Scenic Drives in Italy
Italy has some of the most rewarding driving in Europe and some of the most punishing rules for getting it wrong. The Amalfi coast road, the Chianti ridge routes and the Dolomite passes are all worth the trip; the historic centres they connect are almost all closed to traffic and enforced by camera.
The drives below are planned around that reality — park outside the walls, walk in, and let the road be the pleasure it is.
Full routes through Italy
Amalfi Coast Road Trip: 5 Days from Naples
Cliff roads and lemon-grove villages above the sea.
5 days · 194 km
Tuscany Road Trip: 6 Days of Hill Towns from Florence
Vineyard ridges, walled towns and long lunches.
6 days · 564 km
Day drives from Rome
All day trips from Rome →- Tivoli Day Trip from Rome — Villa d'Este's fountain garden and Hadrian's ruined country palace
- Orvieto Day Trip from Rome — A striped cathedral on a tufa cliff, and a city tunnelled underneath it
- Ostia Antica Day Trip from Rome — Rome's port city — streets, baths and mosaics, without Pompeii's crowds
- Castelli Romani Day Trip from Rome — Volcanic-lake hill towns, white wine and the Pope's old summer palace
- Civita di Bagnoregio Day Trip from Rome — The dying town on a pinnacle, reached by footbridge alone
- Sperlonga Day Trip from Rome — A whitewashed cliff village over a beach, with Tiberius's sea grotto
Day drives from Florence
All day trips from Florence →- Siena Day Trip from Florence — A shell-shaped square, a striped cathedral and a city that stopped in 1348
- Chianti wine road Day Trip from Florence — The SR222 through vineyards, with cellars and hill villages along it
- San Gimignano & Volterra Day Trip from Florence — Fourteen surviving medieval towers, then an Etruscan town on a ridge
- Lucca & Pisa Day Trip from Florence — A city wall you cycle around, and the leaning tower half an hour further
- Arezzo & Cortona Day Trip from Florence — Piero della Francesca's frescoes and a hill town over the Valdichiana
- Bologna Day Trip from Florence — Porticoed streets and Italy's best eating, over the Apennine pass
What driving here is actually like
Almost every Italian historic centre is a ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) with camera enforcement, and your satnav does not know where the cameras are. Park in a signposted car park outside the walls and walk. Fines arrive months later via the hire company, one per entry. Autostrada tolls are barrier-based and take cards; alpine passes close in winter, and the Amalfi road restricts traffic by number plate in peak summer.
Questions, answered
- What is the best scenic drive in Italy?
- The Amalfi coast road for pure drama, the Chianti ridge between Florence and Siena for a gentler day, and the Great Dolomite Road for high mountains. All three are more enjoyable outside July and August.
- What is a ZTL and how do I avoid a fine?
- A camera-enforced restricted traffic zone covering most Italian historic centres. The rule that keeps you safe is simple: never drive into a walled old town. Use the car parks outside and walk — the round white sign with a red border marks the boundary.
- Is the Amalfi coast road difficult to drive?
- It is narrow, busy and has almost nowhere to stop, so it demands attention rather than skill. In summer it also restricts private cars by plate number on some days. Driving it early in the morning, or out of season, is a completely different experience.
Plan the trip while it's in your head
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