Wintercamping in Italy

Winter camping in Italy is the best way to escape the uncomfortable weather in Central Europe. The popular ski resorts in Trentino, Veneto and South Tyrol are located on the sunny slopes of the Alps and offer perfectly groomed pistes and breathtaking mountain panoramas. And regions such as Calabria and Apulia are surprisingly mild even in the cold season. At PiNCAMP you will find the most beautiful places to spend the winter in Italy.

Popular winter campsites in Italy

Many campsites in Italy are open all year round, especially in the ski resorts in Val Pusteria, in the Dolomites or in the former Olympic resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo. There is no real low season here, as the campsites are open in both summer and winter. But you will also find numerous beautiful courses in southern Italy that are open during the cold season. The following campsites receive many good reviews on PiNCAMP and are among the most popular winter campsites in Italy.

Sesto Caravan Park

The Caravan Park Sexten in South Tyrol is one of the best campsites in Europe and one of the most beautiful places for a winter camping holiday in Italy. The location alone, with its panoramic view of the Sesto Dolomites, is a dream. The excellent connection to the Three Peaks ski area, the huge wellness area and the great service make the campsite the perfect choice for winter sports enthusiasts. There is a separate caravan site for motorhome owners. Flats, lodges and chalets are also available to rent.

Camping Tunnel International

Surrounded by majestic three-thousand metre peaks, the beautiful Tunnel International campsite is located in the heart of the Aosta Valley not far from the border with Switzerland. This site is also ideal for skiers and snowboarders. The ski slopes of Crevacol and the snow park in Flassin are easily accessible and can be reached directly from the campsite by ski bus. Cross-country ski routes and snowshoe trails lead past the campsite. In addition to pitches for camper vans, mobile homes are also available for hire on the site.

Camping Miravalle

The fantastic Miravalle campsite in Val di Fassa in the centre of the Dolomites is also a real dream destination in winter. The pretty village of Campitello is just a few minutes' walk away. Right next to the campsite, a cable car takes you up to the Sellaronda ski area at an altitude of 2240 metres. An idyllic path along the River Avisio leads to neighbouring Canazei, which is a great place to stroll around, especially in the colder months. You can also stay overnight at this campsite in pretty flats for up to six people.

Lido Salpi

A beautiful campsite in Apulia, located right by the sea and ideal for spending the winter in southern climes. The site is located directly below the Gargano promontory. The national park offers wonderful hiking trails along impressive coastal landscapes and is also a great destination for active holidaymakers in the cooler months of the year. There is a grocery shop and a restaurant on the site. Permanent campers are in the minority here, but it is still advisable to make a reservation in winter, as the site is very popular with foreign tourists in winter.

Camping Onda Azzurra

Beautiful beach campsite on the Ionian Sea in Calabria, which becomes an oasis for winter-weary campers from Germany during the cold season. In winter, things are rather tranquil here. The beach tourists are long gone, animation programmes and children's clubs also take a break. In return, you get a lot of peace and quiet, great service and a pleasant climate that rarely drops below 10 degrees. A real recommendation for winter camping in Italy.

General information about winter camping in Italy

The campsites near the ski resorts in Trentino, South Tyrol or the Dolomites are perfectly catered to the needs of winter sports enthusiasts. For example, you will often find a shuttle service to the piste, storage rooms for winter sports equipment and other services. The best winter campsites in Italy also offer amenities such as sanitary facilities with underfloor heating and wellness facilities with saunas, steam baths and heated swimming pools - perfect for relaxing after a long day on the slopes. If you are travelling by caravan or motorhome, you should make sure to equip your motorhome with snow chains. The pitches also offer electricity and water connections in the cold season. There is usually a waste disposal station on the motorhome pitches. Of course, you can also save yourself the journey in a motorhome and spend the night in a mobile home or other rental accommodation instead. Especially in the snowy winter landscapes, a camping holiday in a cosy and warm mobile home is a wonderful experience. Many campsites in northern Italy also offer activities and leisure activities in winter. Sporty campers can keep fit with power training or aqua aerobics. There are also often snowshoe tours, sledging excursions into the wintry landscapes or ski and snowboard courses for beginners. Even in winter, there is a children's club for the youngsters at the popular campsites. The campsites for winter holidays in southern Italy, on the other hand, are very quiet in the low season.

Popular destinations for winter camping in Italy

Italy's ski resorts are located on the sunny side of the Alps. With perfectly groomed pistes and traditional ski villages, South Tyrol, Trentino and Veneto are particularly popular with winter sports enthusiasts. But the deep south of Italy also attracts many campers every year who don't fancy the cold and wet weather at home.

Winter camping in South Tyrol

One of the most popular regions for winter sports enthusiasts is South Tyrol. The Puster Valley is particularly well known. A total of 14 villages in the Puster Valley make up the Kronplatz holiday region. The 2275 metre high Kronplatz with its sunny, extensive summit plateau towers above the picturesque town of Bruneck. South Tyrol's premier ski mountain has state-of-the-art cable cars and perfectly groomed pistes.

Sesto Dolomites

From Sesto and San Candido to Dobbiaco, charming ski areas, fantastic cross-country ski trails and panoramic hiking trails with views of the rocky peaks of the Dolomites await you. Between Haunold, Helm and the Kreuzberg Pass, there are also a number of beautiful campsites and lively villages with Italian flair. The Val Gardena with its breathtaking panorama of the Dolomites also makes the hearts of winter campers beat faster. On Europe's largest high Alpine pasture, the Seiser Alm, the magnificent backdrop of the peaks of the Geisler group, Langkofel, Plattkofel and Schlern is constantly present. The wide and sun-kissed slopes are the perfect spot for skiers, hikers and cross-country skiers.

Vinschgau Valley

The Vinschgau Valley, on the other hand, is more tranquil in winter. In the home of apple growers, there are plenty of winter hiking trails and, with Naturns, Schlanders and Glurns, tranquil little towns with a medieval flair. If you want to hit the slopes, head to Sulden or the glacier ski area in the Schnalstal Valley.

Winter camping in Trentino

In Val di Sole, the name says it all, as the sun shines more than 256 days a year in the charming mountain valley between the peaks of the Brenta, the Ortler Alps and the Adamello massif. Less than an hour's drive south-west of Bolzano, there is also plenty of snow in winter - much to the delight of winter sports enthusiasts. With an extensive network of pistes on both sides of the high valley and the car-free town centre, Madonna di Campiglio and the Pinzolo ski area are among the top ten Italian winter sports centres.

Winter camping in Veneto

Cortina d'Ampezzo is a name that evokes winter sports and elegance far beyond Italy's borders, with its sublime scenery, adventurous steep slopes and sophisticated lifestyle - and rightly so. The beautifully situated cross-country ski trails and renowned freeride areas make the hearts of winter guests in the former Olympic town beat faster.

Winter camping in Apulia

Puglia is a rather unknown region of Italy, even in the high season. In winter, you will only see Italian tourists on the campsites - if at all. The perfect time to visit sights such as Castel del Monte, Alberobello with its trulli houses and the beautiful town of Gallipolli. Even in the coldest months, temperatures don't drop below 5 degrees and from February onwards it's spring-like again.

Winter camping in Calabria

It is even more pleasant in winter in Calabria. In the southernmost region of the Italian mainland, it rarely gets colder than 10 degrees even in the winter months. On the campsites by the sea, which are open all year round, you can still relax on the beach, swim and enjoy your cappuccino in front of your motorhome even in November. But make sure you take rain gear with you, as Calabria has the most rainy days in winter.

Best time to go winter camping in Italy

If you want to travel to South Tyrol, the Dolomites or Trentino for skiing and winter sports, the months of December to early April are the best time to go winter camping in Italy. Please note that you must book in advance during these months, especially in popular ski resorts. In southern Italy, it is usually coldest in January and February. In Calabria and Sicily, however, spring starts very early. Here you can expect temperatures of around 20 degrees as early as March.

Top tips for winter campers

• In December, the famous ski resort of Val Gardena/Gröden is in an exceptional state: this is when the Alpine Ski World Cup makes a stop here on the spectacular Saslong downhill run. The jump over the "camel humps" is just one of the highlights of the course. The attractive supporting programme includes atmospheric award ceremonies with lighting effects and numerous fan parties.
• An insider tip for guests who want to combine an active holiday with a cultural one is the Long Night of the Bolzano Museums in December. With free admission, you can admire the city's art treasures and learn interesting facts about the history of the exhibits on guided tours. There is also a free shuttle bus that runs between the School Museum and Runkelstein Castle, among other places.

Activities and excursions in winter

Kilometres of ski slopes, cross-country ski trails through deep forests and across snow-covered meadows are just some of the highlights of winter camping in Italy. The possibilities for winter sports range from alpine skiing and cross-country skiing to long hikes through the snow-covered landscape. Southern Italy, on the other hand, is also ideal for sightseeing and hiking in the cooler months of the year.

Fantastic ski resorts for winter sports enthusiasts

The Via Lattea, the country's largest ski area with a length of more than 400 kilometres, stretches from Italy to France. At the heart of the ski region lies the town of Sestriere, famous from the Ski World Cup. Alpine skiers, freestylers and snowboarders will find a paradise here. Adventurous skiers can attempt daring feats in the snow park with its numerous obstacles. Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Dolomites can look back on a long tradition as a winter sports resort: competitions were held here as early as 1956 as part of the Olympic Games. Today, 120 kilometres of perfectly groomed pistes set against the fascinating panorama of the Marmolada and Tofana di Rozes peaks at over 3,000 metres above sea level.

Active holidays away from the slopes

Val di Sole lives up to its name between the Ortler mountain group and the Adamello massif, where the sun shines 256 days a year. Exciting leisure activities also await you off-piste here. Brave souls can take part in a snowkiting course, for example, where you can speed across the piste and into the air with a towing kite. You can also experience a real adventure on a ride through the snow-covered landscape on a fat bike with extra-wide, deep-tread tyres.

Cross-country skiing

If you enjoy cross-country skiing, then winter camping in Italy is the right place for you. With a 150 km network of trails, Val di Fiemme at the foot of the Dolomites is an Eldorado for this Nordic sport. Thanks to the altitude of up to 2,000 metres, cross-country skiing fun at its best is guaranteed here from October to April. You can even test your biathlon marksmanship at the Lago di Tesero World Championship cross-country skiing centre.

Hiking and sightseeing in southern Italy

Southern Italian regions such as Apulia, Calabria and Sicily are also ideal for sightseeing and hiking in winter. Many museums are open all year round and you usually have the sights all to yourself. Active holidaymakers can also go on exciting hikes in the cold season. However, you should always take rain gear with you in case of an emergency.

Events

When winter camping in Italy, numerous events invite you to get to know the culture and admire top athletes.

January

• Cortina dAmpezzo Ski World Cup: Every year, the stars of women's skiing meet in the former Olympic venue of Cortina dAmpezzo. The audience experiences up close how shooting speeds of up to 130 km/h are reached on the dreaded Tonale.

November - December

• Brixen Christmas market: In the festively illuminated old town of Bressanone between the cathedral, parish church and town hall, visitors to the Christmas market shop for gifts in a romantic atmosphere. A nostalgic carousel makes children's eyes light up.

December - January

• New Year's Eve in Brunico/Bruneck: In Brunico/Bruneck in South Tyrol, a spectacular show by the regional ski schools awaits you in the late afternoon of 31 December. Afterwards, guests and locals stroll to the town hall square, where the New Year is celebrated with music and fireworks.