The Ultimate Italian Road Trip for Food, Views, and Vibes
Italy isn’t just one country when you’re driving through it. It feels like many. Every few hours, the language shifts slightly, the food changes, and the landscape surprises you. For travelers who care just as much about what’s on the plate as what’s out the window, some routes stand out.
Each roadway has its own rhythm. Some take you through hills and small towns, others move more gently through open country. What they all offer is a mix of regional character, striking views, and moments you won’t get from rushed tours or standard travel guides.
Drive the Strada Chiantigiana Without Crowds
Credit: Tripadvisor
The SS 222 links Florence to Siena, running through the Chianti hills where olive groves and small stone towns line the route. Drivers stop to sample Chianti Classico at roadside estates and enjoy uncrowded hilltop villages like Castellina and Greve. This road offers Tuscany without the tour groups, where lunch often means hand-rolled pasta and local pecorino.
Loop the Dolomites for Alpine Roads and Ladin Cuisine
Credit: iStockphoto
The Grande Strada delle Dolomiti (SS 48) moves through northeastern Italy’s mountain range with sharp turns and steep ascents. Cortina d’Ampezzo and Val di Fassa offer rest stops featuring alpine cuisine, including speck, barley soup, and knödel. These roads reach elevations of over 2,000 meters, where dramatic peaks rise above valleys that feel more Austrian than Italian.
Cut Across Sicily from Palermo to Taormina
Credit: Tripadvisor
Begin in Palermo, where panelle is handed over hot and eaten right on the street. The drive southeast carries you through rows of orange trees that seem to go on without a break. Taormina meets you with views of Etna and restaurants that lean toward fresh, simply grilled swordfish.
Circle Lake Como for a Slow Drive with Mountain Backdrops
Credit: Getty Images
Driving the perimeter of Lake Como offers access to towns like Bellagio and Varenna, where cobblestone streets meet the glacial waters. Roads hug the lake with regular elevation shifts and ferry crossings that connect each village. Food reflects Alpine and Lombard traditions. Here, you can expect risotto with lake perch and cold cuts from nearby Valtellina.
Take the Amalfi Coast Road for Cliffside Scenery and Local Lemon Dishes
Credit: iStockphoto
The Amalfi SS 163 moves like a snake along cliffs between Vietri and Positano. The road doesn’t get wider, but it does get brighter, thanks to the lemons stacked on terraces overhead. Everything here has a citrus flavor, from pasta to pastries to limoncello.
Explore Umbria Through Its Hilltown Backroads
Credit: Tripadvisor
Umbria lacks a coastline and, often, tourists. That leaves space for drivers to pass through olive groves and woods known for black truffles. Towns like Gubbio and Todi serve porchetta from roadside vans and pasta from kitchens that haven’t changed much in decades.
Follow the Apennine Spine for Unfiltered Mountain Italy
Credit: iStockphoto
In Abruzzo and Molise, the Apennine roads zigzag through sheep pastures and forests where cell phone signals disappear for hours. However, you will see saffron fields, chestnuts, and fall porcini. Sulmona offers pecorino so sharp it’s sold in wedges like glass. This isn’t the Italy of espresso bars and gelato. It’s calmer and older.
Base Yourself in La Spezia and Access Cinque Terre by Train
Credit: iStockphoto
La Spezia works well as a home base since cars can’t move between the five Cinque Terre villages. The trains run steadily, dropping you in places like Manarola and Corniglia, where each town treats seafood a little differently. Anchovies come in at dawn, hit the pan by midday, and end up beside a glass of local white by evening. Leaving the car behind lets you enjoy the region the way it’s meant to be experienced.
Drive the Salento Coast in Southern Puglia
Credit: iStockphoto
In southern Puglia, the road winds from Otranto to Gallipoli and up to Lecce. Meals run on a short list and include octopus salad, sea urchin pasta, and fried zucchini. The scenery shifts between watchtowers and turquoise coves. Olive trees line much of the coast, along with produce stalls and roadside trucks selling just-pressed oil.
Travel from Rome to Naples with a Detour to Pompeii
Credit: Getty Images
Ditch the highway and follow the old Via Appia south. You’ll pass weathered towns like Terracina before arriving at Pompeii’s ruins. Naples marks the finish, where pizza’s are made in traditional wood-fired ovens. This route also offers food that’s fiery, direct, and never apologetic.