The Ultimate North-to-South Italy Road Trip Route + Map 🚗
This is the Italy road trip that feels like you’ve hit “shuffle” on the country’s best bits… except it actually links up properly. You start in the jagged drama of the Dolomites, slide down to lakes and canals, cruise through Tuscany like you’re in a postcard, scoot past Rome’s chaos (politely), then keep going until you’re stood on Sicily staring at an actual volcano like it’s normal. 😅🌋
It’s a proper north-to-south route, built around the most popular, easiest-to-drive corridors, with optional detours you can add when your inner travel goblin demands “just one more stop.” ✨
Handy bookings (keep it simple): sort car hire, sprinkle stays via Booking.com, and stay connected with an eSIM so Google Maps doesn’t turn into a dramatic loading circle on a mountain road. 📍📱
North to South Italy Road Trip
🚗 Quick Trip Facts
- Start: The Dolomites (base yourself around Val Gardena, Cortina d’Ampezzo, or Alta Badia) 🏔️
- Finish: Mount Etna (base around Taormina or Catania) 🌋
- Best trip length: 14 days (10 days is doable with skips, 21 days is the dream)
- Driving vibe: Scenic mountain roads up north, faster motorways mid-country, then coast + island vibes down south 🛣️🌊
- City driving: Avoid old town centres, park outside, walk in (your stress levels will drop instantly) 🚶♀️
- Tolls: Yep, you’ll hit them on major motorways, keep a card handy 💳
- Sicily crossing: Easy ferry hop from mainland to Sicily (short crossing, allow time for queues) ⛴️
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Build in “buffer hours”. Italy loves a surprise: traffic, scenic viewpoints you “accidentally” stop at 12 times, and lunch that turns into a 2-hour event. This is not a complaint. 🍝😄
🚗 Recommended Car Rental: DiscoverCars
Itinerary (14 Days) 🗺️✨
Day 1: Dolomites Base Camp 🏔️
Day 1: Dolomites Base Camp 🏔️
Arrive, settle in, breathe that crisp mountain air like you’re starring in a travel advert.
📍 Things to do:
- Seceda viewpoints (big wow energy) 📸
- Santa Maddalena photo stop
- Spa/sauna evening because you’ve earned it 🧖♀️
👉 Good to know: Mountain villages go quiet early. Stock up on snacks and don’t assume you’ll find a late-night shop. 🥨
Day 2: The Dolomites Scenic Drive Day (Passes + Viewpoints) 🚗⛰️
Today is the “pull over every 6 minutes” day.
📍 Things to do:
- Drive a loop of iconic passes (Sella Ronda area is a classic)
- Short hikes from the passes
- Coffee with a view that ruins normal life ☕️
🔹Pro tip: Start early. You’ll get emptier roads, nicer light, and fewer coach crowds. 🌅
Day 3: Dolomites ➜ Lake Garda 🌊
Drive: roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours
Swap jagged peaks for lakeside promenades and that holiday feeling hitting your shoulders.
📍 Things to do:
- Sirmione wander (castle + old town vibes) 🏰
- Sunset lakeside stroll
- Easy dinner, early night
💡 Fact: Lake Garda towns can get busy and parking fills fast. Aim for a car park on the edge and walk in. 🚶♂️
🗺️ Related Guide: Italy’s Northern Lakes Road Trip + Map – The Travel Tinker Way 🚗
Recommended Tours and Tickets From Get Your Guide
Powered by GetYourGuide
Day 4: Lake Garda ➜ Venice 🛶
Drive: roughly 2 to 2.5 hours
Park up (mainland is easiest) and let Venice do its thing.
📍 Things to do:
- St Mark’s area + Rialto wander
- Cicchetti snack crawl 🍷
- Night walk when the day-trippers vanish 🌙
🔹 Pro tip: Stay on the outskirts or mainland with parking. Venice is better without driving stress. 😌
Day 5: Venice (Full Day) 💙
Slow day. Wander day. “I’m lost but happy” day.
📍Things to do:
- Cannaregio for calmer canals
- Vaporetto ride for views
- Optional tours if you want the stories without planning brain-melt 🎧
👉 Good to know: Venice looks completely different early morning. Less crowded, more magical, more “I get it now.” 🌅
🗺️ Must-Read Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Venice: Unlocking the Floating City!
Day 6: Venice ➜ Bologna ➜ Florence 🍝🎨
Drive: Venice to Bologna ~1.5 hours, Bologna to Florence ~1.5 hours
A tasty stop in Bologna, then straight into Florence.
📍 Things to do:
- Bologna snack stop under the porticoes
- Florence evening viewpoint (Piazzale Michelangelo) 📸
- Late dinner and a slow walk
💡 Fact: Florence is made for walking, not driving. Park once and forget your car exists. 🚫🚗
Day 7: Florence (Full Day) 🎨
Pick a few big sights, then do the “wander + snack + sit” rhythm.
📍Things to do:
- Duomo area early
- Ponte Vecchio at golden hour
- Oltrarno for workshops and quieter streets
🔹 Pro tip: Book your accommodation with parking or pre-book a garage. Last-minute parking hunts in Florence are character-building. 😅
🗺️ Guide to the City: Florence for first-timers: How to rock 48 hours in the heart of Tuscany! 🇮🇹
Day 8: Tuscany Loop Day (Chianti or Val d’Orcia) 🍷🌿
Drive: 1 to 3 hours total depending on your loop
Rolling roads, vineyards, little towns that make you consider “just moving here”.
📍 Things to do:
- Montepulciano or Pienza
- Val d’Orcia viewpoints
- Long lunch (don’t fight it) 🥖
👉 Good to know: Village centres can have restricted zones. Use public car parks outside the walls. Easy win. ✅
Day 9: Tuscany ➜ Rome (via Orvieto) 🏛️
Drive: roughly 3 to 4 hours including stop
Orvieto breaks up the drive perfectly.
📍 Things to do:
- Orvieto coffee + wander
- Rome evening stroll (fountains, gelato, chaos) 🍦
- Early-ish night so you’re fresh tomorrow
🔹 Pro tip: Rome is best tackled like a buffet, not a checklist. Pick highlights, leave space to breathe. 😌
Day 10: Rome (Full Day) 🏛️✨
Rome day, baby. Ancient stones, loud scooters, the best people-watching.
📍 Things to do:
- Colosseum/Forum area (early)
- Trastevere for dinner
- Optional day tours if you want a smooth, guided day 🎟️
💡 Fact: You’ll walk loads in Rome. Bring comfy shoes and accept that your step count will bully you. 👟
🗺️ Guide to Rome: Rome Travel Guide: Things to Do, Where to Eat, Places to Stay
Day 11: Rome ➜ Naples (Pompeii optional) 🍕
Drive: roughly 2 to 3 hours
Naples is chaotic, loud, brilliant, and worth it.
📍 Things to do:
- Pizza. Proper Naples pizza. 🍕
- Historic centre wander
- Pompeii stop if you’ve got the energy
👉 Good to know: Naples driving can feel like a live action video game. Park up and go on foot. 😅
Day 12: Amalfi Coast Day (Base in Sorrento or Salerno) 🌊🍋
Drive: variable, can be slow
It’s stunning, but the roads are narrow and busy.
📍 Things to do:
- Positano viewpoint stops
- Amalfi town wander
- Ravello for calmer, garden-y vibes 🌿
🔹 Pro tip: If you hate stress-driving, park and use buses/boats for part of the coast. You’ll see more and swear less. 🚤
Day 13: Naples ➜ Calabria (Scilla or Tropea) ➜ Ferry Zone 🏖️
Drive: 4.5 to 6 hours depending on stop
This is your “get south” day, but Calabria deserves a proper pause.
📍 Things to do:
- Scilla seaside lunch
- Tropea beach views if you’ve got time
- Overnight near the ferry crossing for an easy Sicily hop tomorrow ⛴️
💡 Fact: Calabria is underrated. Less touristy, more “wait… why is this so pretty?” 😍
Day 14: Sicily Arrival ➜ Taormina ➜ Mount Etna 🌋
Drive: Messina to Taormina ~1 hour, Taormina to Etna area ~1 to 1.5 hours
Taormina is the glam hello, Etna is the dramatic finale.
📍 Things to do:
- Taormina viewpoint stroll
- Drive up to Etna access points
- Volcano experience (cable car or guided options depending on conditions)
👉 Good to know: Etna conditions change fast. Dress in layers and don’t trust the temperature at sea level. 🧥
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
Map will be located under "YOU" and then under "MAPS".
ℹ️ Add the map to your Google Maps app.
After opening Google maps, click YOU and then scroll down to MAPS. It should be located there. Any issues, just get it touch, it’s no problem!
Pit Stops & Side Detours (Easy Add-Ons) 🚗✨
Pick a few based on time, not pure greed (I say this lovingly).
- Lago di Braies (Dolomites photo stop) 📸
- Verona (easy between Dolomites and Venice)
- Prosecco Hills (nice scenic add-on) 🍾
- Modena (lunch heaven)
- Siena (Tuscany classic)
- Cinque Terre (better as park + train in) 🚆
- Matera (big detour, huge reward)
- Cefalù (Sicily beach-town beauty) 🏖️
🍽️ Local Eats Worth Chasing
- Dolomites: speck, dumplings, strudel vibes
- Lake Garda: lake fish + lemony desserts
- Venice: cicchetti + spritz 🥂
- Bologna: tagliatelle ragù, tortellini
- Florence/Tuscany: bistecca, ribollita, pecorino 🧀
- Rome: carbonara, cacio e pepe, supplì 🍝
- Naples: pizza, sfogliatella
- Amalfi: lemon granita + seafood pasta 🍋
- Calabria: spicy everything (in a good way) 🌶️
- Sicily: arancini, cannoli, pistachio treats, Etna wine 🍷
🎶 Road Trip Playlist
- Eros Ramazzotti
- Mina
- Lucio Dalla
- Domenico Modugno (“Volare”, obviously)
- Jovanotti
- Mahmood
- Andrea Bocelli (for mountain drama)
- Plus your favourite “window-staring” songs for Tuscany
👉 Good to know: Download offline. Mountain signal can be patchy and your playlist deserves better. 📲
🎙️ Podcasts to Queue Up
- History of Rome
- Rick Steves Europe (Italy episodes)
- The Travel Diaries
- Stuff You Should Know
- No Such Thing As A Fish (for laughs in traffic) 😂
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Pre-download a mix of 30–60 minute episodes. That way you can match an episode to each leg of the drive without ending up parked outside your guesthouse waiting for the last five minutes to finish.
🎒 Road Trip Essentials
Italy is basically “four seasons in one itinerary” on this route, especially if you’re doing Dolomites + Sicily in the same trip. So pack like a sensible gremlin: prepared, but not hauling your entire wardrobe. 😅
The non-negotiables (any month) ✅
- Phone mount + charging cable (and a backup, because Italy loves a dramatic moment) 🔌
- Offline maps downloaded + saved pins 📍
- Power bank (your battery will not survive Florence + photos) 📱
- Reusable water bottle + snacks for long motorway stretches 🥨
- Coins / card ready for tolls + parking 💳🪙
- Microfibre towel + wet wipes (beach days, sweaty hikes, surprise spills… it happens) 🧼
- Mini first-aid kit (plasters for blisters = main character energy) 🩹
- Lightweight daypack for cities + viewpoints 🎒
- Booking basics: lock in car hire, sprinkle stays via Booking.com, and grab an eSIM so navigation doesn’t turn into vibes-based guessing 🗺️📶
Season boosters (pick your combo) 🌦️
Spring (Mar–May):
- Light rain jacket + trainers with grip 🌧️👟
- Layers for the Dolomites (warm midday, chilly shade) 🧥
- Allergy meds if pollen turns you into a sneeze factory 🤧
Summer (Jun–Aug):
- Sun protection: SPF, hat, sunglasses (seriously) ☀️🧢🕶️
- Swim stuff that dries fast 🩱
- Heat plan: start drives early, park in shade, keep water in the car 🧊🚰
- Mosquito repellent for evenings near water 🦟
Autumn (Sep–Nov):
- Light jumper + rain layer (showers love a surprise entrance) 🍂🌧️
- Closed-toe shoes for cobbles + winery days 👟🍷
- A warmer layer for early mornings in the north 🧥
Winter (Dec–Feb):
- Warm layers for the Dolomites + gloves for viewpoints 🧤🏔️
- Screen wash + de-icer (basic but clutch) 🧊
- Snow chains or winter tyres if you’re heading into higher mountain areas 🚗❄️
- Head torch for early sunsets 🔦
Rent a Car
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
What to know How to Plan or Save for a Trip? Here are our best:
FAQs
How many days do I need for the full Dolomites to Etna route?
14 days is the sweet spot. 10 days works if you trim a couple of full city days.
Is this route easy to drive?
Yes overall, but city centres and old towns are not your friend. Park outside and walk in.
How do I get the car into Sicily?
You’ll use a ferry crossing from mainland to Sicily. It’s straightforward, just allow time for queues and loading. ⛴️
Do I need guided activities for Etna?
Not essential, but guided options can be brilliant for safety and access. If you like “tell me what I’m looking at” energy, book a volcano experience. 🌋
Travel Planning Resources
Ready to book your next trip? These trusted resources have been personally vetted to ensure a smooth travel experience.
Book Your Flights: Kick off your travel planning by finding the best flight deals on Trip.com. Our years of experience with them confirm they offer the most competitive prices.
Book Your Hotel: For the best hotel rates, use Booking.com . For the best and safest hostels, HostelWorld.com is your go-to resource. Best for overall Hotel ratings and bargains, use TripAdvisor.com!
Find Apartment Rentals: For affordable apartment rentals, check out VRBO. They consistently offer the best prices.
Car Rentals: For affordable car rentals, check out RentalCars.com. They offer the best cars, mostly brand new.
Travel Insurance: Never travel without insurance. Here are our top recommendations:
- EKTA for Travel Insurance for all areas!
- Use AirHelp for compensation claims against flight delays etc.
Book Your Activities: Discover walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more on Get Your Guide. They have a vast selection of activities to enhance your trip. There is also Tiqets.com for instant mobile tickets.
Book The Best Trains: Use Trainline to find the most affordable trains or Rail Europe for rail passes!
Travel E-SIMS: Airalo Worldwide! Use your mobile phone anywhere!
Need More Help Planning Your Trip? Visit our Resources Page to see all the companies we trust and use for our travels.
You May Also Like
Share this post
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Author
Michelle Wright
Hi, I'm Michelle, a middle-aged adventurer rediscovering the world one trip at a time. After years of balancing career and family, I’m now embracing my love for travel with a fresh perspective. From exploring ancient ruins in Greece to savoring wine in Tuscany’s rolling hills, I seek destinations that blend culture, history, and relaxation. My blog posts share practical advice, heartfelt stories, and inspiration for fellow travelers proving it’s never too late to chase wanderlust. Join me as I navigate new horizons and find joy in life’s next chapter!
Shop
Get Social
Entry Requirement Checker
Popular Posts
Join the Community
Shop Our Google Maps
Travel Itinerary Generator
Other Resources
Destinations
Get Your Free Travel Starter Kit!
Sign up with your email to receive step-by-step planning checklists, free guides, and a wealth of money-saving tips to help you plan your trip like an expert!
