Abstract
My research investigates the concept of "mobility of care" in rural areas, which encompasses all trips made for unpaid caregiving duties and household maintenance. These care-related mobilities constitute a cornerstone of caring practices and responsibilities, particularly affecting mothers. Existing literature predominantly focuses on the importance of carerelated mobility in urban settings, overlooking the distinct challenges faced in rural areas, such as longer distances to essential services. To address this gap, my research employs a mixed-methods approach to both quantify and explore qualitatively the experiences and challenges of care-related mobility in rural contexts. Quantitative analysis of 99 travel diaries from adult residents in Mühlwald (South Tyrol, Italy) reveals that care-related trips constitute a substantial share (37.8%) of daily mobility. Complementing this, qualitative analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews of female caregivers in rural South Tyrolean villages uncovers a range of experiences and challenges, that are classified into physical, psychological, and social aspects.