By camper between Terre di Pisa and Valdinievole

Pisa welcomes you with the pleasantness of a city on a human scale, perfect for a bike tour.

Piazza dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, is a must-see, but the birthplace of Galileo Galilei also boasts a medieval-style historic center with beautiful squares overlooked by noble buildings. Not to be missed is the Piazza dei Cavalieri with the Carovana Palace, home of the University Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Also recommended are the walkways along the city walls that offer unprecedented views of the center.

Parking areas near the center are available for campers (Via di Pratale, with entrance from the Largo Monasterio traffic circle).

Monte Pisano has trekking and mtb trails that reach up to 800 meters above sea level offering beautiful views of the Pisa plain and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.

The landmark cultural hub of the area is the Certosa di Calci, a large monastic complex founded in 1366. The tour winds through large rooms with geometrically patterned floors made of white, gray and black Carrara marble, passes through the ancient apothecary's shop and lands at the display cases where the Bible of Calci, a 12th-century codex embellished with splendid miniatures, is kept. The left side of the complex leads to the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa, with its spectacular hall of large cetaceans.

In the Monte Pisano area, the best place to base yourself is in Vicopisano, which has an equipped area (Piazza Comunardo Ferrucci, near the sports hall). At the Certosa di Calci, in the time of the visit you can leave your vehicle in the parking lot reserved for visitors (attention, narrow road with some difficulty in maneuvering for vehicles over 6.5 meters).

The history of the village of Vicopisano is rich in events spanning the Middle Ages and culminating with the rule of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the greatest evidence of which is the fortress, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1435. After admiring the view towards the plain and the Monti Pisani from the walkways of the city walls, we can visit the Praetorian Palace, the towers (among all the clock tower) and the church of Santa Maria.

The village has an equipped area (Piazza Comunardo Ferrucci, near the sports hall) but also a good rest stop in the immediate vicinity of the village (Viale Brunelleschi, access from Via Lante).

Let us penetrate the landscape of the Pisan Hills to the scattered town of Casciana Terme Lari, awarded the Orange Flag. Lari is dominated by the Vicari Castle, the Medici fortress clinging to mighty walls at the foot of which the village develops. The road to the village is narrow but still passable by a RV.

For the time of the visit, you can leave your vehicle in one of the parking lots outside the village, while for the stopover it is worthwhile to head for nearby Casciana Terme to relax in the historic spa town.

The newly built equipped area is a short walk from the village (Via II Giugno).

Peccioli is another Orange Flag location welcoming to RV tourists. The town is home to an open-air museum of contemporary art that extends into the surrounding landscape and hamlets. In Peccioli it is also really worth visiting the Palazzo Senza Tempo (Timeless Palace) and its panoramic terrace.

And outside the village for the little ones is the Prehistoric Park with life-size reconstructions of dinosaurs, with a visitor rest area that can also be used by RVs (Via dei Cappuccini 70).

San Miniato, a medieval village built on three small hills along the Via Francigena, is the evocative setting for the market exhibition dedicated to the Truffle of the San Miniatesi Hills, which takes place every year on the second, third and fourth weekends of November.

From the parking lot in the square of Fonte alle Fate (fee from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), thanks to an elevator, you can go up to the historic center. For those wishing to stay overnight among cypress trees and vineyards, local farms can be asked for a rest stop (not equipped).

The city, a UNESCO site, with its frescoed and decorated Art Nouveau spas stands out among the "Great Spa Towns of Europe", which includes eleven cities representative of the European spa phenomenon. A place that has been able to harmonize the needs of a modern thermalism, also made up of moments of recreation and rest, with the care of the waters.

Paid parking (blue stripes) is available near the entrance to Tettuccio spa, and a few kilometers away there are campsites open from April to September.

Another advice under the banner of beauty and well-being: Monsummano Terme.

Next to a classic spa with swimming pools, here you will find a little treasure: the Grotta Giusti, an underground thermal spring with a warm lake where you can dive among stalactites and stalagmites, in a setting that truly is unreal.

The parking lot at the spa can also be used by RVs.