Anyone ever rent an RV and drive around Italy and beyond?

I have camped in Italy when I was living there, including in a RV (not mine however). I'm not the camping type, and even less so now that I'm no longer young but I can tell you the following. The camping facilities in Italy are generally very well equipped and well organized compared to anything I have seen in the US. Many have everything inside: supermarkets, banks, swimming centers, movie theaters, cafeterias, etc. to the point that they are no longer roughing it. They are everywhere (although most are open only during the summer season) especially in popular locations where Europeans spend their summers (seaside, lakeside, mountains). Some are close enough to city centers. Having an extra vehicle to roam around while the RV is parked in the camp site is very useful, otherwise you are pretty much stuck at the camp site.
As I said Ihave never rented one, but a quick search on Italian specialized websites shows that the average daily rental rate for a small RV is nearly €150/day during high season (July-August), and maybe 20% less during the shoulder season. That doesn't include camping site fees and fuel (diesel costs €6.15 a gallon currently). So my assessment is that it is not a cheaper alternative to a traditional vacation, but if camping is your passion, then it can be an option.

As always Roberto, we can count on you for information here!

Our plan is to research as much as possible, but we do wonder if the expense of "camping" is worth it with tolls, fuel and all the cooking I'd end up doing (plus cleaning....it will be a working vacation if we RV)

Really appreciate the insight!

Find yourself a good agriturismo if you wish to stay off the beaten path.

Virtually every farm in Tuscany has apartments and rooms for rent as a secondary source of income. They're great places to stay at very good prices in many cases.

I would rent a car and stay in agriturismi, and enjoy a vacation rather than housekeeping with a view.

OMG - sounds miserable.

I agree with Tim. This sounds Awful! The roads are narrow. The traffic, even in the country, can be overwhelming and the difficulty of man-handling an RV through all the roundabouts, sharp turns and dead ends would be Awful. It can be great fun driving in Italy (I've driven a small car all over Italy) but the expense and grief involved with this approach does sound terrible.

It's doable as there are beautiful campgrounds everywhere in Italy, as in all of Europe, but it will be much more expensive than just traveling in the more conventional ways. Since they are so nice in Europe, campgrounds tend to be quite expensive. Gas prices also can be a factor depending on where you are going and the size of the vehicle you end up hiring. RVs are not so cheap to rent either.
You also have to think about how you are going to get to what you want to see once the RV is parked in it's "home". You can't drive it into town since parking in most places is even difficult with a small car. You'll need to use public transportation. Many campgrounds are not very convenient for getting into cities and to the sights you may want to visit.

We have friends from Berlin who rented an RV and camped in France for several weeks last summer--June. I will ask them some details out of curiosity. I don't think they'll mind sharing with me although I always hate to ask about the cost of things...they are very open so I'll see.

Hey Ellen, what's not to like? With supermarkets, banks, movie theaters and such right there in the campground, why would you even want to leave and visit ... wherever! They probably even have a laundromat. If not, maybe you could take in laundry and generate a little income to help pay for the camper rental.

Ellen
As I mentioned above, the campgrounds in Italy are no joke. Many have more amenities than the top all inclusive resorts at the Caribbean.
I found the websites of two where I stayed during my youth, just as an example. They are between Viareggio and Torre Del Lago. They aren't the fanciest but they offer bungalows, mobile homes, and even apartments, therefore you could "camp" without having to rent a RV or even a tent.

http://www.campingitalia.net/
http://en.europacamp.it/

For a full list of campgrounds you can check the site below. Many have everything I mentioned above and more, including discotheques, movieplex, spas, fitness centers, soccer, golf, Water slides, shopping, you name it. You don't need to ever get out of them. They have everything inside. Take a look:
http://www.topcampings.it/en

The campground below at the Dolomites was voted the best in Europe:
http://www.caravanparksexten.it/en/

Roberto, again, thanks for your sincere reply.

Our plan is to travel, not spend a week in a campsite, but the information you sent me is invaluable. It's nice to know that there is so much to be offered at a campsite, should we want it. I guess the most important thing to me would be the availability of a nice warm shower and laundry facilities. All those extra frills -- not sure we'd use them.

We are looking at the RV as a way to travel, be able to get around when we want, where we want. We (I've ) been to Italy over 10 x in the few years. Our mode of transport has been on a self guided bike tour, or once we took some friends on a self guided hiking trip. So, we are outdoor kind of people, and not big city people. My husband never wants to see the inside of a church, or visit art in a museum. His idea of vacation is exercise. The RV would allow us the opportunity to stop and hike, or since we plan to bring our tandem bike, we could stop and do a nice loop ride to see the country side and get close to the locals.

Our first consideration for our first time spending an entire month in country was to rent an apartment. We are very comfortable with public transport, the buses and trains. We've never even rented a car in the past...we enjoy taking the train or bus!

What I meant is that you could rent a bungalow or mobile home at a campground and that way you wouldn't need to rent an expensive RV. You would basically rent a cheaper regular car and have no need to bring camping equipment with you. Bungalows and mobile homes would be cheaper than apartments and since those campsites are self sufficient resorts, you would have not only laundry facilities but also cafeteria style restaurants, so no need to cook yourself like in an apartment. And if you hike in Italy in summer, I'm sure you will appreciate a pool and a pool bar at the end of the day. Although I'm not a camper, however when I did camp there I had fun. I met a lot of people from all over Europe. And believe me, I did not use the facilities much either. We were always roaming around all day in our motorbikes and use the place just to sleep. It was cheaper than renting an apartment or staying in hotels, so it was a perfect solution for penniless students like we were. Some campsites are more rugged and less posh if you are not interested in those resort style campsites.
Most campgrounds require a minimum of 3 night stays, so take that into consideration.