camping cabins in/near Rome, Tuscany (including Mercantia in Certaldo)

No personal experience in Italy, but glamping.com may be a useful link for you.

I'm not sure what you mean by "authentic life". My family and I are European and when we travel we, like millions of other Europeans, stay in hotels (or house/apartment rentals), is this not authentic?

If you want to experience a typical 'authentic' European holiday then it would usually involve a week or two stay at a seaside resort. Many people do go camping at designated campsites, some with more amenities than others, and they usually stay there for the duration rather than go travelling around as there are pools, playgrounds, bars, restaurants etc. They are usually situated in the country and this would mean having a car and is not conducive to quick trips to the city.

I have found a few campsites close to Rome that offer chalets that include air conditioning (an absolute requirement for Rome in July), there was one that provides a shuttle to the city but this is already booked for July so you would need to book soon. Prices seem reasonable enough for what you get but personally I would rather stay in a hotel or apartment in the city. I wouldn't want to be tied down to shuttle schedules and certainly wouldn't entertain the prospect of driving in Rome.

Camping has never appealed to me even in cabins, I find them too small and basic and being outside of the city I intend to visit would be an inconvenience even if it is cheaper. You asked about authentic experiences, you'll be able to swim with other guests in the pool, you can eat at the same restaurants, drink at the same bars and interact with them but you can do this anywhere, the location doesn't make it more or any less authentic although I'm really not sure what a non-authentic holiday consists of!

You also state that you require two beds. Do you mean beds or bedrooms? If beds are you sure that your children would be comfortable sharing at that age?

No personal experience here either but I think there's more cons than pros if your intent is to sightsee the cities. With some exceptions, staying outside the urban areas will likely involve the need of a car, and every excursion would be a "day trip"; meaning it would involve a trip by car and public transit versus walking out the door and hitting the streets on foot. Forget something? You can be too far from "home" to go back and get it.

Now, oodles of visitors make day trips to Siena, Lucca, Pisa via public transport from a base in Florence, and doing so is highly recommended but trains travel faster than cars, involve no parking fees/limitations or maneuvering around ZTLs and heavy traffic. For exploring the bigger cities (Florence and Rome), it's very nice to be able to head out on foot with just the occasional jump on a bus or metro.

I took a quick glance at Camping Panorama del Chianti, which has an address of Certaldo but is a good 5-6 miles out of town. It's no more than glorified tents with no bathrooms and no air conditioning. Going without AC in much of Italy in July is not something I'd personally consider, especially as it just had one of the hottest, driest summer in years.

Camping Village Roma is on a bus line, provides cabin-type accommodation with AC, and has some other amenities which may be useful but I don't know as it would be any more "authentic" than an apartment closer to center. I wouldn't book anything smaller than a chalet for 2 adults/2 teens, and I see a fair amount of complaints about noise. Picking random July dates on booking/com isn't showing any availability but that doesn't mean that there isn't openings if you book direct (which I didn't try). Still, I think with 4 people that you'd be much more comfortable in an apartment in both Florence and Rome, with just as much - if not more - of the "authentic" experience as a campground.

I'm so glad I asked! The word authentic is a tricky one, I guess. We live in the SF Bay area. So many people travel to the fanciest places around, to be with the fanciest people around. We tend to do things more modestly. We have really enjoyed glamping and only taking public transportation on some vacations. We are farther removed and have to plan ahead and wait sometimes, but the experience of waiting, of not just jumping into a car and sitting in traffic is important to us. Honestly, I think part of it is just trying to go out of our way to impress upon our kids that the entire world is full of wonderful experiences that aren't all 5 stars.

That said, I didn't really think about what the people traffic will be like waiting for the bus or shuttle to get into the city. I'll start looking at staying in the city and maybe rent an apartment.

What are good websites for apartment rentals? In the US I use Homeaway and VRBO.

Of course you can find the 5* treatment in Rome, Florence et al but for the most part you'll encounter ordinary people engaging in ordinary pastimes, eating at modest restaurants and travelling by public transport or on foot. With the exception of the hotel we stayed in our children weren't exposed to the 5* experience when they've been to Rome, they travelled on foot or via the metro, ate pizza in the most basic of restaurants, joined the queues for the sights with the rest of the tourists, trawled the backstreets in search of fantastic deli's and gelato, played in the parks and had a whale of a time in the children's science museum. You don't need to pitch up at an out of the way campsite in order to enjoy the city in this manner, a simple apartment or hotel would be more convenient, easier and more enjoyable. Homeaway and VRBO are both good sites to use as well as AirBnB although their prices tend to be higher for no discernible benefit.

My only other observation is the drive to Barcelona. Where will you be departing from and are you intending to include any overnight stops? It's a long drive from Pisa (which is the last stop in Italy that was mentioned in your post). Google gives a drive time of over ten hours but this is widely optimistic. My preference would be a short flight from Pisa to Barcelona.

Honestly, I think part of it is just trying to go out of our way to
impress upon our kids that the entire world is full of wonderful
experiences that aren't all 5 stars.

Tammy, I think you'll find that very few of the posters here stay in 5* accommodations. Some do, certainly, if that's their preference and they have the budget for it but the majority of folks I see on the forums stay in anything from convents to hostels to B&Bs, lower-budget hotels and apartments. Those with a car and a wish to relax in the country might choose an agriturismo (farm stay). There's not a thing wrong with any of them as long as that choice suits you and it's convenient to the things you want to do and see.

Apartments are a good choice for families as many Italian hotel rooms tend to be on the cramped side. While a stay in most hotels/B&Bs include a breakfast of varying size (continental to more lavish spreads) a kitchen can be very nice for having breakfast in your jammies or a take-away meal that doesn't involve reservations. Flats are also what many Italians reside in so a stay in one is pretty "authentic" - especially in the cities - as is getting around like they do on trains, metros (where available) buses and on foot.

Having a base versus moving about a lot is also very nice: unpack and just settle in. Moving 4 people and their stuff can be time and energy consuming so it's easier to just day trip from a good base than having to pack up the entire caboodle. As I mentioned before, Pisa, Lucca and Siena are all easy day trips from Florence by train (the first two) or bus (Siena).

We love the Italian trains! It's great to be able to get on right in the middle of one city and be dumped out smack the middle of another. It also allows both of us to enjoy the scenery without having to keep eyes on the road/map/signs, and not have to worry about leaving luggage in a car while sightseeing. They are comfortable - even 2nd class seats, which is the only way we travel - and generally quite economical. For trip by "fast" trains between Rome and Florence, you can try to buy economy or super-economy tickets in advance to save some $$$. Those do come with some restrictions but that can be addressed once you have a plan down.

I am so appreciative of all that you guys have helped me think through. Coming from such an affluent area, I think the idea of camping was a way to offset what the excess my kids see every day. You've made me realize that doing that isn't really going to make our experience better just for the sake of traveling modestly. I'm pretty much ready to scrap that plan now -- back to the drawing board.

I'll probably also rethink the drive from Rome to Barcelona too. The idea there was to experience the region in between, though again, you've made me realize at what cost. By establishing a base, we can do day trips and experience other areas that way too.

My new thought is maybe to fly into Milan, spend 4-5 days centered in or around Florence and take day trips to Siena or Lucca or Pisa. I'm also interested in Mercantia in Certaldo, maybe. Then head to Rome for similar period. Then fly to Barcelona. Could do the reverse too. For such a short and inexpensive flight, it seems more time in city centers, and maybe one aguriturismo for some country time, would be ideal.

Again, thanks for heling me think this through. Now I've got to decide on best locations in town in Rome and Barcelona for families with teens to stay. Would love suggestions though I could start a new thread if that's best.

We live in the SF Bay area. So many people travel to the fanciest
places around, to be with the fanciest people around. We tend to do
things more modestly.

Well, I can promise that you're among oodles of kindred spirits here! :O)

Looking back at your previous posts, I see that you've been to Rome before? If so, you've some idea of the vast difference between San Francisco - which I've been to a handful to times - and the historic centers of the Eternal City and Florence. They've got plenty of bling in the glorious churches and historic villas but much of their "fancy" is otherwise not on view. Or it's a different sort of "fancy", if that makes any sense? In fact, some folks from shiny, steel-and-glass American cities find Rome a bit too graffiti-sprayed and gritty and old for their taste. Not us. We never get tired of tripping over something built, carved or painted long before Pilgrims stumbled off the ship here.

In short, your teens will get eyes, ears and nosefuls of different environments and culture so not to worry. Wander onto a street of Armani, Cartier, Valentino and Gucci shops? Shove a cono of gelato into their hands and run! HA!

It helps to assign them some homework before you go? Browsing pictures and reading up on the places they'll be going helps fire interest in what they'll be seeing (and eating).

You can reserve apartments as well as hotels on booking.com, and a browse through the Italy forums will turn up recos from posters answering similar questions. You could also just post a new question about recommended apartments.