Italy insider tips: Off the beaten tracks

A summer in Italy with a campervan - for many, this is the epitome of a holiday. Olive trees, sea and sunshine, pizza, Aperol Spritz and pistachio ice cream, the relaxed Italian lifestyle and dolce vita await. And: lots of great campsites. Unfortunately, what is less great is the fact that Italy is in a state of emergency in summer. Whether on Lake Garda, in the Cinque Terre or in Florence: the most popular spots are often hopelessly overcrowded and you can't really see much of their beauty because of all the tourists. But: they still exist, the lesser-known but at least as beautiful corners. The real insider tips for Italy off the beaten track, where you can really experience the dolce vita while camping.

We'll show you where.

The fact that Italy is a wonderful destination for camping probably comes as no surprise to most people. But perhaps it does come as a surprise how many campsites the country has to offer: over 2,000 of them can be found throughout Italy, from South Tyrol to Sicily. You should book as early as possible to get a pitch, especially in the high season and particularly at popular destinations. Here, you can find way more tips on camping in Italy. We have summarised all the rules for campeggio libero - wild camping in Italy - in another blog article.

The crowds of tourists that characterise Italy's most beautiful holiday destinations are unfortunately now part and parcel of a summer holiday in Italy. But apart from the well-known hotspots, there are many secret spots that still have everything we love about Italy. Let's go on a trip off the beaten track! We present three alternatives that are just as beautiful, less crowded and often cheaper.

Let's start with perhaps the most popular lake and one of the camping favourites of the Germans: Lake Garda. However, it is now also known as an overtourism spot and is completely overrun, especially in the summer months. And by completely, we mean completely. Lazise, on the western side of Lake Garda, is the best example of this: the town actually has the highest tourist density in the whole of Italy. In August, there are 1,340 holidaymakers for every 7,000 inhabitants. Hours of traffic jams are part and parcel of a summer holiday on Lake Garda. Other small towns also reach their capacity limits, meaning that access bans have to be imposed in some cases. In Sirmione, for example: Here, crowds of people squeeze through the narrow streets of the historic centre at peak times and there are 13 campsites in the town - which are still not enough for the many camping enthusiasts.

Fortunately, less than 30 kilometres west of Lake Garda in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo is the perfect, lesser-known alternative to Lake Garda for more relaxed road tripping: Lake Iseo, also called Lago di Sebino by the locals. While most tourists make the pilgrimage to Lake Garda, Lake Como or Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo attracts far fewer visitors. Although it is also one of the largest lakes in Italy with an area of 65 square kilometres, the crowds here are limited even in summer. However it has managed to do so, Lake Iseo has retained its Italian idyll and original charm. Anyone who wants to escape the hustle and bustle of the other northern Italian lakes will find beautiful bathing bays, small pizzerias, extensive nature reserves and great hiking and cycling trails. There are many cosy campsites along the lake that are not completely overpriced like those on Lake Garda - and where you can park your camper in the very first row right on the lakeshore. An insider tip for Italy.

The Cinque Terre - these are the five small villages on the Ligurian coast, whose colourful little houses in the rocks offer postcard motifs at their best. However, quite a few people have realised this: The area is simply being overrun by mass tourism. For every 9,000 residents who live in all five towns together, 2.5 million tourists visit every year. That's quite a number. On many a summer afternoon, the narrow paths in the Cinque Terre resemble an open-air museum with thousands of people jostling for space. In order to curb mass tourism, at least to some extent, the hiking trails along the villages have become chargeable and the train journey between the villages has become more expensive. Not exactly good news for the travelling budget. What's more, the Cinque Terre is car-free. And even if it wasn't, you really wouldn't want to drive the narrow & winding coastal roads that lead to the tiny villages in a campervan or motorhome.

Portovenere is a town that is not officially part of the Cinque Terre, but is right next door. The fishing village is located just a little further down the Ligurian coast below the crowded Cinque Terre. And: in terms of beauty, it certainly doesn't have to hide behind the five neighbouring villages; Portovenere is also known as a ‘picture postcard village’. However, because the main means of transport in the region, the train, does not run as far as here, it is much emptier and the village is not on the classic to-do list of most holidaymakers. One small downside: the access road to Portovenere is closed to cars of all kinds. This means that your camper has to wait for you in a collective car park in front of the village.

Tuscany is known and loved for its beautiful landscape, culture and gastronomy. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions in the country and offers great camping spots and sights - but in high season you have to share them with a lot of other visitors. And sometimes that's just not that much fun. Almost 50 million people visit Tuscany every year and in cities like Florence, hordes of tourists are out and about in July or August. This is also noticeable in the prices for campsites, restaurants, entrance fees, etc. and in the fact that the campsites near the tourist hotspots often have more of an amusement park character than the cozy, family atmosphere we would like.

In contrast, many travelers have never heard of another region in Italy that can easily keep up with Tuscany: we are talking about the Marche, or 'La Marche' in Italian. It is located at the same height of the Italian boot as Tuscany, but on the eastern coast and therefore on the Adriatic Sea. Why this vacation destination is probably the least popular of Italy's 20 regions is a great mystery to us. But actually all the better for us & for you, because it is still a real insider tip for camping in Italy! Nevertheless, it has everything that makes Bella Italia so special: miles of vineyards and olive groves, beautiful sandy beaches with clear water, hidden medieval villages and authentic hospitality. In contrast to Tuscany, you will mainly meet locals and local tourists here who have traveled from other parts of Italy.

We want to make one thing clear once again: Lake Garda, the Cinque Terre and Tuscany are all so worth a visit and we don't want to dispute their place at the top of the list of the most beautiful places in Italy one bit. But what we want to show you with this article is that there are a few more beautiful places in the country with the boot shape that fewer holidaymakers have on their to-do list - but which should be on it just as much! Because these are highlights and insider tips that are much less crowded, but still exude that Italian vibe like something else. So let's go: find yourself off the beaten tracks! 🚐💨🇮🇹