The hard part’s done; you’ve decided you want to go to Italy and you’ve decided that you’d like to see this by road. Okay, perhaps that’s not the hard part but still, making those decisions is a pretty great start.

Now, let us take things from there for you and share our 1-week road trip itinerary for Italy. Just remember, our trip was really busy (as we wanted it to be). So, don’t try and squeeze everything we did; pick and choose the elements you like and have a chilled trip with plenty of relaxation time, too.

A 1 WEEK ROAD TRIP ITINERARY FOR ITALY

 

First – where to fly in and out of?

Arrive in Milan and leave Naples. Why?

They’re both major airports which offer a wide range of flight options so this oughta give you a lot more choice and help you keep your flight costs a lot lower than travelling to a less popular airport.

Driving Across Italy On A Rickshaw! Our Journey So Far... (8)

You can also flip things around by flying into Naples, doing the route in reverse and leaving from Milan. 🙂

 

How to get around

Photo Diary: Corn Fields And Open Roads... In Italy (1)

You’ve got two options.

a.) You can go the bog-standard way and rent a car (or perhaps even a Vespa). Nothing wrong with that.

b.) You can hire a rickshaw and ride this across the country. It’s slower than a car (much slower), more convenient than a Vespa and easily a more exciting way to see the country than the other choices.

Where to stay

Agriturismo all the way! 🙂

These places tend to be family-run farms offering you a true sense of Italian life. You might need to brush up on your Italian (it’s the perfect opportunity to pick up a new life-skill) but to be honest, it’s by no means necessary.

Here are a few examples of what Agriturismos are like – this farmhouse in Cinque Terre, an eclectic Florentine villa, this hill-top gem in the Amalfi Coast.

 

THE ITALIAN ROAD TRIP ITINERARY

Day 1

1.) Fly into Milan. Pick up the car/Vespa/rickshaw and spend some time exploring the city.

Driving Across Italy On A Rickshaw! Our Journey So Far... (39)

Driving Across Italy On A Rickshaw! Our Journey So Far... (36)

2.) Stop for lunch in Piacenza.

Photo Diary: Corn Fields And Open Roads... In Italy (7)

Photo Diary: Corn Fields And Open Roads... In Italy (6)

3.) Stop in on Parma.

Photo Diary: Corn Fields And Open Roads... In Italy (15)

4.) If you’ve got time to spare, pop into Reggio Emilia (alas we didn’t have much time to do this one as we left Milan far too late).

Photo Diary: Corn Fields And Open Roads... In Italy (17)

5.) Drive to Cinque Terre where you’ll be staying for the night.

Cinque Terre To Pisa: Italy Road Trip On A Rickshaw (11)

 

Day 2

1.) Explore Cinque Terre‘s 5 towns – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia and Riomaggiore (check out our complete guide to Cinque Terre for when you visit).

Cinque Terre To Pisa: Italy Road Trip On A Rickshaw (34)

Vernazza in Cinque Terre, Italy - The Photo Diary! [4 of 5] (7)

Manarola in Cinque Terre, Italy - The Photo Diary! [2 of 5] (9)

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, Italy - The Photo Diary! [1 of 5] (6)

2.) Stop off in Pisa for lunch (the pizzas here are pretty great).

Cinque Terre To Pisa: Italy Road Trip On A Rickshaw (58)

Cinque Terre To Pisa: Italy Road Trip On A Rickshaw (55)

4.) Watch the sunset in San Miniato.

San Miniato And That Glorious Tuscany Sunset! (1)

San Miniato And That Glorious Tuscany Sunset! (5)

3.) Drive into Florence. Have dinner in Bucca Mario (you’re welcome 😉 ).

21 Things To See, Eat And Do On a Long Weekend in Florence! (11) The Sights Of Florence, Italy... A Photo Diary [Part2] (33) The Sights Of Florence, Italy... A Photo Diary [Part2] (20)

 

Day 3

1.) See all the sights in Florence (or as much as you can get through).

The Sights Of Florence, Italy... A Photo Diary [Part 1] (5)

The Sights Of Florence, Italy... A Photo Diary [Part 1] (18)

2.) Head over to San Gimignano (you’ll understand why when you’re there).

3.) Take in the amazing view from Civitella in Val di Chiana.

Have You Ever Heard Of Civitella in Val di Chiana? (16)

Have You Ever Heard Of Civitella in Val di Chiana? (26)

4.) Stop in Montepulciano for lunch (and if you’re a Twilight fan, see if you can spot some of the filming locations here).

Montepulciano - The Italian Medieval Town In The Mountains... (26)

Montepulciano - The Italian Medieval Town In The Mountains... (1)

5.) Spend a night in Orvieto.

Orvieto - The Most Dramatic City In Europe (2)

Orvieto - The Most Dramatic City In Europe (28)

Day 4

1.) Have a chilled breakfast in Orvieto (let’s face it, you deserve at least one late morning, right?)

Orvieto - The Most Dramatic City In Europe (7)

2.) Visit the ancient city of Viterbo. This is probably a great spot to stop for lunch.

3.) Head over to Rome. Leave some time to explore Rome before and after sunset.

The Farmhouse In Rome (6)

 

Day 5

1.) Catch up on the sights you didn’t see in Rome the night before.

The Farmhouse In Rome (8)

2.) Pop into Frascati. This is also a great place for whoever isn’t doing the driving to try some Frascati wine. (Drivers, you’ll have to wait till you’re not on driving duty to sample the delicious wine from this region).

3.) Have a beach day in Terracina.

Florentine Steaks And Unexpected Beach Days... (20)

Florentine Steaks And Unexpected Beach Days... (24)

4.) Spend the night in Naples

Florentine Steaks And Unexpected Beach Days... (28)

 

Day 6

1.) Explore more of Naples after breakfast

2.) Explore the ancient city of Pompeii.

The Ancient City Of PompeiI (2)

The Ancient City Of PompeiI (40)

3.) Head for the Amalfi Coast. Positano is the place to be here.

24 Hours In The Amalfi Coast, Italy (27)

4.) Spend all day in Positano. Or head out on a drive of more of the Amalfi coast. Choice is entirely yours.

24 Hours In The Amalfi Coast, Italy (22) 24 Hours In The Amalfi Coast, Italy (28)

Day 7

1.) See more of the Amalfi coast. Relax here until a few hours before it’s time to leave. (The drive to Naples is about 1.5 hours).

Cinque Terre To Pisa: Italy Road Trip On A Rickshaw (60)

2.) Drop your ride off in Naples and head for the airport with a promise to back again soon to do this trip all over again.

Read more: Best cities in Italy to visit

16 Best Cities In Italy To Visit


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