Which second hand automobile would you suggest me to buy?

I live and work in the city at the moment. But I intend to commute to the mountains frequently (especially on weekends.) so I can let my dogs run free as I breathe in some pure air and climb a few rocks, etc…
I live in Europe… so my necessities do not really reflect american realities. In Italy, precisely. I don’t know much about car brands, etc.. just how to fix some problems (a bit).
What’s a good price in euro I could expect?
Since I’ll be travelling a lot (long free-way distances and off the road), what sort of car is advisable..considering consumption, durability, space…
Help me out on a bit of everything, is really what I’m asking..
cheers