An Italian road trip across iconic coastlines and vine-covered hills is one of the best ways to discover all that this country has to offer. But with a nation this size you might not know where to start.
Bringing your vehicle on board using our Dover to Calais ferry route is one of the easiest ways of travelling from the UK to Italy by car. To help you start exploring, we’ve rounded up the best routes to hit the open road.
So, if you’re planning a driving holiday in Italy this summer, it’s time to learn all about the benefits of roaming on four wheels and find out how to truly travel Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast in style.
Driving the Amalfi Coast
Italy’s southern Amalfi Coast is renowned for its dramatic cliffs, beautiful shoreline and lemon groves which dot the hills. All of this makes it one of the best spots to travel Italy by car.
So if an Amalfi coast road trip is on your travel agenda, we suggest starting on the Blue Highway. This road runs over 43 miles along Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula and includes some of Positano’s most beautiful beaches and takes you through plenty of picturesque towns. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Blue Highway is an unforgettable way to discover Italy.
As this road is known for its sheer edges and hairpin turns, you may want to consider your level of driving confidence before starting this journey. As an alternative way to travel Italy by car in this region, Salerno to Sorrento is a less challenging drive with the same coastal experience.
If you enter the continent from Calais on your ferry holiday, you can reach the Blue Highway in around two days on the road via the A1 motorway.
Exploring Venice and the Dolomites
The world-famous Dolomites in Italy are a magnificent mountain range located just over two hours’ drive from Venice via the A27 and Strada Statales 51 di Alemagna.
If you’re planning a holiday in Venice, we suggest getting out of the city once you’ve had the pleasure of exploring Venice and soaking up its grandeur. To see even more of what Italy has to offer travellers, the Dolomites’ hiking trails draw people seeking adventure from around the world so be sure to consider a stop off on your road trip across Italy.
Visiting around July is our tip as August can be congested. It’s also worth knowing that while these roads may be less intimidating than Amalfi’s cliffs, you will often need to be aware of cyclists on the road.
If you drive from Venice on your road trip across the Dolomites, you will likely be driving on toll roads known as Autostrade so remember to bring cash or a card to pay here!
As you travel onwards to Milan, we suggest a stop at Lake Como. Nestled in the nearby mountains’ foothills, this lake offers some of Italy’s most stunning views and has attracted stars such as George Clooney to buy homes in the surrounding area.
Driving from Milan to Rome
Travelling onwards as you tour Italy by car, the next stage of our journey is a six-hour drive from Milan to Rome.
Along this stage of your North Italy road trip, you can expect to spot medieval villages, stunning architecture and much more. We’ve rounded up some of the most unforgettable Italian treasures to take in along your journey from Milan to Rome.
Some of the top sights you may want to catch while in Milan include Da Vinci’s Last Supper mural which you can see in the Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Gothic architecture of the Duomo di Milano cathedral.
Once you reach the ancient grandeur of Rome, be sure to make time for a trip to the Colosseum and explore its underground passageways which gladiators would have once walked down.
As you explore these destinations close to the Swiss border on your road trip from Milan, you may also wish to look around cities like Lucerne, just a few hours across the border via the A2.
Touring Palermo and Southern Italy
A tour of southern Italy and the nearby island of Sicily will take you into more desert-like landscapes and around some of this country’s most impressive historical heritage.
We suggest focusing on either the east or west of the island depending on what you’d like to focus your trip on. For Sicily’s best beaches, the west of the island is your best bet for your Italian road trip. For more time touring attractive small towns and the possibility of hiking up Mount Etna, the east of Sicily is the place to be.
Travelling Tuscany
A Tuscany road trip has plenty to offer any visitor to Italy with horseback riding, food and wine tours galore. If you’d like to spend your time on holiday wandering around vineyards and enjoying delicious locally cooked food then it’s time to get acquainted with the best of Tuscany.
Some of the best places to visit in Tuscany by car are in the fantastic city of Florence. With the wonders of the Uffizi Gallery, the mouth-watering treats on offer at the Mercato Centrale and Michelangelo’s David are housed in the Galleria dell Accademia.
Some of the best smaller towns you might want to stop off while driving through Tuscany are the charming city of Lucca with its central piazza and 16th-century city walls. Or just a bit further you can see Pisa’s famous leaning Tower for yourself!
