Our Italian Eurocamp Family Road Trip: Italy with kids on a budget

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This article is all about our 3 week budget Italian road trip with the kids – including what we did and what we spent, as well as tips on how to explore Italy with kids on a budget! This is the full trip itinerary – and everything you need to know if you’re dreaming of doing something similar. (And definitely do it – it was incredible!!) 😍 In September 2020, we embarked on the most incredible 3 week Italian family road trip around Northern and Central Italy, using budget-friendly Eurocamp campsites as bases to hop between – we drove down through France to Italy, and the holiday was the perfect blend of both culture and relaxation, especially with the kids in tow.

It amazed me how interested they were in the cultural side and learning about the history of the places that we visited. We must have walked so many miles on our travels and the kids really took it all in their stride – they were well rewarded with gelato! 😂 Our family holiday in Italy gave us memories that we will treasure forever – it’s such an incredible country to explore. We had a very tight budget of around £2,000 for the whole three week road trip – including accommodation, travel to/from and around Italy, food and all other expenses for days out with the kids. We were so lucky to travel to Lake Garda, Verona, Venice, Rome, Tuscany, Florence and Pisa during the trip of a lifetime.

The Eurocamp campsites gave us really affordable accommodation, helping us to stick to our tight budget – we stayed at: Camping Cisano San Vito in Lake Garda, Camping Village Fabulous in Rome and Camping Valle Gaia in Tuscany. So, here’s what we did, what we spent and my top tips on how to explore Italy with kids on a budget – this is the complete road map and itinerary for our 3 week Italian Family Road Trip…

Travelling to Italy from the UK

If you’re wondering if you can travel to Italy easily by road from the UK – you absolutely can! It’s really easy to drive around Italy, and there’s so much that you’ll want to see, so it’s the perfect destination for a family road trip – and driving can make it a much more budget-friendly way to travel with kids too. Be sure to check out my article: How to road trip on a budget around Europe – the ultimate family guide! We booked our crossing through Eurocamp at the discounted rate of £60 each way – the first place to make a saving, by including travel with your accommodation. As well as that, driving our own car felt so much easier than flying – we just shoved all of our junk in the boot – and by driving we also avoided car hire charges and airport parking etc.

After crossing into France from the UK via the Channel Tunnel, we drove the 9 hour drive from Calais to Northern Italy in just one day – stopping for the night in Aosta in the Alps not long after crossing the border that evening. The motorways in France were better than our UK ones and my husband actually enjoyed the drive down without delays and the usual English roadworks everywhere! One thing to be aware of is the tolls – it cost us about €90 to travel each way through France using the toll roads. (And the Mount Blanc tunnel to take us from France to Italy was over £40 each way!) You can avoid the tolls but it adds hours to the journey time and makes the route more complex – Italy has a lot of tolls too unfortunately.

We had to drive directly there in one day, due to pandemic restrictions in France, but as a cheaper alternative you could also drive to Italy through Belgium and Germany – they have no tolls for cars. Then onwards through Switzerland or Austria, you’d need to pay a small amount for a vignette which allows travel on their motorways with no additional costs (we took this route to Italy for our 2024 road trip and barely spent anything on tolls!). Having said that, although we spent a lot on tolls and fuel during our trip, our transport costs came to less than we’ve spent on flights in the past. And, it was well worth it to be away for a few weeks and to travel around seeing all of these wonderful things. Check out my article: Family road trip essentials: 13 things to pack on a road trip with kids to make sure that you have everything you need for a stress free family road trip before you set off.

How to explore Italy on a budget

Aside from two nights in hotels in Aosta, we used Eurocamp campsites to keep the accommodation as cheap as possible. By travelling out of season and combining discounts, we only paid around £650 in total for all of our Eurocamp accommodation. (19 nights averaged out at less than £35 per night!) We found using Eurocamp sites a really cost effective way to travel for a longer period, and the self-catering holiday homes made it easy to keep food costs low, and have space to relax and rest – it was incredible value for money. All three campsites had swimming great pools, kids’ facilities and lovely staff. I’ve added links to the reviews of the campsites that we stayed in throughout the itinerary below. To find out more about Eurocamp and how to save money on your holiday check out: The Ultimate Eurocamp Holiday Guide – and money saving tips!

As we home-educate the kids, we’re fortunate to be able travel term-time which is a great money saver, but if you’re restricted to school holiday dates then look for May half-term getaways – they’re always so much cheaper than the summer holidays! For the school summer holidays in July and August, I’ve noticed that the last week of August is usually the cheapest – and I’ve even found 7 night breaks from around £200! Eurocamp holidays, in my opinion, are often the most affordable way for families to travel in the school holidays. Check out my article: Eurocamp 2025 school holiday deals: July & August budget summer breaks under £1000! And, for more info on the accommodation options, and to find out what to pack / what’s included, read my post: Eurocamp Holidays: Which accommodation should I choose? What’s included?

Our itinerary – 21 nights in Italy

Here’s how we spent our 3 weeks in Italy – and I think it was a brilliant amount of time in each place. Rome works well as a short visit, for city adventures, so if you have less time for your trip keep Rome sandwiched in the middle and shorten the stays at your destinations either side. We did:

1 night: Aosta
10 nights: Lake Garda
3 nights: Rome
6 nights: Tuscany
1 night: Aosta

The Italian Alps: Our stopover in Aosta

We spent a night either end of our trip in Aosta in The Alps, mostly to break up the driving as it’s in the North West and so one of the first places you reach when you enter Italy from France. The area was absolutely gorgeous – we only had a short time for exploring but it was stunning and felt very Swiss! Inspired by this, we visited Switzerland in September 2022 and we certainly weren’t disappointed! You can read about that trip here: Our Eurocamp Interlaken Family Holiday Guide: How to visit Switzerland on a budget with kids. And, we loved our visit to Austria in 2024 as well – there’s something so special about a lakes and mountains kind of holiday!

Our two nights in Aosta, one at either end of our road trip around Italy, cost us £200 (not very budget-friendly!) – I think this just really highlights the difference in costs between hotels and campsites, especially when you need to book family rooms to accommodate travelling with kids. We could never have visited Italy for three weeks had our accommodation for our whole trip been £100+ per night. With a hotel room, it’s also really hard to self-cater which drives up costs even more, and there just isn’t the space nor the fantastic pools and family facilities that campsites can offer. So, whilst hotels are sometimes absolutely necessary, choosing budget accommodation as often as you can will really take your trip from being an impossible dream, to an affordable reality.

Accommodation on a budget: Lake Garda

We spent 10 blissful days in Lake Garda. Our first stop at Camping Cisano San Vito was absolutely fantastic for the kids, and it was our favourite of the Eurocamp sites that we visited on this trip – situated right on the lake, the location was just fabulous. The main pool was deep enough to swim in but the kids could stand up everywhere, and the waterslides and play area kept them busy for hours – they spent so much time in the pool that Lola even managed to ditch her armbands by the end of our stay! Camping Cisano San Vito was kid heaven and a great option if you’re visiting Lake Garda. We paid very little for our 10 day stay – it worked out about £250, just £25 per night – so it was insanely brilliant value for money too! Read my full review here: Eurocamp Holiday Review: Camping Cisano San Vito.

Exploring Lake Garda on a budget with kids

Lake Garda itself was beautiful – we enjoyed lots of walks in the local area and picnics on the lake. We absolutely loved it, and found it to be the perfect base for exploring Northern Italy. Lake Garda is a fantastic destination for a family holiday, with loads of great campsites – have a read of my article: Eurocamp Italy: The 5 best Lake Garda holiday parks for families for lots of brilliant options. There’s so much to do in the local area – with nearby cities like Venice and Verona, as well as child-friendly days out to places like Gardaland or Caneva Aquapark if the kids are little thrill-seekers. You can also explore Scaliger (Scaligero) Castle, take a boat tour from Sirmione and take a dip in the lake. For all of the details, and the 10 best things to do with kids, check out my full Lake Garda family holiday itinerary.

Blending a holiday at Lake Garda with a visit to Verona makes for an amazing trip – it’s a gorgeous city and when we travelled from Camping Cisano San Vito the drive was only about half an hour. If you’d like to get to Verona from Lake Garda by train, the fastest trains from Peschiera del Garda to Verona only take around 13 minutes, so you can be there in no time! Start at Piazza Bra and marvel at the impressive Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater similar to the Colosseum – it’s just €10 per adult, €1 for kids, and under 7s go free. (We saw a concert rehearsal on our visit, as it’s still used as a venue today, it was brilliant!) Then wander the cobbled streets to see Juliet’s Balcony at Casa di Giulietta. For a full guide, check out my article: How to spend a day in Verona with kids on a budget.

Lake Garda’s location makes it the perfect base for a day trip to Venice as well, one of the most unique cities in the world. From Camping Cisano San Vito the drive to Venice was about 90 minutes (we then trained the last bit from Mestre train station – find out more about it in my Venice guide – it was less than €2pp for the return trip). Or, to get the train from Lake Garda to Venice is about a 2 hour journey so it’s a longer trip than Verona but well worth a visit. Head to Piazza San Marco to admire St. Mark’s Basilica (free entry), stroll along the canals and ride the Traghetto (a gondola ferry that costs just a couple of euros) to cross the Grand Canal. Find out more with my guide: How to spend a day in Venice on a budget with kids.

Accommodation on a budget: Rome

From Lake Garda we drove 6 hours to Rome, where we stayed with Eurocamp at Camping Village Fabulous, a site outside of the city centre in nearby Lazio. We only had two full days here so we had one day in Rome itself and another making the most of the pools and relaxing – our accommodation here was around £200 for 3 nights. This site was home to our favourite holiday home of the whole Italian road trip – we even had an en-suite! Camping Village Fabulous was a fantastic base, and catching the train into the city was really simple too. This campsite was really peaceful and quiet, and it gave us the perfect way for us to experience Rome on a budget with the kids – Rome is certainly a ‘must visit’ destination for any well-rounded family road trip to Italy. Read my full review here: Eurocamp Holiday Review: Camping Village Fabulous.

Visiting Rome on a budget with kids

To get to the centre of Rome we parked at Vitinia train station, which was just a 5 minute drive from Camping Village Fabulous, and got the train in. The train / Metro was the perfect way for little legs to explore the city – given the 33 degree heat, we were VERY grateful that the public transport in Rome was so cheap and easy! Our train tickets were just €7, and this covered all of our train travel for the day; the main train in and hopping on and off the Metro as needed. Kids under 10 travel free in Rome so for just €14 it was really cost effective – you really don’t need much spending money in this city. It was about a 30 minute train journey (with some changes) to get into Rome.

Pre-plan your route and itinerary to make sure your day runs smoothly. For a full article on the best things to see and do in Rome, check out: How to spend a day in Rome on a budget with kids – I’ve even given you the easiest route for avoiding long queues and saving little legs from too much walking. There are lots of fabulous historical landmarks to see in Rome, it’s an incredible city, and here are a few things that you’ll definitely want on your family holiday itinerary – have fun!

Take a trip to the Colosseum: A visit to the infamous Colosseum is a must – standard tickets are €18 for adults while children enter for free (accurate 2024) – the kids will love imagining gladiators battling inside. You can also admire it from outside for free if you’re keeping costs down – it’s just as magnificent – we didn’t go inside this time having already visited Verona Arena instead.
Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain: Tossing a coin into the Trevi fountain is a fun and free activity that kids will enjoy. There are also quite a few other attractions like The Pantheon and Piazza Navona in the same area.
Head to St Peter’s Square and Basilica: Within the walls of the Vatican City, St Peter’s Square and Basilica are a must-see. There’s a charge to enter the dome and the museum, but the Basilica and the grottoes below are free. We just did the ‘freebie’ areas – it’s a very impressive building so well worth a visit.

Exploring a bustling city like Rome with children can be a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding – so here are some tips to make the most of your visit. Firstly, travel off-peak – visit the main attractions early in the morning or later in the day to avoid crowds and save on entrance fees. (The shoulder seasons will also be much less busy than the main summer months if you can avoid those too!) Bring a picnic to keep costs down, and take advantage of Rome’s free water fountains (nasoni) to refill your water bottles. (I never go anywhere without our cool bag rucksack and refillable water bottles!) And, book your tickets in advance – skip-the-line tickets are a lifesaver when visiting popular attractions with children – especially if you only have one day to explore. The Tiqets website has some great combination tickets too.

Accommodation on a budget: Tuscany

We spent the last part of our trip in the gorgeous Tuscany region, with some very interesting weather! By day glorious sunshine, by night torrential rain and HUGE thunderstorms which shook our holiday home! Luckily, the days were lovely so it didn’t dampen our spirits, and we do love a good storm! We stayed at Camping Village Valle Gaia – which was about a 3 hour drive from the Rome campsite, and took us back towards Northern Italy where our journey had begun. This campsite was very empty and quiet, at the end of the season, so the kids had the pool to themselves for most of it and loved it! Our accommodation was only about £200 for the week so it was extremely good value too. Read my full review here: Eurocamp Holiday Review: Camping Village Valle Gaia.

Exploring Tuscany on a budget with kids

No visit to Tuscany would be complete without exploring Florence and Camping Village Valle Gaia was great base for visiting both Florence and Pisa – the drive from the campsite to Florence was around 90 minutes. We parked just outside of the city, and took a tram into the centre – which was only a few euros. There are loads of free things to do in Florence, it’s so easy to have a budget-friendly day trip with the kids. You can visit the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, head to Piazzale Michelangelo (my favourite place in Florence!) for the best panoramic views of the city and cross the infamous Ponte Vecchio Bridge all without spending a penny. Find out more with my guide: How to spend a day in Florence on a budget with kids.

As well as exploring the beautiful countryside, Tuscany is also home to some lovely golden beaches which make for fun (free!) days out with the kids. After we checked out of Camping Village Valle Gaia, we also decided to have a quick detour to Pisa, on our way back to Aosta to end our trip. Pisa was about a 50 minute drive from the campsite, and we were able to park nearby. Unfortunately, Lola wasn’t actually old enough to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa so we just viewed it from the outside. (Children must be at least 8 year’s old to do the climb.) But we did, of course, have to get the classic ‘hold it up’ tourist photo! 😆 Tuscany is a fantastic destination for a family holiday, with loads of great campsites – have a read of my article: Eurocamp Italy: The 5 best campsites in Tuscany near Florence for lots of brilliant options for places to stay with the kids.

Keeping Costs Down:

Enjoying a family holiday in Italy on a budget

The main way to save money on your holiday, as well as securing cheap accommodation, is to avoid spending lots of money on food. We didn’t eat out much when we were away – instead we shopped at supermarkets and I cooked most nights. I also packed the car with juices, bags of pasta, cereal etc which we brought with us from England. During the day we would get baguettes from supermarkets on site (around a euro) and have a picnic lunch every day. On our city visits we often had a Mcdonalds for dinner! Not the healthiest of options but at €19 for their family deal – 2 Happy Meals and 2 Adult Meals – it was much more affordable than eating out in a restaurant if we were out too late to cook at home.

We also visited a lot of places with free entry (luckily most religious buildings are free) – as some places are very expensive it can up pretty quickly when there are 4 of you – and some things we just appreciated from the outside. There are loads of great things to do in these fabulous places but we did have to pick and choose (leaving things like Gardaland visits and Gondola rides for another trip) but to be honest, Italy is so unique, just exploring the cities on foot and wandering the cobbled streets was enough to keep us all entertained. I think a family holiday in Italy with the kids is absolutely do-able on a small budget – so much of what you’ll want to see and do on your road trip won’t cost you a penny. For family city break money saving tips, check out my article: How to have a European city break with kids on a budget!

Our Italian Eurocamp Family Road Trip Total: What we spent

All in all we spent just over £2200 on the trip:

Tolls across Italy and France: £400
Fuel: £300
The Channel Crossing: £122
Eurocamp Accommodation: £650
Aosta Hotels: £200
Excursions, food and spending money: approx £550

This trip was the holiday of a lifetime, and we made memories that we will treasure forever – the kids can’t wait to go back to Italy to experience more of what it has to offer. Our Eurocamp Italian road trip worked out at just over £100 per day across the three weeks, for absolutely everything that we spent, which was incredible value for money given how much we crammed in. It was totally worth every penny, and I hope this article is helpful for anyone thinking of visiting Italy with kids – I hope that it will inspire you to take whatever budget you have to work with, be creative, look for affordable solutions and book that road trip! We had a blast and I would definitely recommend Italy for sun, culture, yummy food and lots of fun! 😀 If you’re still not sure if Italy is the right destination for your family holiday then take a look at my article: 10 reasons why you should visit Italy with kids. Happy holidays!

Nat x