From the volcanic lakes of Tuscia to the Circeo coast, departing from Rome
Campervan hire in Lazio starts at the gates of the Eternal City and quickly leaves it behind: lakes formed in craters, the Etruscan necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri, the hilltop village of Civita di Bagnoregio, then the beaches and headlands of Circeo and Gaeta. Vehicles are collected in Rome and Pomezia, from companies such as McRent, Motorhomes Italy, Rent Easy and Blurent.
Most depots lie south of the capital, along the Via Ostiense and the Via Pontina, well away from city-centre traffic. From there, the coast is half an hour away, the Castelli Romani are next door, and the motorway leads on to Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo or Naples for a longer journey.
Anywhere Campers
Rental company category:Standard
Autocaravan Express
Rental company category:Standard
Avis Explore
Rental company category:Standard
Public rating of the rental company:
4.1/5
(506 reviews)
Blurent
Rental company category:Economy
McRent
Rental company category:Standard
Motorhomes Italy
Rental company category:Standard
Rent Easy
Rental company category:Premium
Choose your departure city: the map shows where rental companies hand over their vehicles.
North of Rome, Tuscia strings together the crater lakes of Bracciano, Vico and Bolsena, the medieval old town of Viterbo with its hot springs, then Civita di Bagnoregio, perched on its spur of tuff and linked to the world by a single footbridge. The return follows the sea past the Etruscan necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri.
Civita can only be reached on foot: leave the vehicle in the car parks of Bagnoregio. Around the lakes, campsites and motorhome areas let you sleep by the water.
Head south along the Tyrrhenian coast: the excavations of Ostia Antica, the port of Anzio, the dunes and coastal lake of Sabaudia in Circeo National Park, then Terracina and its Temple of Jupiter, the white houses of Sperlonga and the old town of Gaeta at the tip of its headland.
From Anzio, Terracina or Formia, boats sail to the island of Ponza: go as a foot passenger and leave the motorhome on the quay. The route can be extended to Naples, where our rental companies also have depots.
A loop east and south-east of Rome, in the footsteps of popes and monks: the gardens of Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, the monasteries of Saint Benedict clinging to the cliff at Subiaco, the spa town of Fiuggi, the cathedral of Anagni, the Cistercian abbey of Casamari and, to finish, Monte Cassino.
Inland roads are narrow and climb steeply towards Subiaco: a medium-sized vehicle feels more comfortable there.
To escape the heat of the plain, follow the Tiber valley up to Farfa Abbey and Rieti, then cross the Apennines to L'Aquila in neighbouring Abruzzo. The high plateau of Campo Imperatore, at the foot of the Gran Sasso, followed by Sulmona and Abruzzo National Park, offer cool stops among grazing flocks.
The road to Campo Imperatore is often snowbound until spring: check that it is open before setting off.
The most pleasant time to tour Lazio: the Tuscia countryside is green, ancient sites can be visited without crushing heat and the sea gradually warms up. June is already hot in Rome, but the long days leave time to drive early and enjoy the lakes in the evening.
Heat settles over Rome and the plain, with the sea at around 27 °C drawing Italian families to Sabaudia, Sperlonga and Lake Bolsena. Around 15 August, Ferragosto fills coastal campsites and car parks: this is the moment to head for the higher ground of the Sabine hills and the Apennines.
A second fine season: the sea keeps the warmth of summer, the grape harvest livens up the Castelli Romani and the crowds leave the coast. Late-summer storms do bring some rainy days, especially in October: keep a spare day in your plans.
Winter in Rome remains mild and often sunny, ideal for visiting museums and ancient sites without queues. November is the wettest month, and several coastal campsites close out of season. In the Apennines, snow can cut off high roads and winter equipment may be required.
Via Ostiense to head straight for Ostia and the coast, Via Pontina or Pomezia to drive down towards Circeo, Albano Laziale for the Castelli Romani: every depot spares you a drive through central Rome.
Look at the gearbox, manual or automatic depending on the model, the kitchen and bedding kit, the actual number of berths and the excess shown in each offer before making up your mind.
For Easter, July and August, book a campsite near Rome and your nights on the Circeo coast early; the rest of the year, motorhome areas are often enough without a reservation.
Driving licence, identity document and the main driver's bank card: check the rental company's conditions, the handover time and how to reach the depot from Fiumicino or Ciampino airport.
Rome's historic centre is a ZTL, a limited traffic zone monitored by cameras: entering without authorisation triggers a fine sent to the rental company and then passed on to you. The simplest option is to sleep at a campsite on the outskirts served by bus or train, and to explore the city without the vehicle.
The A1, A12 and A24 motorways leaving Rome are tolled. At the barriers, the yellow lanes marked Telepass are reserved for holders of the electronic tag: choose lanes that accept bank cards or cash, and ask the rental company whether the vehicle is fitted with a tag.
The port of Civitavecchia, north-west of Rome, connects with Sardinia and Sicily by ferry, often overnight. Before booking a crossing with the motorhome, obtain the rental company's written consent, then check timetables and conditions with the ferry lines, which change with the season.
Lazio has many aree di sosta, parking areas reserved for motorhomes with waste disposal and sometimes electricity, around Lake Bolsena and Lake Bracciano as well as on the coast. In summer, many seaside towns ban motorhomes from parking overnight on the seafront: watch for the signs.
Departures are from Rome and Pomezia. McRent is based on the Via Ostiense, Rent Easy and Motorhomes Italy on the Via Pontina, and Motorhomes Italy also in Albano Laziale and Pomezia; Anywhere Campers, Autocaravan Express, Avis Explore and Blurent complete the choice. The exact address and pick-up time appear in your booking confirmation.
The depots on the Via Pontina and in Pomezia are a few kilometres from the Castelli Romani: Frascati and its wines, Castel Gandolfo and Lake Albano, Nemi and its wild strawberries. On the coast side, the ruins of Ostia Antica can be visited on the very first day, before reaching the beaches of Anzio or Sabaudia.
A campervan slips more easily through the villages of Tuscia and along mountain roads. For families, low-profile models such as the Adria Matrix M670SL sleep five, with a manual or automatic gearbox, while the Carado T-447 sleeps four. Always check the number of berths, which is sometimes lower than the number of seats.
Yes, Lazio lies at the heart of Italy: Perugia is 135 km from Rome in a straight line, Siena 184 km and Naples 188 km, all of them departure cities for our rental companies. Enter a different return city in the search form to find out whether one-way hire is offered and on what terms.
One week is enough to combine Rome, the Castelli Romani and the coast down to Gaeta, or the loop around the Tuscia lakes. With two weeks, you can add Tivoli, the abbeys of Ciociaria and a foray into Abruzzo, or else continue north to Umbria and Tuscany.
Good and quick communication, easy to book and easy to follow all the instructions.
Cooldrive was very attentive and very responsive in all situations. We received valuable assistance in the steps to be taken. I highly recommend it.
The person answered my questions before I confirmed the booking. The van matched my order well with extras. During my trip, I had a little issue that had nothing to do with Cooldrive. I appreciated that the person took the time to call me back. No bad surprises, only good ones. Highly recommended.
Most rental motorhomes weigh under 3.5 tonnes and only require an ordinary category B licence. If your licence was issued outside the European Union, find out which documents are required, in particular an international driving permit or an official translation. The minimum age and the number of years of licence required are set out in the details of each offer.
Campsites are plentiful around Rome, on the lakeshores and along the coast, supplemented by municipal motorhome areas and agriturismi that welcome motorhomes. Free overnight parking depends on each municipality's bylaws and is often forbidden by the sea: ask locally before settling in for the night.
Traffic drives on the right, with dipped headlights on during the day outside built-up areas. A bike rack whose load sticks out at the back must carry the regulation square red-and-white striped panel. In villages, the ZTLs signposted at the entrance to old centres also apply to motorhomes, even when just passing through.
The offers we surveyed for departures from Rome all included unlimited mileage, which leaves you free to drive on to Tuscany or Abruzzo. Conditions nevertheless vary from one rental company and one date to another: check this line in the offer details before booking.
Yes, in addition to the ZTLs, Rome restricts access for the oldest vehicles within a large area known as the Fascia Verde, with stricter rules on some high-pollution days. Rental vehicles are generally recent, but find out which rules are in force and which emissions standard the motorhome meets before driving in the city.
Several months ahead for the Easter holidays, July and August, when Rome draws visitors from all over the world and Italians head for the sea. In winter, except around Christmas and New Year, a few weeks are usually enough to find the model you want.
Lazio is often reduced to Rome, yet less than two hours' drive away it holds a more secret Italy: crater lakes and painted Etruscan tombs, the tuff villages of Tuscia, the monasteries of Subiaco and Monte Cassino, the dunes of Circeo and the coves of Sperlonga. A motorhome lets you enjoy them all at your own pace, waking up beside a quiet lake or facing the sea.
With depots south of the capital, you avoid the centre and reach the coast or the Castelli Romani within minutes. Lazio also lends itself to longer journeys: Tuscany and Umbria to the north, Abruzzo to the east and Campania to the south are a single stage from Rome, and Civitavecchia opens the way to Sardinia.
