Our Italian road trip officially begins!
In this episode, we arrive in Milan and pick up our camper van from Indie Campers before setting off on our first big drive through Italy. With tunnels, toll roads, and driving on the “wrong” side of the road, this adventure gets real very quickly!
Our plan is to head south toward Genoa, spending the night on a beautiful family-run wine farm discovered using the Park4Night app. After an unforgettable wine tasting with local cheeses, cured meats and chestnut honey, we settle into van life for our very first night in Italy.
The next day brings misty mountain roads, tiny villages, narrow streets (with some heart-stopping moments), our first Italian fuel stop, and plenty of laughs along the way. We then park between Santa Margherita and Portofino and take a bus to one of Italy’s most iconic coastal villages.
After exploring the cobbled streets and waterfront of Portofino, we skip the pricey restaurants and walk back along the Mediterranean coast, saving a few euros and soaking in the scenery instead.
We end the day cooking in the van using fairy lights for power before setting off the next morning toward Pisa.
This is Episode 1 of our Italian van life journey — filled with firsts, challenges, laughter, and unforgettable views.
If you enjoy slow travel, real road trips, and discovering Europe one village at a time, you’re in the right place.
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🎵 Music: Epidemic Sound
🕰️ Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:18 – Landing in Milan
00:57 – Picking up our campervan
01:45 – The Plan
05:25 – Overnighting at a wine farm
07:09 – On the narrow road again
10:04 – Petrol escapades
14:10 – Rainy highway
14:57 – First Coffee in Italy
15:32 – Curvy coastal cruising
18:00 – Portofino
22:35 – Winding down
23:45 – Sneak Peek of what’s next
#ItalyVanLife #Portofino #ItalianRoadTrip #CamperVanTravel #MidlifeMeander #MilanToPortofino #VanLifeEurope #ItalyTravelVlog #SlowTravel #TravelCouple #EuropeanRoadTrip
3 Comments
That was scary, overwhelming, exciting, exhilarating and downright CRAZY! I admire your sense of ADVENTURE, but …scary stuff.WELL DONE, you deserve a medal!!!🎉
Heck!
Your exciting Italian adventure begins , I noticed that things are quite expensive (petrol especially).