Glamping and agricamping in Italy. Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Piedmont and Romagna on the farm

Italy has 2,600 campsites, and most of them are by the sea, have 500 pitches and an entertainment programme. If that is not for you, head inland. There your motorhome or your safari tent stands between vines, olive trees and hazelnut trees, the host makes the wine himself, and in the evening you sit at the family's table. In Italy this is called agricamping or agriturismo, and it is the best way to travel the country we know.

This guide explains what the terms mean, shows four farms in four regions that you can request directly on Campavia, and works out what a week and a month cost.

Agricamping, agriturismo, glamping: what is what?

Term	What it is	For whom
Agricamping	Pitches on a working farm, usually 5 to 20, electricity and water, often a farm shop and tastings	Motorhome, campervan, caravan
Agriturismo	Rooms or apartments on a farm; food from the farm's own produce is required by law	Without your own vehicle
Glamping	Fixed accommodation such as safari tents, tiny houses or yurts with a real bed, usually with private bathroom	Couples, families without a camper
Area sosta	A plain motorhome stopover, often municipal, little equipment	One night passing through

Italian law requires an agriturismo to keep farming as its main business. That is why you never have 200 neighbours on these farms and why the wine in your glass comes from the slope behind the house.

Four regions, four farms

Amalfi Coast: Glamping Tenuta Amapola, Conca dei Marini

The Amalfi Coast is almost impossible for motorhomes; the coast road is too narrow and parking is banned. The solution is glamping without your own vehicle. Glamping Tenuta Amapola is in Conca dei Marini between Amalfi and Positano, 700 metres from the beach and 300 metres from the village. You choose between a safari tent for two and a tiny house with bedroom and private bathroom.

The farm is an olive grove with animals; the host family lives in the farmhouse on the grounds and speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian. There is a restaurant, a sanitary building with hot water, a washing machine for 5 euros and Wi-Fi. Dogs are not allowed here. The tourist tax is 2 euros per person per night.

Getting there without a camper: train to Salerno or Naples, then the SITA bus or ferry to Amalfi, from there 10 minutes by bus. If you have a motorhome, leave it at a site near Salerno or in Pompei.

Tuscany, Casentino: La Campana d'Oro, Bibbiena

The Casentino is the valley of the upper Arno between Florence and Arezzo, with the forests of the Foreste Casentinesi national park and the monastery of La Verna. Here you find La Campana d'Oro, an agricamping with its own farm brewery. Pitches of 35 square metres for motorhomes up to 8 metres, electricity included, dogs allowed. There is a restaurant, a bar, a barbecue area, brewery tours, tastings and regional platters.

Prices: from 22 euros per night or around 660 euros per month, tourist tax 1 euro per person per night. Florence is an hour away, Arezzo 40 minutes, and the farm books with instant confirmation.

Piedmont, Langhe: Cascina Zanot, Marsaglia

The Langhe are home to Barolo, hazelnuts and white truffle. Cascina Zanot is a family farm in a restored farmhouse near Marsaglia, with views over vineyards and hills to the Alps on clear days. The farm grows Dolcetto, Pinot Nero and Nebbiolo and harvests hazelnuts. Motorhomes up to 9.5 metres, electricity included, pool from June to October, boules court, barbecue, bread delivery, dogs allowed.

Prices: from 40 euros per night or 840 euros per month, tourist tax 0.50 euros per person per night. Open from 1 February to 30 November. Alba with its truffle market in October and November is half an hour away.

Romagna, hills behind Rimini: Podere Vecciano, Coriano

Twenty minutes from the bustle of the Adriatic lies Podere Vecciano in Coriano, a wine estate with gravel pitches between the vines. The farm produces Rebola, Pagadebit, Famoso and Sangiovese as well as olive oil; there is a restaurant, a farm shop and tastings in the cellar. Motorhomes up to 7.5 metres and 3.5 metres high, electricity included. Dogs are not allowed.

Prices: from 20 euros per night or around 390 euros per month, the cheapest monthly rate of the four farms. The beach is 9 kilometres away, San Marino 20 minutes, the Onferno caves and the Malatesta castle are half-day trips.

You will find all four farms with current prices on the Italy overview.

Best time to travel: follow the farm, not the calendar

On a farm, the trip is worth it when work is being done. These are the dates:

Period	What happens on the farm	Region
April to May	Vines bud, first strawberries, asparagus	All
June to July	Hay harvest, lavender, long evenings by the pool	Piedmont, Tuscany
September	Grape harvest, grape must, village festivals	Piedmont, Romagna, Tuscany
October to November	Olive harvest, new oil, white truffle in Alba	Piedmont, Tuscany, Amalfi
December to February	Quiet, open fires, low monthly rates	Romagna, Casentino

The grape harvest in September and the olive harvest in October are the two weeks when a farm shows something no large campsite can offer. Ask the host whether you can join in. On most farms it is possible.

What a week and a month cost

Example for two people with a motorhome in Piedmont and Romagna:

Item	Week at Cascina Zanot (October)	Month at Podere Vecciano (May)
Pitch	7 × 40 € = 280 €	390 €
Electricity	included	included
Tourist tax	7 €	0 to 30 € depending on municipality
Tastings, farm shop	80 to 150 €	150 to 300 €
Food, excursions	250 to 400 €	600 to 900 €
Total	around 620 to 840 €	around 1,140 to 1,620 €

Glamping on the Amalfi Coast works out differently: you pay for the accommodation but save vehicle, tolls and parking entirely.

Staying longer: the farm as winter quarters

Romagna and the Casentino are quiet and mild in winter and, with monthly rates between 390 and 660 euros, far cheaper than the coast. Park the motorhome for two or three months and take the train to Bologna, Florence or Ravenna, and you have an alternative to wintering in Spain that is closer to home.

What to check for a monthly stay on a farm:

• Water and waste. Not every farm has a disposal point for chemical toilets. Ask beforehand.
• Electricity. At Cascina Zanot, La Campana d'Oro and Podere Vecciano electricity is included in the price. In winter that is worth a lot.
• Dogs. Two of the four farms take dogs, two do not. This is shown for every site on Campavia.
• Discounts. From two months many hosts give way. The discount is applied automatically on the site page.

Practical notes

• Access. Farms sit on gravel tracks. Up to 8 metres it is almost always fine; at 9 metres and more, read the maximum length on the site page.
• Lunch. On many farms food is only served with a day's notice. That is not poor service, it is the rule.
• Payment. Small farms take cash for the farm shop and tastings. You book the stay online on Campavia; for amounts from 300 euros you pay a 30 percent deposit and the rest on arrival.
• Quiet hours. Farm work starts early. In return it is truly silent at night.

Frequently asked questions about glamping and agricamping in Italy

What is the difference between agricamping and a normal campsite? Agricamping is a side business of a farm, usually with 5 to 20 pitches, no entertainment and no supermarket, but with a farm shop, tastings and hosts you know by name. The facilities are simpler, the setting almost always lovelier.

Can I take a motorhome to the Amalfi Coast? Practically not. The coast road is narrow, at times closed to motorhomes over 7 metres, and there is no parking. Leave the vehicle near Salerno or Pompei and stay in glamping, for example at Tenuta Amapola in Conca dei Marini.

How much does glamping in Italy cost per night? Safari tents and tiny houses on farms cost between 60 and 150 euros per night for two people depending on region and season. On the Amalfi Coast you are at the upper end, inland at the lower.

Are dogs allowed at agricampings? Often, but not always. Farms with animals or wine production sometimes take no dogs. Cascina Zanot and La Campana d'Oro allow dogs, Podere Vecciano and Tenuta Amapola do not.

Can I help with the grape or olive harvest? On many farms yes, if you ask beforehand. The grape harvest is usually mid-September to early October, the olive harvest mid-October to mid-November.

Do farms offer monthly rates? Yes, on Campavia the farms show nightly and monthly prices. Podere Vecciano is around 390 euros a month, La Campana d'Oro 660 euros, Cascina Zanot 840 euros, each with electricity.