Italy by campervan: costs and prices

Practical costs in Italy: currency, cards, cash, fuel, groceries and budgeting for a campervan trip. What to know before you go.

Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026

Currency
Euro
EUR. Cards must be accepted, any amount
Language
Italian
German is co-official in South Tyrol
Driving
Right
Motorway 130 km/h, 100 km/h over 3.5 t
Power
230V, type F and L
Italy keeps its own three-pin plug
Tap water
Safe to drink
Ask for acqua del rubinetto
Emergency
112
Any language. ACI breakdown 803 116

Money

An Italian business has to accept your card, for any amount. Since 30 June 2022 a trader or professional who refuses a card payment faces a fine of 30 euros plus 4 percent of the refused transaction, and a 2026 amendment extended that to phone-based payment apps. In practice a rural bar may still mutter about a two euro coffee, so carrying 50 to 100 euros ends every argument.

A barista in an apron holding a card reader out across a cafe counter — Refusing a card is an offence here, whatever the sign on the till says

Practical prices for camper travel

Diesel, 1 litre: €2.294
Campsite or camper area, 1 night: €58.86
Inexpensive restaurant meal: €17
White bread, 500 g: €2.10
Bottled water, 1.5 litres: €0.46

Cash machines and card terminals

A cash machine is a bancomat, and so is a debit card in everyday speech. Use a bank's own machine rather than a standalone one in a tourist street.
Fees vary by bank and are usually flat, so one large withdrawal beats three small ones.

Tipping and the coperto

Tipping is not expected. Service is in the price and Italians tip lightly or not at all.
Rounding up a restaurant bill, or leaving a couple of euros for a good meal, is plenty. Ten percent is a generous gesture, not a default.

Fuel prices in September 2026 were at a record: the ministry's own observatory recorded self service diesel at 2.294 euros a litre on 18 September 2026, about two cents above the previous high set in March 2022. This is the figure on this page most likely to be out of date by the time you read it, so check the observatory before you budget a long trip.