter, deffo down south where the sun and warmth are.

 

[TerryL]

Thanks for the info MoggyG. We are thinking of doing Italy next winter, deffo down south where the sun and warmth are.

Is it warmer in Southern Italy? I've always been lead to believe that it wasn't so have never thought of "wintering" there.
Anyone got any observations, practical experience?

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[kip]

I've never motorhomed there but have visited Sicily (palerma)3 years running, all in January .. it's always been sunny but still cold...Would still go back 2morrow though..Beautifull island.

 

[moggyg]

We are now just north of Bari and it is still cold. The forcast is not great for the next week. We will try and keep you informed as we go around. Puglia has so far been nice and a bit more chilled than the full-on Napoli coast.

Bari although looks quite south on the boot of Italy is still probably still on the same latitude as Barcelona. Possible southern sicily better for sun.

It's not always about the weather but it does make it easier.

Ciao

 

[hilldweller]

down south where the sun and warmth are.

Depends on how you define warm.

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[moggyg]

Depends on how you define warm.

We are Scottish so above freezing and we have the shorts and simmet vest on.

Now in Ostuni.... On our own again but it is a lovely place. A wee bit drizzle but the place makes up for it.

Ciao

 

[DBK]

We are now just north of Bari and it is still cold. The forcast is not great for the next week. We will try and keep you informed as we go around. Puglia has so far been nice and a bit more chilled than the full-on Napoli coast.

Bari although looks quite south on the boot of Italy is still probably still on the same latitude as Barcelona. Possible southern sicily better for sun.

It's not always about the weather but it does make it easier.

Ciao

Are you planning to go to Sicily? There are some good campsites on the south coast plus as many old ruins as you want.

 

[moggyg]

Our plan is to go......but we are just seeing how time goes. Will stay on the heel for another few days and see Lecce and Brindisi. Oh and hopefully some of you funsters!

Ciao

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[DBK]

Our plan is to go......but we are just seeing how time goes. Will stay on the heel for another few days and see Lecce and Brindisi. Oh and hopefully some of you funsters!

Ciao

We did a circuit of Sicily last year, driving around the coast. It was a thousand miles and took four weeks. If you are short of time but still want to visit my suggestion would be to turn left when you arrive and explore the bottom bit and include Etna if you can.

Edit: Given the time of year forget Etna unless you packed your skis.

 

[hilldweller]

plus as many old ruins as you want.

There will be more than enough of those in Chester in a few weeks time.

 

[hilldweller]

We are Scottish so above freezing and we have the shorts and simmet vest on.

Now in Ostuni.... On our own again but it is a lovely place. A wee bit drizzle but the place makes up for it.

Ciao

Fair enough but for us Italy is nice warm sun ( we don't go July, August, too hot ) summer clothes , ice cream trying to melt before you can finish it and maybe the odd violet electrical storm that lasts half an hour.

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[moggyg]

We did a circuit of Sicily last year, driving around the coast.

Where did you get the ferry from? Is it a turn up and pay? Cost? Can't seem to find much online.

Cheers
Marco

 

[DBK]

Where did you get the ferry from? Is it a turn up and pay? Cost? Can't seem to find much online.

Cheers
Marco

Here's an extract from my next book.

"At the their closest point mainland Italy and Sicily are only about two kilometres apart although the ferry crossing from Villa San Giovanni to Messina is about four kilometres.

I hadn’t done any research on the ferries other than establishing you didn’t need to book one but could just turn up. So we followed the signs to the port as we approached the town. After a while I saw a sign saying “Caronte & Tourist” and although I had no idea what a Caronte was I knew we were tourists so I followed these signs which took us to a long car park with an office on the right hand side. A man showed me where to park and then took charge of my ticket buying. I have come across this arrangement before and I am happy with it but others might object to having to pay €5 to achieve something you can easily do yourself - buy a ticket from a window. I view it as encouraging entrepreneurship and the local economy. I suspect part of my €5 found its way to the local mafia boss as I can’t imagine this going on so close to Sicily and the mafia not being involved. The cost of the open return ticket we bought was €93 and what I expected. I had done some research.

The ticket office is not near the port but Five Euro Man had a solution to this. “Follow that car” he told me after I had paid him his fee. So I followed the car as it shot through the centre of Villa di Giovanni and subsequently joined a line of vehicles on the quayside. As it had taken us so long to escape from the clutches of Tropea we didn’t arrive at the port until the afternoon and this being a Friday it was busy. Had we arrived about fifteen minutes earlier we would have been able to board this ferry.

The name on the vessel was the name of the shipping company and it was their signs I had followed as we entered the town!"

PS: When you land in Messina make a note of the coordinates of the port entrance. There are a lot of ports in Messina spread along several kilometres. We made a grand tour of them coming back.

 

[moggyg]

Thanks @DBK for the info. We have been in sicily for a few days now and the weather is better but one sunny day then one wet day. This week and next is meant to be better. We are currently in the port of Syracuse and guess what.........

2 other British MH.

Nice....

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[hilldweller]

Here's an extract from my next book.

That's clearly a rehearsal for when you get on The One Show and Loose Women.

 

[DBK]

That's clearly a rehearsal for when you get on The One Show and Loose Women.

Unlikely but in my defence what I posted above was a draft and not proofread - which is why it has a couple of errors. Oops, but picked up now.

 

[TinaLes]

"Our Bumbles" blog full timing blog on Italy & Sicily is worth a look at as they have travelled up and down both sides with deviations into the middle.
Enjoy Sicily, take the fast day boat trip to the Ionian Islands from Milazzo port, the islands are beautiful (Panarea & Lipari) and if lucky you will see Stromboli Island Volcano erupting late afternoon before returning back to Sicily. It was the best 110 euros we spent on our Sicily trip (with lunch on board included)
Have fun
Les & TinaL

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