A Better Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary
by Admin
Posted on 10-05-2025 05:01 PM
One of the more iconic cities in northern italy, milan needs little introduction! from the incredible cathedral, medieval plazas and the stunning galleria vittorio emanuele ii, you’re gonna be rushed off your feet in seeing everything.
Though, don’t forget to pack yourself an umbrella, too. The weather can be a tad more unpredictable in milan than, say, the south of italy. Oh yeah, and milan is a perfect city to start a wider road trip towards lake como or lake maggiore (italian and swiss), too. Read more: best things to do in milan.
Use our road trip itinerary for wanderlust ideas. Helpful tips are included along the way. Check out our driving tips for italy , too. Each time we go back, we’re able to get more and more in-depth and discover new areas. If you’re interested in seeing this region of italy, use this as a baseline and personalize it as you see fit. Go northwest to milan instead of northeast to trento. Replace verona with another city in the area . (though i highly recommend hiking in the dolomites and verona!) we’re able to enjoy a little more of the slow travel philosophy on these trips instead of our usual power tourist style. https://www.italia.it/en
I have created an itinerary map below. To download this northern italy itinerary map, simply click on it and google maps will automatically save it to your maps. Keep it handy and use it as a resource to refer back to whenever you need, before and during your trip. To help you even more, i also included the must-see attractions for every single destination, so you have everything in one place!. https://www.governo.it/en
This post may contain affiliate links. By purchasing through my links you can help support me at no additional cost to you, thank you! are you planning a trip to northern italy? this guide is going to show you the top attractions when you only have one week in northern italy! are you planning to spend one week in northern italy but unsure where to start? look no further; i’ve got you covered with my comprehensive travel guide. This itinerary covers the top attractions and must-see sights, ensuring you make the most of your time in this beautiful region, especially when you only have one week to see it all.
How To Use This Itinerary for Your Road Trip
A northern italy road trip means enchanting lakes, astonishing mountains, and romantic cities.
Along the way, you will experience delectable italian gastronomy, adrenaline-pumping hikes, and fascinating museums and art galleries. There is so much to take into account when planning the perfect northern italy itinerary so my travel guide is here to help you get started. In this 2 weeks in northern italy article, you will find all the necessary information about where to visit, where to stay and what to do, along with many useful travel tips and information about the region. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
*disclosure: this post contains a few affiliate links, which means i may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.
As this italy road trip follows a loop, you can start and finish at any point of the itinerary. We started in enrico’s home town of treviso, which is easily accessible by two airports; treviso and venice. This 14 day italy itinerary crams in a lot, and can easily be slowed down if you have more time. I’ve also offered options to add on other locations if you’re travelling for longer too or adding italy to part of a longer europe itinerary. Book flights to.
Okay, let´s start with how to get around northern italy before discussing your actual itinerary. Then, at the end of the post, you will find many answers to faqs. I visited northern italy several times. A few times by car, but i also traveled by plane and public transportation. If you don’t come from germany , france, or switzerland, i suggest flying into bergamo and leaving from venice. 🚗 road trip streets in northern italy are actually good, and driving is not as stressful as it probably is in the central or even southern part of italy. However, gas prices here are some of the most expensive in europe.
If you’re driving, you’ll be able to explore more of the dolomites and take side trips to cities like verona. We found driving in northern italy to be quite easy, although the traffic around milan can be horrendous. There are a lot of roads and a lot of people. Turn on your gps and focus. More than a few times, we’ve missed turn-offs and ended up navigating spaghetti-like mazes of roads before finding our way to where we needed to be. Drivers can travel right up into the dolomites along twisty mountain roads and check out charming towns like bolzano.
The northern italy airports are well-connected so whether you want to take a train , bus , private car, or even water transfer (from venice’s airport), you have options. You can also rent a car and begin a northern italy road trip. Whichever transportation suits your plans best, research all the details and book ahead whenever possible to make the transfer from the airport to the city as smooth as you can. For many international arrivals, milan’s malpensa airport and venice’s marco polo airport are likely to be the entry point into northern italy. Below, there are some quick at-a-glance tips, as well as links to detailed guides for arranging your airport transfer.
Next, we're heading to the dolomites, one of my top three favorite places we've ever visited. The area's breathtaking beauty and majesty will appeal to even the most seasoned travelers! it could take anywhere between five and a half to seven hours to go from como to the dolomites. Three main roads will take you there. Two of them go more towards the south, while one runs more around the mountains in the north. Although the northern route adds an hour to the fastest route, the views and the swiss towns along the way would add to the experience of one memorable road trip.