3 weeks in Italy - should we campervan?

Leaving aside that I think you're trying to do too much - even w/o a baby - camping in italy is very different from camping in the US or Canada. Campgrounds are mostly near beaches or near mountain areas and generally oriented toward families on summer holidays for a week or more and less oriented toward itinerant visitors. They are not as common as in No. America and they are often fully reserved ahead. There's also an increased risk of break-in theft for camper vehicles in cities, IMO, and there are parking restrictions on them in some popular areas. As you surmise, the part of your itinerary where a campervan might make sense is in the Dolomiti and perhaps rural Tuscany if you can find a campground that is centrally located.

Hi, how would you suggest modifying?

My idea of a great adventure with a 7 month old baby is a trip to Whole Foods, so I lack sufficient imagination to sort out your itinerary. Do you even have airline tickets and any reservations for this trip 20 days away?

Sicily: A car is useful for traveling around your destinations, but not essential. It can also be done by public transportation (bus and/or train). With lots of luggage and baby I'd prefer a car.
Puglia: A car is very useful in Puglia. The drive to Rome is a solid 5 hours plus pit stops. I've driven from/to my house in Tuscany more than once (last time in July 2023) and it's about 8-9 hours plus pit stops (depending on where in Tuscany you want to be. The train from Bari to Rome takes 4 hours. The plane about 1 hour but once you add the time from/to airports+security/boarding procedures it takes longer than the train or the car.
Rome: obviously you don't need a car and it would need to stay parked at some garage.
Tuscany: The choices are endless. Except for Florence, where a car is not needed, to visit small towns and rural areas a car would be useful.
Dolomites: a car is useful, even essential for some destinations (I have never traveled here without one, but I know it's possible).
Venice: a car is not needed, unless it's a military amphibious vehicle capable of floating. My suggestion would be to return the car here as soon as you arrive, and stay the rest of your stay without a car. I recommend 3 nights, if you have never been before and have the time.

On the camper matters. I've never owned or traveled with a camper in Italy (although I have friends who own campers), but, in my youth, I've camped in Italy a few times at seaside locations (in tents). I don't agree that campgrounds are few. There are many (lots of them), and way more organized than any campground I've been in the US (most have swimming pools, theaters, bungalows, mobile homes, supermarkets, dancing clubs, bars, shopping, restaurants and bank services). Actually in most cases many Italian campgrounds can't even be considered campgrounds, they are all inclusive resorts with tents, campers and bungalows instead of hotels. Obviously they cannot be inside city centers, but they aren't necessarily too far at all from the city center. In my city (Florence) there is one really close to where I grew up
https://firenze.huopenair.com/
This one is in Fiesole, on the hill above Florence
https://campingpanoramicofiesole.com/
In Siena, this is very famous:
https://sienacamping.com/en/
This is also very famous in San Gimignano
https://boschettodipiemma.it/en/

I don't know about camping at the Dolomites, I've only used hotels, but if you google MIGLIOR CAMPING DOLOMITI, you can find stuff. This is one: www.campingdolomiti.com. They also rent apartments and rooms, besides campground lots.

Puglia has a lot, being a seaside paradise. I've seen many last summer and paid to use their beaches, although I stayed in regular hotels. Google like above (enter Puglia or the name of a town instead of Dolomiti)

The problem that I envision in your case is cost of the camper. Renting a camper costs way way more than renting a car (like 1200€ to 1500€ a week in summer, at the peak of camping season). Therefore, I suggest you rent a regular car, and if you like camping, stay in a campground bungalow or mobile home instead. I think bungalows/mobile homes would be cheaper than many hotels. It's up to you. I prefer hotels, but some of my friends in Italy swear by camping. To each his own. But as I said, many Italian campgrounds are really really fancy resorts with all the amenities you can think of.

Roberto, this is so incredible comprehensive and helpful, thank you!

Can I please get your thoughts on the itinerary below? Dolomites & Sicily are must-see for me. It's the 5 days in Puglia & 5 days in Tuscany that might be too rushed (We have been to Florence and Siena, but no where else in Tuscany. And never been to Puglia). Is 5 days in reach of Tuscany and Puglia reasonable or should be stick to 10 days in one of those?

• 5 days Sicily , east coast - Catania, Syracuse, Ortigia island, Taormina, Messina, Lipari (car optional) FLY TO BARI
• 6 days Puglia - Lecce, Porto cesareo, Castro, Salento, Alberobello, Ostuni, Polignano a mare, Bari, Matera ⁠( get a car!) _FLY/TRAIN/DRIVE TO TUSCANY?
• 5 days Tuscany * - Siena, San Gimignano, other? (get a car) FLYTRAIN/DRIVE to DOLOMITES?
• 5 days Dolomites - Cadini di Misurina (ferrata fuseti, tre cime, Lago Di sorapis, cinque torri?) DRIVE TO VENICE
• 1-2 days Venice (fly out from here

Thanks again!!

Mike yes we have our flights into Catania and out of Venice. And have just completed a three week roadtrip (largely planned on the move) across the southern states in the US. Not quite as easy to do spontaneous and long travels with a baby but it's been so fun!

5 days Sicily ,
I don't care enough for Catania to spend any time there except for the time necessary to fly away. Same with Messina.
Syracuse (Ortigia) is the most beautiful city in Sicily along with Palermo, IMO. Taormina is cute, but often crowded and expensive. I generally stayed at Giardini Naxos, down the hill, on the beach, then drove up to Taormina. Consider visiting Mt. Etna. Also, south of Syracuse, there is Noto, Modica, Ragusa, which may be worth a visit. I would consider a car, given the fact you have a baby, but not essential. 5 days is kind of short if you want to add the Aeolian islands.

FLY TO BARI
It's up to you. You can also drive, the car you picked in Sicily, if you have one. The ferry crossing is short (but a bit expensive for the car), then it's a 5+ hour drive.

6 days Puglia -
Add Otranto to your list, as well as Locorotondo (5 min from Alberobello). If you have 7 nights (6 days) it should be adequate, but the more the better of course.

_FLY/TRAIN/DRIVE TO TUSCANY?
If you have a car already for Puglia, bite the bullet and drive. I know it will take all day (I left Otranto in the late morning last summer, and made it to my home in Tuscany by dinner, driving on the freeway at 80+ mph and stopping only at the Autogrills) but it's just as fast as driving to airport, returning the car, flying process, then rent again, etc. Also flying to Tuscany may be an issue in terms of availability of direct flights. Vueling flies in summer only from BRI to FLR, and Ryanair to PSA, which however is kind of far out to the west area of Tuscany.

*5 days Tuscany *
Endless choices in Tuscany. definitely drive a car (preferably the same you had in Puglia). The best areas to stay are the Val D'Orcia, south of Siena, the Val d'Elsa (San Gimignano), or the Chianti, depending on your interests.

FLYTRAIN/DRIVE to DOLOMITES?
Flying is not an option. There are no flights between Tuscany (Florence or Pisa) and any airports in Northern Italy. The train is an option. However if you plan to have a car in the Dolomites (I suggest you do), then you might as well drive the 3+ hours from Florence to the Dolomites. It's all freeway except to the mountain roads for the last miles to your intended destination. I like the Val Gardena (Ortisei) area, but choices are endless in this region as well.

DRIVE TO VENICE
Return the car at Piazzale Roma as soon as you cross the bridge into Venice. No reason to spend a fortune to park at one of the many parking structures.

Thank you so much once again. I have made a number of revisions based on your suggestions. I would buy you a drink if you are anywhere along the route that we are traveling (currently in NYC).

Roberto, if it were you, would you split 9 days across tuscany and puglia, or just choose one area?