10 Day Italian Road Trip Routes

Italy is rich in landscapes, history and food culture. The country is ripe for road-tripping, and these 10 day Italian road trip route ideas are a great jumping-off point for your planning. Alongside my road trip tips for Italy, I hope to be able to offer you all the tools you need to get on the road in Italy!

Busy or bust!

This 10-day Italian road trip is specifically designed for those who want to see a lot in a short time. While it’s lovely to slow travel, annual-leave allowance can be restrictive. I’ve tried to offer various alternatives to each location too if you have longer or don’t fancy my top picks.

All road trips are around 1000-1200kms.

Also, due to the great train network in Italy, much of this could be done via train too!

Choose a hub airport and design your road trip around that:

OR, you could do a one-way trip, and fly out of a different airport

There are endless combinations depending on your preferences, below I give a little more detail below about where I’d go and why…

Road trip itinerary ideas in Italy:

Venice to Rome (or vice versa) road trip route

Start in Venice

Venice seems to be the Marmite of Italy – you either love it or hate it (or think it’s overrated). There is no doubt, however, that it is a unique and beautiful city. Sometimes the crowds or heat of the summer can be off-putting, but if you choose to spend a weekend in Venice in the off-season it is far more manageable.

I recommend getting lost in the winding streets of the smaller canals, stopping for aperitivo on cute squares, and taking the water taxi out to Torcello.

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights, in Mestre if you’ve already picked up your car

Verona

The fascinating city of Verona is small and very walkable. A great mix of roman history, famous literary history, and picturesque views, Verona is definitely worth a stop on your 10-day Italian road trip.

We enjoyed Verona so much on our first visit that we returned to see an opera at the impressive Verona Arena.

Drive time between Venice and Verona – 1.5 hours

Recommended length of stay – 1 night, use my 24 hour guide to Verona to make the most of your visit.

Southern Lake Garda

After a busy few days in cities, you’ll be craving some relaxation on Lake Garda. Some of the best towns on Lake Garda are in the Southern end of the lake. Sirmione, Desenzano, Peschiera del Garda and Bardolino are some of our favourite spots. There are ferries that will take you from town to town if you fancy having a break from driving.

Drive time between Verona and Lake Garda – 30 minutes

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights, base yourself in one of the recommended towns and use the ferries to hop around the lake. For those interested, a week in the Italian lakes is utterly breathtaking.

Bologna – OR – Modena

If you’re a foodie like me then Italy is a feast of delicious meal after delicious meal. Bologna and Modena represent some of the best places in which to try fresh pasta or take a cooking course. The porticos of Bologna beckon, and their cocktail culture is second-to-none. The reddish hue of the buildings is captivating and makes for an interesting visit.

Drive time between Lake Garda and Bologna – 1.5-2 hours

Recommended length of stay – 1 night

Alternative – Modena is smaller, but has a marvellous student vibe. Across our time in the north of Italy we ate some of the best tortelloni in Modena.

Highlights of Tuscany

Tuscany provides some of the most aesthetically pleasing vistas in all of Italy. From terracotta hilltop villages to rolling hills of grapevines and cypress trees, Tuscany will captivate you.

Florence is the most famous city in Tuscany, but you really need a whole week for a visit there. Instead, I suggest you spend a couple of nights based in somewhere like Siena, with day trips to places like Volterra, San Gimignano or Cortona. Or have 1 night in San Gimignano and 1 night in Montepulciano for instance.

Fortified towns, wineries and agriturismo restaurants serving pappardelle al ragu di cinghiale are a highlight in this part of Italy.

Drive time between Bologna and Tuscany – 2.5 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights.

Rome

Rome is one of those cities that will overwhelm your senses – everything seems larger than life. The first time you see the Colosseum, the scale of it will blow your mind; and the mix of ancient and modern architecture is astounding.

Whether you spend a weekend in Rome or more, you won’t see it all, Rome is huge. But there is something special about either starting or ending your road trip in Rome – it is a city in which to celebrate!

Drive time between Tuscany to Rome – 3 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights (or more if you can swing more than 10 days off).

---

Naples to Milan (or vice versa) road trip stops

Pompeii & Naples – OR – Pompeii & Amalfi Coast

Naples isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s frenetic, loud, chaotic and heavily populated. But within this melée there are amazing enclaves of art, the best pizzas in the world, and archaeological gems.

Personally, Naples was where I learned the power of travel, and cut my teeth at age 19. And because of that it will always be special.

Pompeii is an easy trip on the train from Napoli Centrale station, and can be incorporated into your time in Naples.

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights

Alternative – Pompeii & Amalfi Coast – If you are absolutely sure you don’t want to see the sights of Naples, you could do a loop from Pompeii, Herculaneum and out around the Amalfi Coast for a couple of nights instead. Highlights are the restaurant terraces of Sorrento, the verticality of Positano, and the panoramic views from Villa Cimbrone Gardens in Ravello.

Rome – OR – Extra time in Tuscany – OR – Amalfi Coast

Depending on your preferences, your next stop on this particular 10-day Italian road trip can either be Rome (as per the above), the Amalfi Coast (if Naples was chosen above), or extra time in Tuscany to include Florence (see below).

Drive time between Naples to Rome – 2.5 hours / Naples to Tuscany – 4 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights

Highlights of Tuscany

If you decide to skip Rome on this visit, you can visit the above Highlights of Tuscany AND visit Florence too. It all comes down to preference. Florence is rich in museums and art history, not to mention all the duomos and grand rooftops are exceptionally beautiful.

Since you’ll be driving, stay in the outskirts in a suburb called Scandicci – which is on the T1.3 and T2 tram lines into the city.

Drive time between Rome to Tuscany – 2.5 hours / Amalfi Coast to Tuscany – 5 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 nights

Pisa (just a day stop, no overnight)

Before you leave Tuscany, stop by Pisa to see the famous tower! There are many nearby car parking facilities available (we used one called Parcheggio di Piazza dei Miracoli on Via Cammeo Carlo Salomone), and it is free to walk around the grounds around the tower.

If you want to see inside the cathedral or tower, there is a fee.

Drive time between Tuscany to Pisa – 1.5 hours

Recommended length of stay – 1-2 hours

Cinque Terre & Portofino

The Ligurian coastline is full of ridiculously vertical townships, colourful houses and the greenest-blue seas. Start in the Cinque Terre – 5 villages in a national park, connected by a walking path and train stations.

The Cinque Terre has so much to offer beyond what the day-trippers see. Stay in a local hotel or cabin (like La Francesca) and enjoy the warm hospitality of the place. There are photogenic panoramas, a great wine culture, and so many dreamy accommodation options.

On your way to your next stop, drive north to visit Portofino as a pitstop.

Drive time between Pisa and Cinque Terre – 2 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 days

Milan OR Turin

If I had to choose between these two cities, I would choose Turin every time. I don’t dislike Milan at all, but Turin has a magnetic appeal and buzz that is more attractive to me at least.

You could always split your time – 1 day in Turin and 1 day in Milan – or just choose to explore Milan. In a purely ‘things to do’ comparison, they are similar. Milan is big and gruff, full of grand sights. Turin has a fair few of those too, but has a stunning river looping through, world class art, and a chic cocktail scene.

Drive time between Portofino and Milan OR Turin – 2.5 hours

Recommended length of stay – 2 days

These are ‘highlight reel’ stops – perfect for those visiting Italy for the first time.
For those wanting to explore more, I recommend the Dolomites!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.