The best road trip in Italy is the Amalfi Coast, 50 km of the SS163 cut into the cliffs between Sorrento and Salerno. It is the country's signature drive, and it is only the opening act. Below are eleven of the best road trips in Italy, ranked, from the rock cathedrals of the Dolomites and the hairpins of Stelvio Pass to Tuscany's cypress hills, Sardinia's blue coves, and the buried Roman streets beneath Vesuvius.
Italy is one of the most rewarding countries in the world to drive. In a single day you can climb from a lemon-scented coast to an alpine pass, from a Renaissance hill town to a Greek temple. We ranked these routes on scenery, variety, and the density of stops worth pulling over for, and pulled every distance and season straight from our catalogue. Several are cliff-hugging coast roads, so if the sea is your thing start with our scenic coastal drives, the high passes live on our mountain passes hub, and you can see all eleven together on the Italy road trips hub. Early autumn, right now, is one of the best windows of the year: the summer crowds thin, the light turns golden, and most of these routes are at their kindest in September and October.
The best road trips in Italy at a glance
| # | Route | Region | Distance | Duration | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amalfi Coast | Campania | 50 km | 3 days | May, or Sep to Oct |
| 2 | The Dolomites | South Tyrol | 145 km | 3 days | Jun to Oct |
| 3 | Stelvio Pass | Lombardy Alps | 49 km | 1 day | Jun to Oct |
| 4 | Val d'Orcia | Tuscany | 90 km | 2 days | Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct |
| 5 | Italian Lakes | Lombardy | 230 km plus ferries | 4 days | Apr to Oct |
| 6 | Sardinia Island Loop | Sardinia | 1,350 km | 9 days | May to Oct |
| 7 | Chianti Road | Tuscany | 110 km | 2 days | Apr to Nov |
| 8 | Ancient Sicily | Sicily | 650 km | 8 days | Mar to May, Sep to Nov |
| 9 | Shadow of Vesuvius | Campania | 90 km | 3 days | Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct |
| 10 | Salento Coast | Puglia | 150 km | 2 days | May to Sep |
| 11 | A Venetian Sojourn | Veneto | 170 km plus boats | 4 days | Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct |
If you only do one
Drive the Amalfi Coast. No other road distils Italy's genius for beauty into so few kilometres. In three unhurried days the SS163 threads its hairpins from Sorrento through Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello to Salerno, with pastel villages stacked above an impossibly blue sea and lemon groves scenting every bend. It is short, close to Naples, and unforgettable. Just drive it early or late in the day, book a garage rather than hunting for parking, and take the bus or a boat on the busiest August afternoons, when the road can crawl.
1. Amalfi Coast, Campania
The Amalfi Coast may be the most beautiful road on Earth, 50 km of the SS163 carved into vertical cliffs between Sorrento and Salerno. It is a compact three-day drive, but every hairpin frames a new picture: Positano's cascade of pastel houses, the fishing coves of Furore and Cetara, the belltowers of Amalfi, and the garden terraces of Ravello suspended high above the water. The lane is narrow and famously busy, so start early, let the coaches pass, and let the lemon groves and the sea set the pace.
2. The Dolomites, South Tyrol
The Dolomites deliver the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Alps, about 145 km of the Great Dolomites Road from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo over three days. You climb through the Val di Fassa and the Sella massif, crest the switchbacks of Passo Pordoi and Passo Falzarego, and roll into chic Cortina beneath pale rock towers that blush pink at sunset. It is paved and moderate driving with an enormous payoff. Aim for June to October, when all the high passes are open and the meadows are green.
3. Stelvio Pass, Lombardy Alps
The Stelvio Pass is the legend, a single unforgettable day of driving up one of the highest paved roads in the Alps. This classic east-to-west ascent climbs from Prato allo Stelvio through Gomagoi, Trafoi, and Franzenshöhe in a stack of 48 numbered hairpins to the 2,758 m summit, then drops to the spa town of Bormio. It is only 49 km, but you will remember every one of them. The road is open roughly June to October, so time your run for a clear morning and watch for cyclists and motorbikes on the bends.
4. Val d'Orcia, Tuscany
The Val d'Orcia is the Tuscany of the imagination, a World Heritage landscape of cypress-lined ridges and walled medieval towns that has appeared in Gladiator, The English Patient, and a thousand Renaissance paintings. In two easy days the 90 km route links Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino, home of Brunello, before ending at the lonely fortress of Radicofani. Come in late spring or early autumn, when the wheat fields turn gold and the wineries pour their best. This is a drive for slow lunches and long views.
5. Italian Lakes, Lombardy
The Italian Lakes route trades hairpins for palaces and ferries, about 230 km from Lake Maggiore across to Lake Como and on to Bergamo over four days. You visit the Borromean Island gardens on Maggiore, cross by car ferry, then trace Como's celebrated shoreline from the silk city of Como to the perfect promontory of Bellagio and the pastel waterfront of Varenna. It is gentle, glamorous driving through scenery that has drawn visitors since Roman times. April to October gives the warmest lake days.
6. Sardinia Island Loop, Sardinia
For a full island epic, the Sardinia Island Loop circles the Mediterranean's second-largest island clockwise from Cagliari, 1,350 km over nine relaxed days. It strings together the Bronze Age towers of Su Nuraxi, the wild Supramonte interior, the granite islets of La Maddalena, the white sand of La Pelosa, and the Catalan streets of Alghero before closing back through Bosa and Oristano. The driving is easy, the coves are unreal, and the best months are May to October. Give it the full nine days; Sardinia rewards the ones who linger.
7. Chianti Road, Tuscany
Tuscany does not get more classic than the Chianti Road, roughly 110 km of the SR222 linking Florence and Siena through rolling country striped with cypress, olives, and vines. Over two days you can stop at an enoteca in Greve, Panzano, Radda, or Castellina to taste Chianti Classico, the sangiovese red that tastes like the landscape around you. It is short, easy, and gloriously scenic, most photogenic in the late-spring wildflowers or the September harvest. Book a cellar visit or two and drive between them at a wine-country pace.
8. Ancient Sicily, Sicily
The Palermo to Taormina crossing is a grand eight-day, 650 km journey through the layered history of Sicily. From the markets of Palermo you thread the Greek temples of Agrigento, the Roman mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale, baroque Ragusa Ibla, and Syracuse, then climb the slopes of Mount Etna before finishing at cliff-top Taormina. It is easy driving with astonishing depth, and the shoulder seasons of March to May and September to November are ideal, avoiding the fierce summer heat of the interior.
9. Shadow of Vesuvius, Campania
The Shadow of Vesuvius packs an extraordinary amount of history into 90 km and three days around the Bay of Naples. You walk the intact Roman houses of Herculaneum, the preserved streets of Pompeii, and the crater rim of the volcano that buried them both in 79 CE, then decompress among the lemon groves of Sorrento with the Amalfi Coast shimmering across the water. Base yourself in Naples for the food and drive the short legs out to each site. April to June and September to October are the most comfortable months.
10. Salento Coast, Puglia
Down in the heel of Italy, the Salento Coast is a sun-soaked two-day run of 150 km from the Adriatic to the Ionian. It begins in cathedral town Otranto, passes the sea caves of Castro and Zinzulusa, reaches the lighthouse cape at Santa Maria di Leuca where two seas meet, and ends in the whitewashed old town of Gallipoli. The water is Caribbean-clear and the crowds are lighter than on the northern coasts. May to September brings the warmest swimming and the liveliest seaside towns.
11. A Venetian Sojourn, Veneto
Rounding out the list, A Venetian Sojourn pairs 170 km of driving with lagoon boats for a four-day immersion in the Veneto. You explore Venice and the glass furnaces of Murano and lace-making Burano by vaporetto, then drive out to the Palladian villas of the Brenta Riviera, the architectural set-pieces of Vicenza, and the hundred hilltop views of Asolo. It is a cultural drive rather than a scenic thrill ride, best in the mild, quieter windows of April to June and September to October.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best road trip in Italy?
The Amalfi Coast is the best all-round road trip in Italy: 50 km of cliff-carved SS163 between Sorrento and Salerno that captures the country's beauty in three easy days. If you prefer mountains, the Dolomites and Stelvio Pass are the finest alpine drives, and for Tuscany the Val d'Orcia and Chianti Road are hard to beat.
When is the best time for a road trip in Italy?
Late spring, from April to June, and early autumn, September and October, are the sweet spots across most of the country, with warm days, thinner crowds, and golden light. High-alpine routes like the Dolomites and Stelvio Pass open roughly June to October, while the southern coasts of Salento and Sardinia hold their warmth into October.
Is it hard to drive in Italy for tourists?
Not on these routes. Italy drives on the right, the roads are good, and most of these drives are rated easy, with the coastal and alpine roads a moderate step up for their narrow lanes and hairpins. Carry an International Driving Permit alongside your licence, and check whether your city stops have a restricted ZTL zone before you drive into the historic centre.
How many days do you need to road trip Italy?
It depends on the route. Short classics like the Amalfi Coast, Val d'Orcia, and Chianti Road run two to three days, so you can pair a couple in a week. A full island loop such as Sardinia or the Ancient Sicily crossing wants eight or nine days on its own.
Plan your Italy road trip
Ready to map it out? Compare all eleven on the interactive map, start with the country's most famous crossing on the Amalfi Coast route guide, and browse the full collection on the Italy road trips hub. Pick your season, keep the daily legs short, and let Italy carry you from cliff-top coast roads to alpine passes and Renaissance hills.
