Italy by campervan: safety and healthcare

Campervan safety in Italy: vehicle security, healthcare, emergency contacts and practical prevention. 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

Safety and health

Italy is a safe country to travel by road. The UK Foreign Office describes crime levels as generally low, with the real problem being petty crime: bag snatching and pickpocketing in city centres and at the big attractions, and theft from parked vehicles, which it calls common across the country. Violence against travellers is rare.

Scooters parked in a row across an Italian square at sunset, a cafe terrace under a white awning behind them — A busy, occupied square beats an empty scenic layby

What works

Do not sleep at motorway service areas. This is the single highest-risk place to park a van overnight in Italy.
Arrive before dark so you can see the place you picked and who is already there.

Health, pharmacies and numbers

112 is the single emergency number, any language. Polizia di Stato is 113, ambulance 118, fire 115.
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116 from an Italian number, 800 116 800 from a foreign mobile. Chargeable without membership.

A letter about a ZTL or a speed camera arriving months after the trip is usually genuine. Italian authorities have up to 360 days to notify a driver resident abroad, and some real notices come through an official collection partner rather than the town hall. Check that the date, time, place and plate match your trip, and that the payment account belongs to a public body and not to a private person.