Families in motorhomes: between play and good food

The Salone del Camper, the trade fair dedicated to recreational vehicles and open-air holidays, returns to Parma from 13 to 21 September 2025, as usual at the Parma exhibition centre. The event, organised by Fiere di Parma in collaboration with APC, the Caravan and Motorhome Manufacturers Association, is now in its 16th edition and remains the most important matching event, both Italian and European, between manufacturers and users of recreational vehicles.
It is an occasion for supply and demand to meet, an unmissable moment to take stock of the sector, discuss trends and talk about open-air holidays. And since food and play play such an important part in a motorhome holiday, here are some useful tips for anyone thinking of buying or hiring a recreational vehicle.
  The ideal galley: the must-haves
For the perfect motorhome trip, it is essential to follow a few practical guidelines regarding the planning and organisation of the journey.
Starting with the galley, which must be rational and well equipped.
Pasta, rice, sugar and ready-made sauces are essential. Then there are preserves and long-life foods, such as tuna, tinned tomatoes, soups, pulses and tinned broths.
Every motorhome is equipped with a good fridge and freezer, so meat, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit can also be brought along.
Do not forget oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and other spices to season your dishes. Then there are breakfast products: cereals, biscuits, long-life milk.
Finally, drinks: water, coffee, juices, tea and herbal infusions.
Other foods may also find a place, depending of course on the type of holiday, the length of the trip, and personal eating habits, including intolerances.
Water, along with soap, is the most used product in a motorhome. 5 ideas for quick and tasty dishes
The watchwords are: simplicity and essentiality. Here are 5 ideas for quick and simple dishes, which can be made in any recreational vehicle:

1) tomato and basil bruschetta, with toasted rustic bread, ripe tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil;
2) pasta alla carbonara, with spaghetti, guanciale, eggs, pecorino romano and black pepper;
3) for vegetarians, chickpea and vegetable salad, with chickpeas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and a drizzle of oil;
4) filled piadina with hummus and grilled vegetables;
5) scrambled eggs with courgettes, pepper (or paprika) and toasted bread.

For a gourmet touch, you can try quick bag-marinating, which takes less time than traditional techniques.
The food is prepared inside a sealed bag for a short period of time, during which the ingredients absorb the flavours and aromas, becoming tastier and more tender.
Another method worth trying is one-pot cooking, used to prepare dishes such as soups, stews or risottos: an entire meal is cooked, complete and full of flavour, with all the ingredients combined in a single pot.

During the Salone del Camper in Parma, in collaboration with the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo, cookery demonstrations will be organised to teach easy motorhome cooking techniques, offering ideas for quick recipes and tips on how to prepare delicious dishes even in a small space.
The programme includes three sessions every day to discover the best of the great Italian gastronomic tradition.
At 11.30 am (A Journey Through the Flavours of Italy, with a guided tasting led by chefs) and at 3.00 pm (Afternoon Tea with Buon Ricordo, sweet or savoury, with authentic flavours from all over Italy). At 1.00 pm (Buon Ricordo VIP Experience) there will be the chance to sample the specialities of the Buon Ricordo Restaurants, served on their iconic plates. This last event requires booking and payment (30 euros), and includes a complimentary exclusive Buon Ricordo Restaurant plate to collect.
All events, both free and paid, can be booked on the Salone del Camper website www.salonedelcamper.it Kitchen equipment and fabrics, including sustainable options
Small appliances are extremely useful for quick cooking: an air fryer, a portable oven pot, a blender.
You should also have a chopping board, a couple of well-sharpened knives, a large pot for pasta and a smaller one for sauce, a colander, non-stick pans, and a coffee maker.
When it comes to crockery, disposable items are best avoided; melamine tableware is a better choice, as it is durable, lightweight, easy to clean and available in many colours – though be careful, it cannot be used in the microwave.
Fabric tablecloths and placemats are ideal, especially if they do not need ironing; several types are available on the market, including stonewashed linen, stain-resistant resin-treated cotton and silk-effect polyester, all designed to spare you the hassle of the iron.
For tea towels and sponges, microfibre is recommended, as it takes up less space and dries quickly.

Eating out and its impact on the local economy: almost one meal a day consumed outside the motorhome
Motorhome enthusiasts love cooking in their vehicles, but they also enjoy getting to know the local area and its typical produce, seeking out and “trying” trattorias and eateries for a genuine experience, including tastings.
Mapping out food and wine itineraries is a growing trend, forming part of the planning and goal-setting for the trip, which increasingly focuses on discovery and in-depth exploration.
In the 2024 Food and Wine Tourism Report by Roberta Garibaldi, food is a constant presence, alongside nature and culture, among the most sought-after experiences.
Between October 2024 and March 2025, European citizens’ travel intentions ranked food and wine tourism at 15%, nature at 16.6% and culture at 14.7%.
Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by Ergo, a spin-off of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, motorhome travellers directly contribute to the local economy, spending an average of 97.80 euros a day, much of it on food, with a strong preference for traditional local cuisine.
Over a 13-day holiday, an average of 9 meals are eaten outside the vehicle.
In addition to lunches, dinners and tastings, motorhome travellers enjoy buying typical products such as oil, wine, cheese, vegetables, cured meats, preserves and sweets, either to use themselves or to give as gifts to friends.

Farm camping and zero-kilometre produce
Even a short stop can be a way to discover the flavours of the host area; you can choose farm camping, a farm holiday site that offers a parking area and essential facilities, where local zero-kilometre produce from the farm’s own vegetable garden or nearby businesses is often available to buy.
The concept of farm camping in Italy is relatively recent and has developed alongside the growing popularity of rural and sustainable tourism. The added value of these facilities lies in the authenticity of the experience: guests can take part in fruit and vegetable picking, cookery courses, cellar tastings, and walks through the surrounding countryside.
Farm camping sites are making a significant contribution to the growth of rural tourism in Italy and are helping to promote more sustainable tourism.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Tourism, rural tourism in Italy is booming: during Easter 2025, 1.6 million overnight stays were recorded at Italian farm holiday sites, an increase of 10% compared with 2024; Italy has 26,129 farm holiday businesses, welcoming around 17 million visitors every year, 60% of whom come from abroad.
Of course, not all farm holiday sites are equipped for motorhomes, but the sector is growing. Family entertainment and games, from photo marathons to charades
Once you have chosen the ideal vehicle and prepared the galley and everything else you need for the holiday, do not forget to think about how you want to spend your free time.
Sea, beach, sport, excursions, visits to exhibitions and so on, but also the moments spent in your home on wheels.
There are countless fun games to play both outside and inside recreational vehicles, for adults and children alike, adapting to whatever weather conditions you encounter.
You can play “categories” (names, places, things) during the journey; cards or a good book are a must, but board games such as Monopoly, Taboo or Battleships are great fun too.
Evenings fly by with charades, a game in which one player has to act out a word without speaking while the others try to guess it, as do shadow puppets made with a torch. The more creative members of the family can tell tall tales or laugh themselves silly playing Chinese whispers.
And why not organise a biscuit-making workshop in the kitchen, or an arts and crafts session using colours and recycled materials?
For days spent outdoors, as well as walks, bike rides, sports activities and getting to know the local area, you can organise proper photo marathons along riverbanks, coastlines and lakesides, or treasure hunts, or an orienteering course through trails with small obstacles, zig-zagging between objects and balance challenges. A motorhome is not just for living or travelling in, but also an opportunity for families to spend time all together, sharing experiences and emotions. But also for privacy, given the space now available inside these vehicles. At the Salone del Camper, you will find the best solutions on display for every type of family: whether small or large, from vans to over-cab motorhomes with additional beds above the driving cab and spacious interiors; from low-profile motorhomes with a more aerodynamic design that are easy to drive, to spacious, comfortable A-class motorhomes.

Free entry and discounts for young visitors at the Salone del Camper
For the whole family to enjoy the journey, buying a motorhome should be a shared decision too!
That is why the Salone del Camper, running from 13 to 21 September, offers free entry for children under 6, and a reduced price for young people aged 6 to 12 (5 euros).
The “standard” entry ticket costs 10 euros (Monday to Friday) and 12 euros (Saturday and Sunday). Discounts and season passes are available on the website www.salonedelcamper.it.