During our road trip through Italy, we parked at many free camper spots. From abandoned car parks, to beautiful locations among the vineyards. One of these spots was the free camping spot in Parma. We are not writing about this because the views were so insane or the facilities perfect but purely for the experience and friendly people.
What are free camping spots and how to find it?
Maybe you are already familiar with this, maybe not. For our first road trip through Europe we had no idea there were your free camping spots across Europe. Fantastic for a transit, budget holiday or to discover new parts of an area. But what is it exactly? Free camping spots are places where you can park your campervan for free. Sometimes it is nothing more than an abandoned car park without any facilities but there are a few ‘hidden gems’ among them. Want to know how to find these spots? Then check out our blog on free motorhome travel around Europe.
Parma, Italy
If you love Italian food, you are guaranteed to fall in love with Parma. Parma, famous for the cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano) that bears its name, is a city in northern Italy, about 120 km south of Milan. It falls in the Emilia Romagna region and is one of the trifecta of Italian food cities located along the A1 motorway, along with Bologna and Modena.
When to visit?
Parma is a year-round tourist destination. However, a large proportion of visitors choose to visit this beautiful place in spring and early autumn. Parma hosts a series of events and festivals throughout the year, but autumn is the perfect place for food travellers. For example, you'll find the Prosciutto Festival in early September and the annual Porc Festival in the month of November.
Tip: We recommend avoiding 15 August, or Ferragosto (Italian bank holidays) in town. Many shops and restaurant are closed then.
The camping spot in Parma
We made a short stop in Parma. We found a free camping spot with a local cheese farmer, with no facilities but in a beautiful area. What was supposed to be a short stop led to a fantastic tour of the parmesan cheese factory. An experience not to be forgotten. During our visit (Corona 2020), the tour was free and spontaneously arranged. However, you should normally always contact us in advance via their website.
Address: Via Borghetto 17 - N 44.82289 E 10.10864. You can also find this location via the app Motorhome Contact.
Besides the fact that this place has nothing else to offer like water or electricity, we definitely recommend it. Let us know if you have visited this beautiful place! We are curious to hear about your experiences. And... should you be there, our door is always open for a few kilos of Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Want to know more about this camping spot in Parma or our road trip through Europe? Let us know at [email protected]. Need more travel inspiration? Take a look at our landing page.