Motorhome in Liguria - The Flower Coast of Italy

The flowery coast of Italy, how charming does that sound? We were very curious to see more of this famous Italian region, but travelling by motorhome in Liguria turned out to be anything but easy. At least in the middle of high season.

Table of contents

From Umbria to Liguria

We started at Lake Trasimeno in Umbria in the morning, and after about four hours of driving we arrived in Savona, where we planned to start looking for a campsite. This turned out to be much more challenging than expected, and it took another few hours before we finally got out of the motorhome in Albenga.

Trying to find a campsite

We left the motorway just before Savona, where we had seen that there would be a campsite. The campsite turned out to be far from the beach, so we decided to continue looking along the coast. There are actually quite a lot of both campsites and pitches, but it was still difficult to find somewhere to stand.

Most campsites seemed packed, or had entrances that were too narrow or too steep for our large motorhome (7.3 metre alcove car). Pitches without shade weren't too appealing in the relentless 33-degree heat, so we drove and drove ...

Challenging driving

It is incredibly crowded driving along the Ligurian coast during the summer. Cars come at you from all directions, mops drive around you at high speed and everywhere there are vehicles parked at the end of the road.

People are sunbathing and swimming in every inch of the beaches, which are covered with colourful umbrellas. Going for a swim would be tempting in the heat, but how would we park our motorhome?

We got hungrier and hungrier, and more and more tired. We felt we needed a break to eat, but there wasn't a chance in a million of finding somewhere to park. It was just to "refuel" with some cookies, and keep driving. We drove both along dramatic cliffs, and through villages and towns.

READ MORE: What to do in Rome - tips for sights and activities

Camping Green Village in Albenga

Eventually we arrived at a large campsite near the sea, where we were able to fit in. Camping Green Village is a green and beautiful campsite with both cabins and pitches for motorhomes and caravans. The price of 41 euros didn't include hot water or WiFi, but at this point we were just happy to have a shady spot and the ability to refill water.

Med husbil i Ligurien, på camping Albenga — With motorhome in Liguria, at Camping Green Village in Albenga

The campsite is right next to the sea and when you check in, you get a bracelet that entitles you to use the campsite's beach. For our part, we were too exhausted to manage to crowd all the people on the beach, so it was a much-needed cold shower instead ...

Old town of Albenga

In Albenga there is an old neighbourhood, and after a night's sleep we took a walk here from the campsite (about 15 minutes to walk). There are some nice houses and churches, and it's quite nice to wander around the shops and cafes.

READ MORE: Why not rent a motorhome in Italy? - a great motorhome country

What is meant by the Flower Coast in Italy?

The Flowery Coast sounds enchantingly beautiful and we might have imagined being greeted by the splendour of flowers. Now we realise that this coast is called the Flower Coast because of the large amount of flowers produced in greenhouses here.

An interesting detail is that Alfred Nobel lived on this coast, in a huge villa in Sanremo, during the last years of his life. The town therefore sends flowers to the Nobel party every year. If you want, you can visit the villa, which is now a museum, but it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Växthus längs Blomsterkusten i Italien — Greenhouses along the Flower Coast in Italy

Travelling with a motorhome in Liguria?

Liguria can be both beautiful and charming, especially if you like crowds and hustle and bustle. If you want peace and quiet, this is not the place. Arriving with a motorhome during the high season was the hardest part, we thought.

Our advice if you want to travel here with a motorhome is either to book a campsite in advance, or perhaps preferably to travel here during a season when there are fewer people. For our part, we chose to roll on. France and Cannes, here we come!

Albenga flod — Peter looking out over the river Centa in Albenga

31 July 2018 6:00

Italy

Motorhome holidays in Italy, campervan trip2018

Helena

Administrator

42 Comments

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Travel Linda says:

It sounds nice here, but it seems a bit crowded for my taste. Maybe something a bit out of season!

31 July 2018 - 7:39

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, certainly much easier and more pleasant if you are travelling outside the high season!
  
  31 July 2018 - 9:26
  
  Reply
Eva/Living like Eva says:

I recognise that; it's so nice, but the traffic and congestion makes me stressed. Unfortunately quite crowded on the French Riviera too...

31 July 2018 - 8:18

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it is of course crowded on the French side as well, but in Cannes we know a good place to stand 🙂.
  
  31 July 2018 - 9:27
  
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Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Not much difference there compared to here around Helsingborg in the summer heat.

31 July 2018 - 8:49

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Certainly true!!! 😉
  
  31 July 2018 - 9:28
  
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Ama de casa says:

Difficult when it becomes so difficult to find somewhere to settle down. I know when we entered Germany in the late 80s after the "easy camping" France... To even FIND a campsite was a struggle. We hadn't really intended to be in Germany so we didn't have a camping map (not of France either, but there was no need, it was rather difficult to decide which of all the campsites to choose).

Crowded and busy traffic is hard enough in a normal car. And when hunger strikes, you don't get more cheerful right away. All the more pleasant when you find somewhere to stop 🙂.

Have a good time on the Riviera now!

31 July 2018 - 8:58

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Really, was it that hard to find campsites in Germany? And exactly, when you just drive and drive and get hungrier and hungrier and there's not a millimetre left to park the car for even 15 minutes... 😉.
  
  31 July 2018 - 9:30
  
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Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

We spent a week in San Remo a few years ago and made trips from there to Nice and Monte Carlo. It was the end of September and not at all crowded and probably a much more pleasant experience.
Back to the advantage of a motorhome: you can only pull a trailer.

31 July 2018 - 9:12

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It sounds much better to come a little after the worst high season! Then you probably get a better experience! It was certainly nice in many places, but it became difficult to take part of it when you could not stay ... 😉 .
  
  31 July 2018 - 9:34
  
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Christian says:

Oh, so hard! Agree - beaches without lots of people are clearly preferable. Isn't that part of the charm of camping? Getting to places away from the big hotels!

31 July 2018 - 9:44

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it is a bit like that, but along this stretch there were no quiet areas "between the hotels" 😉.
  
  31 July 2018 - 14:20
  
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Mr Steve says:

The Flower Coast. Imagine how fooled you can be by a name. I had also expected flowers around every corner.

Of course, travelling with a large motorhome can be very challenging... "Lawless" traffic behaviour is also not uncommon in southern Europe.

31 July 2018 - 10:32

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  Helena says:
  
  Haha, yes, we were actually a bit fooled by the name 😉.
  
  31 July 2018 - 14:20
  
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Monet says:

See that you are approaching us! Don't think you should expect less intense tourist invasion along the coast in France. Especially not in Cannes and the "Riviera" towns. It's hot as h-e (sorry) with a real canicule (extreme heat wave) right now so it's a bit of a shame that you come just during the most intense holiday time. You are going to Hyeres and Porquerolles as well from what I understand and we REALLY hope that you will come by us too! Can we not be heard on the mail monica.axen@orange.fr about your plans and when you think you will come? Would be great fun to see, we are here, must stay mostly indoors due to the heat - up to 36-38 degrees every day now but outside our small area in a few minutes walking distance it is perfectly possible to stand! Get in touch!!! Hugs Monica and Bengt ps - check out our house and the area plus our village on our former rental home page. http://www.hyrhusiprovence.com so maybe you'll get some inspiration!

31 July 2018 - 12:20

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Hi Monica and Bengt! What fun that you hear from you and thank you for the invitation! We will get in touch by email! 🙂 We are in Cannes now. There are a lot of people here too, but easier to come with a motorhome. As soon as we crossed the border, there was a large rest area where we could take a break, which was not possible on the Italian side. Here in Cannes there is also a large and good campsite that we like 🙂 When it comes to time of year then it is not so easy to control. I have taken two months of leave from my job, which is easiest in the summer. And for geographical reasons, it is difficult to start or end the trip in Italy / France 😉 We hear from us!
  
  31 July 2018 - 14:24
  
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  - Monet says:
    
    Hello again. Bienvenu en France❤️??❤️, hope things are going well for you. For the next few days, just so you know, there is a canicule warning down here and temperatures of up to 40 degrees for the weekend. You are of course welcome to join us - you can park your car here and we have a guest room with air conditioning if it gets really bad. We ourselves are set to "crisis mode", you have to when it gets like this. Get in touch and welcome!
    
    31 July 2018 - 19:35
    
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    - Comment by post author
      
      Helena says:
      
      Thank you, and thank you again for the invitation! We have now emailed you! 🙂
      
      31 July 2018 - 20:48
      
      Reply
Ditte says:

During high season it is very crowded here on the Flower Riviera and the beaches are not exactly long or wide. I thought you might stay in the La Spezia area to take a turn towards Cinque Terre. So beautiful! But certainly tricky to drive. There is a boat there and a train. But surely there is a lack of good campsites and to get a place at all.
Good luck with the next stage.

31 July 2018 - 14:04

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Everyone says the Cinque Terre is beautiful. We thought we wouldn't have time for it now. Now I am thinking that maybe it is also a place that is better suited outside the high season?
  
  31 July 2018 - 14:25
  
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4000mil says:

Oh the five small villages in Cinque Terre, Liguria, I have wanted to go there for ages! But I've heard that it's hysterical in the summer there. Right now I'm dreaming of a train trip there next summer and then at least I avoid the traffic 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂.

31 July 2018 - 14:28

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Train might be better! Motorhome works well outside the high season, but gets a bit too hysterical in July/August 😉.
  
  31 July 2018 - 14:31
  
  Reply
  - Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
    
    We took a camper van to Cinque Terre at the end of May and beginning of June, stayed at a cosy campsite in Levanto and took the train to Nyarna. Perfect and not very crowded.
    
    31 July 2018 - 20:44
    
    Reply
    - Comment by post author
      
      Helena says:
      
      Sounds easy and nice! We would love to see Cinque Terre, but I think it was the wrong time right now. It will be another opportunity! 🙂
      
      31 July 2018 - 21:29
      
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Anette says:

Half of July and August is crowded. Understand that you have problems with a large motorhome.
If you come earlier in the summer, it is much quieter and the flowers are beautiful.

31 July 2018 - 14:31

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  I really understand that it can be both nicer and easier at other times of the year! I realised afterwards that you would be here somewhere ... Where are you? (Saw that your pictures on the blog were from France).
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:29
  
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  - Anette says:
    
    Our house is in a small mountain village just north of Ventimiglia. Good because you can participate in the hectic life of the Riviera and then find peace in the mountains. Unfortunately I didn't realise that you were nearby otherwise we could have seen you. Maybe next time, I can then recommend the pearls of Liguria.
    Have a good journey.
    
    01 August 2018 - 17:38
    
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    - Comment by post author
      
      Helena says:
      
      Yes, too bad we couldn't meet! Gladly next time! 🙂
      
      31 August 2018 - 15:07
      
      Reply
JoY says:

It is an advantage to leave later as we usually do. Then you have the opportunity to stay where you want.
Hugs

31 July 2018 - 16:02

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It's always a bit easier if you can travel before or after the high season!
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:31
  
  Reply
BP says:

Hope you have A/C in the Freedom. Not fun to drive so far and with so many "obstacles" on the road in that heat. Poor Peter!
Oh, and I was also fooled by the name Flower Coast. You always learn something new. I hope you enjoy your stay in Cannes and that you find a place in the shade more quickly.

31 July 2018 - 16:32

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  When we drive, we usually have the windows open. When we are standing still, we have no AC. Can miss it sometimes, but it is both expensive and heavy and requires enough electricity so we have chosen not to use it so far. Is in Cannes now and has it much better, thanks for the thought! 🙂
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:34
  
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Husis blog says:

Yes, both I and the owners are familiar with such roads. It is a real challenge to get around sometimes.
There are advantages and disadvantages to booking a campsite in advance, but sometimes you might have to do it on the coastal strips in high season.

31 July 2018 - 18:41

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We prefer not to book before and almost never do it, but there may be times when it makes it easier. (But somehow it usually works out anyway ;))
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:35
  
  Reply
Our Vantastic Travels says:

We travelled in June with our little Plåtis but it was also very difficult to find parking spaces around the Italian lakes. When we wanted to visit Cinque Terre, we were offered to stay in the car park because everything was fully booked. Must be due to the fantastic increase in the number of motorhomes and pensioners in Europe, everyone wants to travel,

31 July 2018 - 19:08

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Just as well then perhaps that we skipped Cinque Terre. Certainly super nice, but sounds like it will be too hard during high season,
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:37
  
  Reply
Matts Torebring says:

It's good that you present for all tastes. Today it was not for us. Thankfully we know the countryside where you were before.

31 July 2018 - 19:11

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We are somewhat inclined to agree with you. We would consider travelling this stretch of coastline, but not in high season in that case. And became much more fond of Umbria!
  
  31 July 2018 - 19:38
  
  Reply
Lisa / livetfrandenljusasidan.se says:

Oh, how hard it sounds! I was in Liguria at the end of September and loved it! Was iofs totally empty then - so zero congestion; all alone on the beaches. And no motorhome.. haha. Tough enough with a regular car on the small roads.
Off season sounds like a great tip! 🙂

31 July 2018 - 23:24

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  How you experience a destination can really vary depending on whether it is high season or not!
  
  31 July 2018 - 23:55
  
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Lena - good for the soul says:

Oh dear! I would have turned on my heel there too! Wise to move on!

Hug Lena

02 August 2018 - 9:32

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, too many people! Probably better in the low season 😉 .
  
  31 August 2018 - 15:07
  
  Reply

Motorhome in Liguria - The Flower Coast of Italy

From Umbria to Liguria

Trying to find a campsite

Challenging driving

Camping Green Village in Albenga

Old town of Albenga

What is meant by the Flower Coast in Italy?

Travelling with a motorhome in Liguria?

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42 Comments

Travel Linda says:

Helena says:

Eva/Living like Eva says:

Helena says:

Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Helena says:

Ama de casa says:

Helena says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

Christian says:

Helena says:

Mr Steve says:

Helena says:

Monet says:

Helena says:

Monet says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

4000mil says:

Helena says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

Anette says:

Helena says:

Anette says:

Helena says:

JoY says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Husis blog says:

Helena says:

Our Vantastic Travels says:

Helena says:

Matts Torebring says:

Helena says:

Lisa / livetfrandenljusasidan.se says:

Helena says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

Helena says:

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