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Discover the best motorhome destinations for the new year!
A new year is just around the corner and that means preparations for new motorhome memories can start! Would you like to do something different and spot the northern lights, go on a culinary motorhome trip through the Italian Alps or discover a piece of hidden Greece? Then read on quickly and find out where your motorhome trip is going next year!
10x free motorhome stopovers in the Italian region of Tuscany!
Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto! Eat well, laugh often, love a lot! You can do it all in the Italian region of Tuscany! Taste the most delicious Tuscan specialities, conjure a smile on your face at the sight of the beautiful hilly landscape and love the region and its people. Want to make your next motorhome-trip to Tuscany even more beautiful? Then read on and find out where you can stay for free with your motorhome!
Vinci
Vinci is the birthplace of, as the name suggests, the famous Leonardo da Vinci. As a result, this cosy medieval village is still home to much of homo universalis. For instance, you visit his birthplace, La Casa Natale di Leonardo, in nearby Anchiano, from where you stroll along the Strada Verde footpath to Vinci and enjoy the atmospheric streets and squares. Fortunately, you need not worry about having your last supper here, as a visit to Tuscany is not complete without tasting the famous tomato soup Pappa al Pomodoro!
Free overnight parking is available at motorhome stopover Vinci, just outside the centre of the village.
- Around the motorhome stopover in Vinci, discover the life of homo universalis Leonardo da Vinci!
Arcidosso
In southern Tuscany lies Monte Amiata, an extinct volcano that towers 1732 metres above sea level. On the slope of this mountain is the village of Arcidosso, where the Aldobrandesca Fortress is - literally - the highlight. Through narrow cobbled streets, you walk past several churches to the fortress. On the way, don't forget to stop for a nice cup of coffee in one of the cosy bars. Want to sample more of the area? Then take a trip to the wine villages of Montalcino or Montepulciano, where the famous wines Brunello di Montalcino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo originate. A wine tasting completes your visit!
In Arcidosso, spend the night for free in the countryside at motorhome stopover Parco Faunistico Monte Amiata.
Venturina Terme
Do you really want to unwind during your motorhome-trip through Tuscany? Then Venturina is the place to be! This town is known for its Aquae Populoniae, or thermal baths. Spread all over the village, Venturina Terme has several spas, but in the centre you will find the largest and most famous natural thermal bath. In the accompanying spa resort, you will find ultimate relaxation in one of the mud baths or enjoy a massage or beauty treatment. A dip in the warm water will leave you feeling physically and mentally reborn!
In Venturina, you will spend the night for free at the motorhome stopover Parco Termale Calidario.
- Visit the natural thermal baths in Venturina Terme easily from the motorhome stopover!
Livorno
The former fishing village of Livorno has grown into an imposing port over the past centuries, but unfortunately a visit to this city is still often skipped. A shame! Stroll along the Terrazza Mascagni, or the ‘balcony by the sea’, along the shore of the Ligurian Sea, where you can feast your eyes on the 700-plus-year-old lighthouse protruding from the water. In the cosy district of Venezia Nuova, the ‘new Venice’, you can stroll over bridges and along waterways as if you were in Venice and taste the Livornese speciality ponce a vela, an espresso with rum and lemon. Enjoy!
You stay for free at motorhome stopover Livorno, located on the coast.
- In Livorno, you spend the night on the coast for free!
Suvereto
With a spot on the I Borghi Piú belli d'Italia, a list of Italy's most beautiful villages, Suvereto is a must-see during your motorhome-trip through Tuscany! In this adorable medieval gem, you will imagine yourself in the pure Italian life: narrow streets surrounded by tall stone buildings, behind which coffee shops, osterias and wineries are hidden. Climb to the Rocca Aldobrandesca for stunning views over the surrounding area and the Cornia Valley or settle down on a terrace and enjoy la dolce vita!
The centre of the village is car-free, but free overnight stays can be found outside the city walls at motorhome stopover Suvereto.
Lucignano
Another spot on the I Borghi Piú belli d'Italia is reserved for Lucignano, the circular pearl in the Chiana Valley. With its narrow steep alleys, colourful streets and cosy atmosphere, we understand why! Be sure to visit the Palazzo Pretorio, which houses the Museo Comunale and is home to the village's most famous gem: the Albero della Vita. This ‘tree of life’, with its decorations of coral and crystal, among other things, is a metaphor of life. According to Lucignano locals, wishes made at the foot of the tree come true. Worth a try, right!
Outside the city walls, stay for free at motorhome stopover Lucignano.
- Circular Lucignano is easy to reach from the motorhome stopover.
Piombino
Primarily known as a port town where boats depart for Elba and Sardinia, Piombino has much more to offer than most motorhome owners will think. A visit to Tuscany is therefore not complete without having discovered this cosy town! In Piazza Bovio, you can feast your eyes on the Faro della Rocchetta lighthouse and the Piombino canal, where on a clear day you can even spot the nearby islands. Want to spend a day at the beach? Then visit Calamoresca, a small beach just outside the city. Here you can take a dip in the clear blue water or relax in the sun. Don't forget to bring your snorkel!
Stay for free at motorhome stopover Piombino.
- From the motorhome stopover, visit the town of Piombino and its surrounding beaches!
Sasso Pisano
At the top of a hill, you will find the small but charming Sasso Pisano. Near this village is the Parco delle Fumarole di Sasso Pisano, with its geothermal phenomena. A particularly interesting phenomenon you must have seen if you are in the area! You can walk or cycle past several fumaroles, vapours that escape from an opening in the earth's crust. Take a dip in the biolago, natural ponds in which the water is heated by high pressure from the ground, and relax completely thanks to the amazing effect the water has. These extraordinary natural phenomena are definitely worth a visit!
Park your motorhome at the Sasso Pisano motorhome stopover, where you stay for free.
- The village of Sasso Pisano is at the top of a hill!
Marradi
The versatile village of Marradi has a bit of everything. With its bright colours, the village stands out from other places in the Apennines, and strolling through its streets you will experience its cosy atmosphere. Are you a lover of chestnuts? Then be sure to visit Marradi in October when the annual chestnut festival takes place, something this village is famous for. And another plus point: Marradi is the ideal base for day trips in the area, for example to soak up culture in Florence, a tour of the Imola Circuit or an afternoon touring the Tuscan hills. Something for everyone!
Right next to the city centre, you can spend the night for free at motorhome stopover Area sosta Marradi.
Montopoli in Val d’Arno
Want to visit Pisa but not have to spend the night in the city centre with your motorhome? Then Montopoli in Val d'Arno is the perfect solution! From this small village, you can be in the city of the Leaning Tower within half an hour. Stroll through the streets of this cosy city, enjoy a delicious aperitivo on an Italian snack plate on the terrace of a trattoria. A speciality from Pisa is torta co' bischeri, a rice cake with chocolate, pine nuts, fruit, and sultanas. Of course, don't forget to take a funny picture at the Tower of Pisa!
In Montopoli in Val d'Arno, stay for free at motorhome stopover Camper di Alessio e Irene.
- From Montopoli in Val d'Arno you can easily take a trip to Pisa!
Want to discover even more of Italy? Read more about our mapped motorhome routes through this beautiful country, for example along the coast of Le Marche, around Lake Como or in the mountainous north of Italy.
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Admire the northern lights in northern Europe
The northern lights, a colourful spectacle of light dancing naturally in the sky, are something you must have seen once in a lifetime. The convergence of the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field creates a so-called geomagnetic storm, a kind of collision on the night side of the Earth. This lights up the night sky and creates the green, purple or red aurora: the northern lights. In short: a magical spectacle that is especially good to spot in northern parts of Europe.
The most famous region to admire the northern lights is Finnish Lapland. The town of Rovaniemi is the capital of this region and is also home to Santa Claus, whom you can visit in person here. The northern towns of Tanhua and Inari also lend themselves perfectly to a (winter) visit to the far north of Europe. Wrapped up in thick clothes, you will discover the snowy landscape of Finnish Lapland on foot, by snowmobile or from behind a dogsled. Would you like to see the northern lights in a unique way? Then book a night snowshoe hike, which will take you out in the dark to look for the northern lights in peace and quiet. Travelling to Finnish Lapland in the summer months? Then the experience will look (and especially feel) different and you'll be completely immersed in the purity of nature. Yet even then it is still possible to spot the northern lights!
A less known, but certainly no less good hotspot for admiring the northern lights is Scotland. The northern tip of Scotland's Skye peninsula is the place to spot the Mirrie Dancers, as the northern lights are called in Scottish terms, next year. In Cruden Bay and Kalnakill, too, you can see the sky discoloured on a clear day. In places where it is very dark, the light colours appear brighter, for example in the middle of nature. Scottish nature is worth a trip anyway, so a visit to the northern part of the United Kingdom will certainly not disappoint!
Camperstop.com tips for staying overnight:
- Santa Claus Holiday Village, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Tanhuan Erämajat, Tanhua, Finland
- Nomadic Naali, Inari, Finland (note: open annually from 15 May to 15 October)
- Uig Bay Campsite, Uig, Scotland
- Port Errol, Cruden Bay, Scotland
- Kalnakill, Scotland
- A special sight: seeing the northern lights!
On a culinary motorhome tour through the Italian Alps
The Alps run right across Europe and cross several countries, the best known of which are Austria and Switzerland. The Italian Alps, on the other hand, are often forgotten. A shame, because the Trentino-South Tyrol region ranks high on the list of most beautiful mountain regions in the world, and for culinary highlights - in the most literal sense - the Piedmont region is the place to be. For a wonderful motorhome trip at altitude, you should definitely head to northern Italy!
Trentino-South Tyrol, because of its history related to the Austrian Empire, is often seen as the odd man out. However, nature and culture lovers are in for a treat, as here you will find Italian la dolce vita with a touch of Austrian Mentalität. In winter, you strap on your skis to tackle the 1,200 kilometres of ski slopes of Dolomiti Superski, in summer you hike or cycle across the Seceda crustal crack, through Europe's largest mountain grassland Seiser Alm and around the rock formation Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Touring through the landscape, you pass cute villages, clear blue mountain lakes and breathtaking viewpoints. Culinary delights can be enjoyed in a mountain hut, where again the best of both worlds meet: knödel, pasta, everything in between and views so fine that an extra beer or wine requires no consideration.
Delicious food is available everywhere in Italy, but in the north-western region of Piedmont, they take gastronomic enjoyment to an even higher level. As the birthplace of the slow-food movement, this region is a paradise for motorhome owners with fine palates and an eye for detail. Wines, truffles and hazelnuts are the basis for a culinary discovery trip through this part of Italy. A visit to Piedmont is therefore not complete without wine tasting or truffle hunting excursions, activities that are right in line with the regional culture. Be sure to tour the hilly countryside, stopping along the way in the picturesque villages for a stroll through the streets, or visit the bustling capital Turin. Nature will not disappoint either, as the hilly landscape makes for great hiking and cycling. Piedmont literally means ‘at the foot of the mountain’, as evidenced by the views that sometimes reach as far as the Alps on a clear day. This diverse region has something for everyone and is definitely worth exploring.
Camperstop.com tips for staying overnight:
- Piz Sella, Selva di Val Gardena, Trentino-South Tyrol
- Caravanpark Sexten, Sesto/Sexten, Trentino-South Tyrol
- Bar Il Giardino, Moena, Trentino-South Tyrol
- Camping Sole Langhe, Vergne, Piemont
- Parco Ruffini, Torino, Piedmont
- Azienda agricola F.lli Rabino, Santa Vittoria d'Alba, Piedmont
- Head to northern Italy by motorhome next year and feast your eyes!
Discover the Greek peninsula the Mani
The middle arm of Greece's largest Peloponnese peninsula forms the southernmost part of the mainland and goes by the name ‘the Mani’. Unlike the popular islands, mainland Greece is much less well known. Yet there is plenty to experience and - above all - see here too! Motorhome owners who like southern European temperatures, delicious Greek food and extraordinary nature, but prefer not to seek out the crowds, have come to the right place.
The Mani peninsula is only about 75 kilometres long and is perfect for a tour. In fishing village Gythio, you are surrounded by beautiful beaches bordering the azure sea and cosy fish taverns, where you taste the region's cuisine at its best. Mountain village Oitylo, on the other hand, draws its charm from its location on the slope of a mountain. Here you dive into the history of the Ottoman Empire. Further south, you pass Limeni, a small hamlet that offers stunning views of the boat-filled bay from a rocky slope, and Diros, known for its beautiful stalactite caves. Even further south, in the ‘holy harbour’ of Gerolimenas and the picturesque Porto Kagio, you are immersed in the Greek lifestyle: souvlaki, moussaka and ouzo are eaten and drunk at a traditional tavern, where the tables are set with blue-and-white checkered cloths. The eastern side of the peninsula is even less known, but also worth a visit if you really want to get away from it all. In unspoilt nature, you will experience peace and quiet on the Greek coast; that sounds like music to your ears, doesn't it!
Camperstop.com tips for staying overnight:
- Gythion Bay, Gythion (note: open annually from 1 April to 31 October))
- Taverna O Faros, Karavostasi
- Gerolimenas
- Taverna Porto, Porto Kagio
- Kotronas
- Kamares
- The Mani peninsula is a must-visit for next year!
There is plenty to discover in the new year! Are you curious for more inspiration or do you want to know what else is possible by motorhome in Europe? Then take a look at one of the many destination pages!
Locations
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Camperstop Europe - motorhome guide
(Detailed) information about thousands of motorhome stopovers throughout Europe!
Agricamper Italia
Free overnight stays in Italy at affiliated farms!
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