In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Orvieto via Todi, Spoleto and Norcia up to the Castelluccio plateau, through Ascoli to the sea at Monte Conero and via Urbino, Gubbio, Assisi and Perugia to Lake Trasimeno: around 670 kilometres through hill towns, national park and monastery country.
The spirit of the route
Umbria and the Marche don't reveal themselves at a glance, but town by town, hill by hill. In the morning Orvieto stands on its tufa plinth above the mist of the Paglia valley, at midday Norcia smells of truffles and air-cured ham, and in the evening the Piano Grande of Castelluccio lies still as a dried-up lake beneath Monte Vettore. From your sliding door you see olive groves, rows of cypresses in front of monastery walls, pink limestone from the Subasio and later the turquoise water beneath the white cliffs of the Conero. In between lie the traces of the 2016 earthquake – scaffolding, container villages, reopened churches – which make this route more honest than any postcard. Drive in short stages: the towns are cramped, the car parks are at the bottom, and almost everywhere escalators, lifts or buses take you up into the old town.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Orvieto to Spoleto via Todi (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- From Orvieto Scalo take the SS448 along the Corbara reservoir and through the Tiber gorge to Todi – well built, with some bends and rock overhangs in the gorge. Continue via Massa Martana past the Monti Martani into the Spoleto valley. Just under 2 hours of pure driving time in total, plus town visits.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Orvieto cathedral with the Cappella di San Brizio and Luca Signorelli's frescoes, plus the Pozzo di San Patrizio with its double spiral staircase.
- Todi: Piazza del Popolo with its medieval palaces and, below the town, the Renaissance centralised church of Santa Maria della Consolazione.
- Spoleto: Ponte delle Torri, the aqueduct across the Tessino gorge, on foot in the evening from the Rocca Albornoziana.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Spoleto has two motorhome areas: at the Ponzianina near the escalator climb to the upper town, and on the old Spoleto–Norcia railway trackbed (“la vecchia ferrovia”) north of the old town; check on site what service facilities are available. Tariffs and electricity supply have changed since opening – check the current situation on site. For the night before you set off in Orvieto: Area sosta “Battistelli Renzo” on Via della Direttissima in Orvieto Scalo, near the motorway exit and the station, with electricity, service point, showers and washing machine; the high-speed rail line next door is noisy during the day.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Under Italian law, motorhomes in Umbria may stay overnight wherever parking is allowed – without camping behaviour. In Todi the area at Porta Orvietana (Viale di Montesanto) is the legal choice: around 20 pitches, water and waste disposal, no electricity, chargeable; some pitches slope, and watch for low-hanging branches. Do not overnight at the viewpoint car parks on the Tiber gorge.
- Insider tip for campers
- The funicular from Orvieto Scalo to Piazza Cahen (operated by Busitalia) is temporarily out of service for overhauls and safety checks; a replacement bus then runs up from the station square. Check the current status with Busitalia or the municipality before your visit. In Todi, a funicular or lift runs from Porta Orvietana up to the upper town. All three old towns have camera-monitored ZTLs – never drive into them in a motorhome.
2Stage 2: Spoleto to Norcia (Valnerina) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Take the SS685 “Tre Valli Umbre” through the Forca di Cerro tunnel down into the Valnerina near Piedipaterno, then upstream along the Nera via Borgo Cerreto and Serravalle and finally up through the Sordo valley to Norcia. A well-built main road, winding in the valley, with roadworks still in places after the earthquake. About one hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Vallo di Nera: a compact fortified village above the road, explored on foot in half an hour.
- Scheggino on the Nera with its trout farm and truffle processing – a short stop on the riverbank.
- Norcia: the basilica of San Benedetto, rebuilt after the earthquake, on the piazza, plus the norcinerie with Prosciutto di Norcia and Castelluccio lentils.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Agricamping Brandimarte, just under 3 km south of Norcia: pitches with electricity, water and waste disposal on a farm, well rated by campers; ask by phone about prices and season. If you only want to sleep, Norcia has several free car parks without services, for example on Via Circonvallazione and Via dell’Ospedale.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The car parks on the edge of Norcia are tolerated as overnight spots but are simple car parks: no water, no waste disposal, some sloping. No chairs, no awning. In the Valnerina there are many lay-bys along the Nera, but large parts of the valley lie in protected areas; stop there only during the day.
- Insider tip for campers
- The former Spoleto–Norcia railway line is now a cycling and walking path with viaducts and spiral tunnels; ask on site or at the municipality of Spoleto which sections are open. Norcia has supermarkets and petrol stations – top up water and food before the plateau, as there is hardly any provision in Castelluccio.
3Stage 3: Norcia to Ascoli Piceno via Castelluccio (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- From Norcia take the SP477 in hairpins up onto the plateau and across the Piano Grande (around 1,270 m) to Castelluccio. Continue over Forca di Presta (1,536 m) down to Pretare and Arquata del Tronto, where you join the Via Salaria (SS4) and descend the valley to Ascoli Piceno. The roads across the plateau are passable again throughout after the earthquake, but narrow, without guard rails and tricky in fog. Roadworks remain on the Salaria near Arquata. Around 2 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Piano Grande of Castelluccio: lentil bloom with poppies and cornflowers, usually from mid-June to mid-July – go early in the morning, before the coaches arrive.
- Climb from Forca di Presta to the saddle at the Rifugio Zilioli (hut not staffed) and, for the sure-footed, on to Monte Vettore – check the trail status with the national park beforehand; Lago di Pilato lies in the protected basin below.
- Ascoli Piceno: Piazza del Popolo in travertine and, in the evening, olive all’ascolana from a paper cone.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Ascoli the Parcheggio ex Seminario on Viale Alcide De Gasperi lies about 600 m from the centre: a car park with power posts, chargeable, without waste disposal. Full service facilities only come outside the town, for example at the Stellplatz in Montedinove (advance booking with the municipality) or on the coast at Porto d’Ascoli.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Monti Sibillini National Park, overnighting on the Piani di Castelluccio, in the Val di Pilato and in Zone A is expressly not permitted; parking and driving on meadows and pastures is forbidden throughout the park, as are open fires, and drones are allowed only with permission. Outside these areas the park permits short stays of up to 48 hours, but the plateau is off limits – sleep in Norcia or Ascoli.
- Insider tip for campers
- For the 2026 bloom, cars and motorhomes were banned from the plateau at weekends from late June to mid-July; access was by shuttle only after booking parking and a seat online, with departures from the Norcia, Castelsantangelo and Arquata sides. On weekdays access was open, but parking was scarce. The rules change every year – check with the national park and the municipalities in good time for 2027. Do not approach the sheepdogs guarding the flocks, and keep your distance.
4Stage 4: Ascoli Piceno to Riviera del Conero (Sirolo/Numana) (approx. 115 km)
- The drive
- Take the Ascoli–Mare expressway through the Tronto valley to the coast at Porto d’Ascoli, then the A14 northwards to the Loreto–Porto Recanati exit and country roads to Numana and Sirolo. Quick and straightforward, but with narrow lanes and steep ramps in Numana and Sirolo themselves. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Loreto: basilica of the Santa Casa, right on the approach – large car park below the town.
- Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle beneath the limestone cliffs of the Conero, reachable only by boat from the harbour of Numana.
- Belvedere on the piazza of Sirolo with a view across the bay to Numana.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Internazionale in Sirolo on Via San Michele: terraced on a rocky spur above the sea, electricity, sanitary facilities, camper service – tight for large vehicles, so state your length when booking. Other sites on the edge of Sirolo are Camping Reno and Camping Riviera, plus a private Area Sosta Camper; ask about season dates. Further large sites lie in Marcelli di Numana.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Riviera del Conero lies largely within the Conero nature park; tenting and camping outside the sites are forbidden, and in season there are no-motorhome signs and night-time parking bans at beaches and coastal car parks. Don't count on free camping – from June to September the car parks are full by day and checked at night.
- Insider tip for campers
- The old centres of Sirolo and Numana Alta are ZTL in summer. Park above the towns and use the beach shuttles in summer; do not drive down to the beach car parks in a motorhome, as the access roads are steep and too narrow to turn. Fill up before the motorway exit or in Castelfidardo; on the coast it is more expensive.
5Stage 5: Sirolo to Urbino via Portonovo (approx. 125 km)
- The drive
- Take the panoramic road over Monte Conero towards Ancona, then the turn-off down to Portonovo – a narrow, steep spur road. After that go via Ancona onto the A14 as far as Fano and along the Fano–Grosseto expressway (E78) into the Metauro valley, then up to Urbino at Canavaccio. Just under 2 hours without Portonovo.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo from the 11th century, between forest and pebble beach.
- Palazzo Ducale in Urbino with the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and Piero della Francesca's “Flagellation of Christ”.
- Raphael's birthplace and the view of the town's skyline from the park of the Fortezza Albornoz.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Pineta in Urbino on Via San Donato, a few kilometres before the town in a pine wood: electricity, sanitary facilities, waste disposal, open seasonally. Alternatively the municipal car park Borgo Mercatale below the Palazzo Ducale, where motorhomes may also park (day tariff, several days possible) – with a lift and Francesco di Giorgio Martini's spiral ramp straight into the old town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Further parking areas for campers lie on Viale Bruno Buozzi below the Fortezza; only shorter vehicles fit there, so check fees and market-day closures on site. In Portonovo, overnighting in the vehicle in the bay is not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the summer season Portonovo has a “Zona ad accessibilità controllata” with access restricted by quota during the day, especially at weekends and in August. The car parks in the bay then fill quickly, after which the only option is the car park above with a shuttle – the better choice with a motorhome anyway. In spring and late autumn access is relaxed.
6Stage 6: Urbino to Gubbio via the Furlo gorge (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Go via Fermignano to the Gola del Furlo and on to Acqualagna, then follow the old Via Flaminia via Cagli and Cantiano to Scheggia and on the SS298 over the Apennine ridge down to Gubbio. Today the main traffic runs through tunnels on the expressway; the old road through the gorge is narrow, is repeatedly closed because of rockfall and is unsuitable for motorhomes – better to explore the gorge on foot. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gola del Furlo: nature reserve with vertical limestone walls and the Roman tunnel that Emperor Vespasian had cut into the rock in AD 76 – best on foot from the car park on the edge of Furlo.
- Acqualagna, the truffle town of the Marche, with a truffle market in autumn.
- Gubbio: Palazzo dei Consoli above Piazza Grande and the basket cable car up Monte Ingino to the basilica of Sant’Ubaldo.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Area Sosta Camper “G. Carlini” on Via Bottagnone in Gubbio, run by the local camper club: around 50 pitches, fenced, shaded, drinking water and waste disposal, coin-operated electricity with low output, no toilets. It is a 15–20 minute walk to the centre, and a shuttle runs in season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Camping is prohibited in the Gola del Furlo nature reserve; stop at the car parks in the gorge only during the day. Gubbio offers a cheap, legal solution with the club area – the car parks at the Teatro Romano are “parking only”.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road from Scheggia to Gubbio is winding with considerable gradients – go down in second gear. On 15 May (Corsa dei Ceri) Gubbio is overcrowded and closed around the old town; plan that day only with a fixed pitch. The basket cable car (Funivia Colle Eletto) does not run in strong wind.
7Stage 7: Gubbio to Assisi (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Head south through the hilly hinterland via Valfabbrica into the valley between Perugia and Foligno, then along the foot of Monte Subasio to Santa Maria degli Angeli below Assisi. Country roads with little traffic, in places narrow. A good hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Basilica of San Francesco with the frescoes of Giotto, Cimabue and Simone Martini in the upper and lower church.
- Rocca Maggiore above the town and the view across the Spoleto valley to Spello.
- Eremo delle Carceri on the slope of the Subasio – on foot from Camping Fontemaggio, as the road is unsuitable for motorhomes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Below Assisi: a chargeable motorhome car park at the station in Santa Maria degli Angeli, with water; buses run from there to the upper town. A second motorhome car park with waste disposal lies to the north near Ponte San Vittorino. Above the town: Camping Fontemaggio on the road to the Eremo delle Carceri, shaded, with a restaurant, basic sanitary facilities and a footpath into the old town (15–20 minutes downhill, steep on the way back).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Monte Subasio area is a regional park; nobody overnights at the meadow car parks above Assisi. The two motorhome car parks in the valley are the legal overnight spots with a bus connection.
- Insider tip for campers
- 2026 is the jubilee year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis, and 4 October is again a national holiday in Italy; around 3/4 October 2026 and at weekends, car parks and buses are full. The old town is a camera-monitored ZTL. After your visit, see the Porziuncola inside the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli down in the valley, a few minutes from the station car park.
8Stage 8: Assisi to Lago Trasimeno (Castiglione del Lago) via Perugia (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Take the SS75 to Perugia, then the Raccordo Perugia–Bettolle along the north shore of Lake Trasimeno to Passignano and Tuoro and down the west shore to Castiglione del Lago. A four-lane expressway without toll, followed by flat lakeside roads. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Perugia: from Pian di Massiano take the Minimetrò to the upper town, then Corso Vannucci, Fontana Maggiore and the escalators through the Rocca Paolina.
- Tuoro: walking trail across the battlefield at Lake Trasimeno, where Hannibal defeated the Romans in 217 BC.
- Ferry from Passignano, Tuoro or Castiglione to Isola Maggiore with its fishing village.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Area Camper in Castiglione del Lago near the shore below the old town: shaded pitches, electricity, water, waste disposal, chargeable. Camping Listro lies directly on the lake on Via Lungolago. In Perugia the area at Piazzale Bove near Pian di Massiano, with electricity and service point, is a day solution – limited sanitary facilities, traffic noise.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Trasimeno many lakeside car parks are closed to campers at night or chargeable; the shores lie in the Lago Trasimeno regional park. Use the municipal Stellplätze in Castiglione, Passignano or Tuoro.
- Insider tip for campers
- In summer mosquitoes swarm on the lakeshore in the evening – close the fly screens in good time. Perugia's old town is a ZTL, and the Minimetrò is the easiest solution. Return trip: from Castiglione the A1 at Chiusi or Fabro is 20–30 minutes away, and Orvieto lies a good 60 km to the south.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Italian law (Codice della Strada, Art. 185) distinguishes “sosta” from “campeggio”: a motorhome may stay overnight wherever parking is allowed, as long as it does not extend beyond its outline – no chairs, tables, awning, wedges or stabilisers, no grey water on the ground.
- Municipalities can restrict motorhome parking by ordinance; on the Riviera del Conero and at the shores of Trasimeno there are seasonal bans and height barriers. Signs with a crossed-out motorhome also apply at night, and fines are collected.
- In the Monti Sibillini National Park, driving and parking on meadows is forbidden, open fires are prohibited, and drone flights are allowed only with permission; overnighting is not permitted on the Piani di Castelluccio, in the Val di Pilato and in Zone A, and elsewhere for 48 hours at most. Plants must not be picked – not even lentil flowers.
- Umbria has a dense network of municipal “aree di sosta”, often inexpensive and with a footpath, lift or bus into the old town. Current information: CamperOnline (in Italian, with many user reports), park4night, Campercontact.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Service points are called “camper service” or “carico e scarico”; many stations run on coins or tokens, or are open only to guests of the Stellplatz. In Norcia and Ascoli there is hardly any waste disposal in town – use Spoleto beforehand or the coast afterwards.
- On the Castelluccio plateau and in the Sibillini there is no drinking water for campers; drive up with a full tank. “Acqua potabile” is drinking water, “acqua non potabile” is not.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at service stations – after wild dumping, municipalities in Italy have repeatedly closed motorhome areas.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not exchanged. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks can be filled at GPL petrol stations using the Italian Dish adapter; often only the staff do the filling, and many stations close at midday and on Sundays. Arrive with full cylinders.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, up to 110 km/h on expressways (strade extraurbane principali), signed lower on some sections of the E45 and the Raccordo Perugia–Bettolle, 130 km/h on the motorway; over 3.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on the motorway. Vehicle-and-trailer combinations: 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the motorway. Dipped headlights are compulsory by day outside built-up areas.
- Tolls only on the motorways (here A1 and A14): class depends on axles and height above the front axle (limit 1.30 m) – most two-axle motorhomes are in class B. Pay in cash, by card or with Telepass or an EU toll box. The expressways in Umbria are toll-free.
- Almost all the old towns on the route – Orvieto, Todi, Spoleto, Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio, Urbino, Ascoli, Sirolo – have camera-monitored ZTLs; fines arrive by post, often months later. As a rule, park below and use lifts, escalators, funiculars or buses.
- Warning panel: if bicycles or boxes project beyond the rear, the red-and-white reflective panel (50 × 50 cm) is compulsory.
- Winter equipment is required on many roads in Umbria and the Marche from about 15 November to 15 April; the roads to Castelluccio and over Forca di Presta can be closed in snow.
- Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers in their first three years and for drivers of vehicles over 3.5 t. Using a mobile phone at the wheel has been punished with higher fines and a possible driving ban since the reform of the Codice della Strada at the end of 2024.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Italian GPL adapter (Dish) and two full gas cylinders – GPL petrol stations are rare in the Valnerina and the Sibillini.
- Levelling wedges: the pitches in Todi, Norcia and Urbino are in part sloping – but use wedges only on pitches, not in car parks.
- Red-and-white warning panel to the Italian standard, in case the rear carrier is in use.
- Walking poles, windproof jacket and sun hat for Vettore and the plateau: at a good 1,500–2,400 m it is windy even in summer, there is no shade, and thunderstorms come in quickly in the afternoon.
- Printed or offline-saved bookings for parking and shuttle for the lentil bloom – mobile reception is patchy on the plateau.
- Fly screens and mosquito repellent for the evenings at Lake Trasimeno.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
