Wild camping, what is it ?
Wild camping means adventure. To settle down and stay in a place that you particularly like, that has a feeling of freedom. Camping starts when you settle down for the night. It doesn’t matter whether you sleep in your own car, pitch a tent or perhaps sleep completely under the open sky. An overnight stay in a camper van or caravan is also included. Wild camping begins when you do not use any facilities intended for camping, such as camping sites or caravan sites.
Pros and cons of Wildcamping
Wild camping has several advantages: You save expenses and you can choose the place where you will spend the night. Maybe you will stay longer than one night. You are independent and can really enjoy nature. Often you will be rewarded with close contact with animals. There are no snoring noises or loud clattering of dishes from neighbours. You don’t have to follow any social rules in nature. However, wild camping also has disadvantages: you have neither electricity nor sanitary facilities available. You must also expect to be asked to pay by a law enforcement officer
Wild camping in Italy
Wild camping is generally prohibited in Italy. However, the implementation of this regulation in detail is the responsibility of the councils, which does not make it any easier. As a general rule, however, you should remember that in areas with good tourist connections and on beaches, great attention is paid to this. Fines in the amount of several hundred euros are due immediately. Officially, the fine varies between one hundred and five hundred euros. These are not only imposed by the state police, which is responsible for public order. Even the Italian police and members of the state forestry authorities and the local police are entitled to do this.
How should you behave?
It is best to look for very remote places for your wild camping. Avoid camping within sight of footpaths, roads or houses. Avoid making noise and fire. This is forbidden almost everywhere anyway so you shouldn’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t leave any rubbish, instead leave the place very clean or at best, the way you found it. If you don’t disturb anyone and preserve nature, you have the best chances. If you are travelling with a tent, it is good to put it up just before dark and dismantle it very early in the morning. It is best to stay only one night in one place. The biggest mistake would be to pitch your tent in a nature reserve and the penalties are much higher.
Alternatives
Would you like to go wild camping just because you don’t have much money in your travel budget? Are you worried that you will have to pay high fines and that your tight budget will be plundered anyway? Then there are a few good possibilities for you to pitch your tent largely independently and for little money. Many farmers or alpine pastures in the mountains don’t mind if a small tent is set up on their property for one night. Sometimes they take some money for it or they want you to buy something from them. There are also small and inexpensive campsites all over Italy that consist of a meadow and a few bathrooms. They usually open in March or April and close at the end of October. For some time now there has also been a website on which Italian garden owners offer cheap accommodation with caravans, camper vans or tents on their property. Some even include a meal. This way you will have less stress and still have nice encounters with locals.
Special characteristics of individual regions
In the alpine wasteland of South Tyrol, i.e. above the tree line, camping is permitted in an emergency. If you were surprised by the darkness while hiking or if you got lost or even injured, then you are allowed to stay overnight without penalty. However, if wild camping is being planned in advance then you’ll be subject to heavy penalties up here. In the woods and especially in the protected zones, the national and nature parks as well as in touristically attractive areas are regular checks. In agreement with the owners, staying overnight on their property is the best way. Lake Garda is also one of the most popular tourist areas in Italy. In the immediate vicinity of the lake, there is a high probability that you will be discovered.
Outside the Costa Smeralda, the island of Sardinia still seems quite untouched in many places, even on several coastal sections of the 1600 km long coast. So if you take the precautions and proceed carefully, you can surely find nice places where you can stay undisturbed even a night. The unspoiled landscape of Umbria invites nature lovers to relax in a very special way. There are extensive forests of holm oaks, beautiful streams with small waterfalls and untouched nature. Here you will surely find one or two places to enjoy, where you will hardly be disturbed if you follow the rules. However, you should avoid the eight nature parks in this region for your overnight stay.
The south of Tuscany also offers good opportunities to experience fascinating nature not only in the Maremma. The wild macchia with its cork trees is also partly almost untouched in Corsica. In summer, however, the forests there often burn and are therefore strictly controlled. In Sicily you do not only have numerous possibilities for hiking or trekking holidays in the hinterland, here you can also find quiet places for a romantic wild camping almost effortlessly.
Bottom line
Wild camping is possible in Italy as long as you avoid protected areas, beaches and tourist strongholds. In secluded nature you can enjoy it as long as you respect it and don’t disturb anyone else. If you are far enough away from civilization or nature reserves, you are less likely to be fined. If the whole thing is still a little too uncertain for you, there are inexpensive alternatives that can be just as attractive, as you get stress-free contact with the population in addition to a holiday close to nature.