6 beautiful road trips in Italy: drive the country's best routes

16.11.2023 - 13:29 / lonelyplanet.com

The drive along Italy's Amalfi Coast, preferably in a vintage Alfa Romeo Spider, is the stuff of travel legend.

And it's just one of dozens of epic road trip routes in this fascinating, richly layered country. Don't be put off by stories of impatient local drivers – the countryside here was made for exploring by road (and stopping every few hundred yards to take another photo).

With an extensive network of well-maintained roads that weave between snow-capped peaks, trace plunging coastlines, and meander through rolling farmland and vineyards to scenic lakes and historic towns, pretty much every journey in Italy is a scenic odyssey, but some road trips stand out as being particularly memorable.

To set the scene, we've chosen six classic road trips ranging from gentle Tuscan jaunts to hair-raising mountain adventures. Some are a little challenging, but they all make for unforgettable experiences! Here are the best road trip routes in Italy.

Best classic Italian coastal road trip
Salerno–Sorrento; approx 75km/46 miles, 1 day

Experience Italy's most spectacular coastal scenery on this white-knuckle drive along the Amalfi Coast. From Salerno, the main southern gateway to the coast, strike west to Vietri sul Mare, a small town famous for its ceramics and the start point of the coastal road proper. From here, the driving becomes more challenging as the road narrows, the curves become tighter, and the views become ever more dramatic.

After about 20km (12 miles), you'll arrive in Amalfi, the coast's main hub. Stop here to look around the landmark Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea and then head up to Ravello in the hills above. Pause for lunch here, perhaps at the Ristorante Pizzeria Vittoria, and enjoy heady panoramas from the town's lush gardens.

Next, push on to Positano, a chic, near-vertical town where colorful, steeply-stacked houses cascade down the precipitous hillsides. Beyond Positano, the route leads inland, up and across the hilly interior to Sorrento, a lively tourist hot spot overlooked by the dark, brooding bulk of Mount Vesuvius.

Planning tip: It's a popular drive, so try to come out of season to avoid the traffic. With another day to spare, you can continue north to Naples via the ruins of Pompeii.

Best road trip for art and architecture 
Florence–Orvieto; approx 210km/130 miles, 2–3 days

Taking in two of Italy's great medieval cities, the wine treasures of Chianti and swathes of classic Tuscan scenery, this two-day route leads from Florence to Orvieto in the neighboring region of Umbria. Whet your appetite for the road ahead by feasting on fine art and Renaissance architecture in Florence before striking south to Chianti wine country.

Stop for a tasting at the Enoteca Falorni in Greve and to sample the