Buongiorno, and welcome to Italy! There is truly no better way to explore this incredible country than behind the wheel of a motorhome. On your road trip through Italy, you can expect stunning views, piles of spaghetti, and big glasses of wine. From the mountains of the Dolomites to the sandy beaches of Sicily, there is so much to see and do in Italy. This can be rather daunting, especially for your wallet. How much should you budget for a road trip in Italy? We’re here to break down the costs of travelling through Italy in a campervan or motorhome, so you can focus on dusting off your Italian!
How much does a campervan hire in Italy cost?
If you plan to travel with your own motorhome, you can head straight to the next section to look into the requirements of bringing it over. If this is the case, you might also want to consider hiring out on Goboony when you’re not using your motorhome. Hiring out for three weeks in the year could easily cover a week’s holiday in Italy.
For those still looking for a motorhome for their holiday, let’s dive into the estimated cost of campervan hire in Italy. For the purpose of this, we’ll look at a week’s trip in June.
For a two-berth campervan, you’re looking at €70-€110 per day, depending on the size and amenities of the vehicle. In particular, you can find converted vans for less than €95 per day.
For a four-berth motorhome, you’re looking at around €80-€140 per day, once again depending on size and amenities. For example, unless you’re travelling with very small children, you’ll likely prefer a spacious motorhome for about €100 per day. This will also give everyone a bit more space and privacy.
If you’re travelling with six people, it’s no surprise that your motorhome hire will be more expensive. For a 6-berth motorhome, you can expect to pay €95-€155 per day of hire. This may feel like quite a lot, and it is, but consider that this covers six people’s accommodation and transport costs.
Something to consider is that campervan hire tends to be more expensive in larger cities. So if you’d like to reduce your costs, aim to hire outside of major cities for lower prices.
How much does bringing your motorhome to Italy cost?
If you’re looking to bring your motorhome to Italy from the UK, prepare yourself for quite a journey. For a scenic route, take the ferry to northern France (Calais, Dunkirk, Cherbourg or Caen). Next, drive towards Reims and on to Nancy in the east, then into Switzerland to get to Milan. This route will take you via Basel, Lucerne, and pass into northern Italy through the Gotthard Tunnel. You’d reach Milan within twelve hours of driving, and see some of the best mountain ranges in Europe. Taking a regular-sized campervan on a ferry with two adults tends to cost about £200 for a return ticket.
Alternatively, if you’re departing from the south of England, you might be better off taking the Eurotunnel with your motorhome. The price for this is dependent on the length of time you’ll be away. For trips shorter than 5 days, the price starts at £94. But given the distance you’ll be driving, you’ll likely opt for the standard ticket, which doesn’t specify length and starts at £116 each way.
If you’re looking for a more straightforward drive from France to Italy, simply use the French autoroute all the way. From Reims, go south to Troyes. Drive on to Dijon, Lyon, and then into Switzerland. You’ll pass through Geneva and Turin and enter Italy in Genoa.
How much does fuel in Italy cost?
It’s difficult to provide an exact estimate of how much petrol costs in Italy as this is always changing. So, to avoid miscalculating, we can provide a comparison instead. Petrol in Italy tends to be cheaper than in the UK, usually by about 20p per litre. It’s particularly expensive around the major cities, like Rome or Florence, so aim to stop for petrol in rural regions to cut costs.
You can use apps like Waze or PetrolPrices to find the cheapest options on your route.
How much does food in Italy cost?
You’re heading to Italy, so obviously you want to know all about the food! Italy is renowned for its delicious cuisine. One of the perks of travelling by motorhome is that you can cook your own meals. In terms of groceries, a week’s worth of food for three people should cost €60-€100.
But you’re here for the food, so you’ll likely want to head out for some delicious pasta and pizza. In a casual restaurant or trattoria, you can expect to pay between €7 and €15 for a basic pizza or pasta dish. In terms of a bottle of wine, you might pay €10 in a casual restaurant or €40 for a very good bottle.
Destination: Dolomites
Now let’s take a moment to consider some specific destinations in Italy, and how much you can expect to pay for campsites and attractions. Firstly, let’s stop in the Dolomites. One of the most beautiful locations in Italy, if not Europe, these mountains are characterised by their pale colour and alpenglow, which is the result of dolomite rock. The region is filled with delicious cuisine, lush forests, ski slopes, and much more.
In the Dolomites, you can expect to pay between €30 and €40 per night on a campsite for two adults. Most of the campsites in this region are luxurious, ideal for hikers looking to relax after a long day of exploring.
That brings us to activities in the Dolomites. The most popular thing to do here is to go hiking, as there are so many incredible walking routes in this region. Aside from hiking, you could go biking, and rent a bike for approximately €30 per day. Or, for adrenaline seekers, you could gain a different perspective of this stunning area by paragliding, which costs about €160 for a 20-minute tandem flight.
Many come to the Dolomites for a relaxing spa vacation. Plenty of the campsites here come equipped with a sauna or swimming pool, but if you’re looking for the real deal you can book a spa for €30-€40 for a day.
Destination: Tuscany
Campsites in Tuscany tend to cost between €35 and €45 per night in the peak season, although you can find pitches for €25 per night in the low season. You can find gorgeous locations surrounded by nature, where you’ll have plenty of peace and privacy.
There are plenty of things to do in Tuscany. Obviously, a day or two in Florence is high on the list. In terms of free things to do in Florence, you can visit the Piazzale Michelangelo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Flore, and the famous Ponte Vecchio. To see the famous David in all his glory, it costs €16 to visit the gallery. Uffizi Galleries is also popular with visitors and costs €25 for a day’s entrance.
Outside of Florence, you can easily spend your days in Tuscany exploring nature. If you’re travelling with a group of five, you can go truffle hunting for €250. Or you can go for a wine tour and tasting for €45 per person at one of the many vineyards in the region.
Destination: Sicily
Looking to embark on a road trip in Sicily? You won’t be disappointed. Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island, located just off the ‘toe’ of Italy’s ‘boot.’ It features historic sites, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and more. Surprisingly for a popular island destination, Sicily isn’t too expensive to visit. Its size and variety allow you to find well-priced accommodations and food. You can expect campsites to cost between €25 and €35 per night. They may be slightly more rustic than in Tuscany or the Dolomites, but they often do come with an incredible sea view.
As for activities, a lot of the best things to do in Sicily revolve around the immense history of this island. You can visit the Villa Romana del Casale for €12, a large and elaborate Roman villa that will teach you about how the Romans once lived. The impressive Templo de Segesta is believed to have been built as early as the 420s BC and is still in a remarkable state. You can visit it for €12 as well. To visit the ominous Mount Etna, you can take a half-day tour in a 4x4 for €70 per person, which includes lunch. Or, for free activities in Sicily, head to the beach or follow one of the many great walking routes.
Destination: Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is known as one of Italy’s most expensive destinations, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable to visit! To clear up any misconceptions, we’ll look at how expensive it actually is to visit this stunning coastline. The Amalfi Coast consists of 50 kilometres of rugged shoreline, sheer cliffs, and pastel-coloured fishing villages. The drives around here can be a little daunting due to the narrow roads, but the views certainly make up for it. Expect to pass grand villas, terraced vineyards, cliffside lemon groves, and the unwavering azure ocean.
Campsites on the Amalfi Coast cost between €20 and €35 per night in the high season, for two adults. These tend to be quite basic, so your best bet is to stay in a self-contained vehicle. And if you plan to spend your days exploring this gorgeous coastline, swimming in the sea, and tasting delicious wines, it won’t really matter!
As mentioned, you will spend a lot of your time on the Amalfi Coast at the beach. For €15, you can visit the Roman Archeological Museum in Positano. It features a Roman Villa buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 1979 AD. Rather than a traditional wine tasting, why not try a limoncello tour and tasting? This is available for €25 per person and includes four different limoncellos to taste and a tour of the production process.
While it’s hard to put an exact number on how much a road trip in Italy costs, as this is dependent on your destination(s), how often you eat out, and the types of activities you like to do, we’ll try our best. If you’re aiming to be thrifty on your trip and cook a lot of your own meals, you could expect to pay about €80 per person, per day of your holiday (excluding your campervan hire).
We’ve got plenty of tips for budget motorhome travel, as well as affordable campervan hire options. If you plan ahead, your trip doesn’t have to be unnecessarily expensive, and you can explore Italy with some peace of mind — and plenty of delicious food!
