Planning a 10-day road trip in Italy

February 9, 2016 7:05 PM

Help me plan a 10-day road trip in Italy in March or April. I've already been to the tourist sites in Rome, Venice, Florence, etc. so would prefer to drive up the coast and stay in little towns along the way. More snowflakes inside.

I'd like to take a 10-day trip to Italy in March or April. I'm thinking of a drive from Positano (and the Amalfi Coast in general) to Tuscany, and then possibly Bologna and then maybe up to Lake Como in the mountains. I'm also open to taking trains instead of driving (or just driving part of the way and taking the train for the rest). I'm thinking of avoiding the usual touristic sites, as I've seen them all already.

Can I drive the length of Italy in 10 days? Is it a good idea?

I like: relaxing, cafes, sites of interest to writers, long drives, great food, few hassles, decent wifi, seeing a wide range of cities.

Help me figure out: where to start the road trip, how to plan the itinerary (which nights where), suggestions about which towns to stay in, where to eat, etc.

posted by 3491again to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

I don't know, I've only been to Rome and Pompeii.

No matter what, you MUST see Pompeii. It is absolutely fantastic. It's HUGE, it's rich with history, it's tragic. You can do a day trip out of Naples (best gelato ever.)
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:10 PM on February 9, 2016

You really must not miss the Dolomites.
posted by humboldt32 at 7:43 PM on February 9, 2016

Ten days - pick a region - maybe two and own it.
posted by JPD at 8:33 PM on February 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Orvieto. Total hideaway, off the radar. You have to take a funicular to get to it because of its natural tufa rock fortification. It's tiny but endlessly charming. 100% worth it. Walk everywhere, visit the library, enjoy the breathtaking views because they are everywhere. I stayed at Hotel Duomo which had clean and spacious rooms, and a decent European breakfast. Go here for dinner.
posted by nightrecordings at 8:46 PM on February 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm totally biased since I spent most of my adult life there, but Bologna is a must. The porticos, the Archiginnasio, the Seven Churches of Santo Stefano, etc.--all the various sites would already make it a place of interest.

Here's the clincher: it's the food capital of Italy. Also consistently ranked (by Italians) as the country's most hospitable and welcoming place.

Since you pretty much have to pass through it, anyway, on most north-south (or vice-versa) trips, especially by train, it's easy to get to from just about anywhere.

That's my pitch for Bologna. Second vote: Verona.
posted by Superplin at 8:53 PM on February 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

Keep in mind there is no where to park a car in most of Italy's quaint, little hill towns! I would think the trains would be much less hassle. And you do not want to drive the Amalfi Coast. See it, yes, but drive it? No. As far as regions -- Umbria doesn't get the love it deserves. It's Tuscany without the tourists! The Lake Region, Lombardy and Piemonte, gorgeous! Liguria, known as "The Italian Riviera" has the Cinque Terre and many beautiful little towns along the coast. As far as specific towns to visit that are not big or too touristy especially in March and April: Orvieto, Cortona, Siena, Lucca, Bologna, Verona, Montepulciano, Turin, Sestri Levante, Stresa on Lago Maggiore -- anywhere in the lake region, it's magnificent. Buon Viaggio!
posted by pjsky at 8:55 PM on February 9, 2016 [5 favorites]

You could break it into one or two regions, and drive or train between them. If you like archaeology and the classics, you could take three days or so and swing through the ruins of Paestum, Baiae, the Campi Flegrei; the villas of Stabiae and Oplontis, and wondrous Herculaneum, with a stop in Naples. (Where I would never suggest driving. Please don't. But it has a deep and rich relationship with writers reaching back millennia.) If you go to Cumae, you can read Virgil while standing in the passageway of the Sibyl. Further north, I'm seconding Assisi and Orvieto, which is small and stunning and full of wonderful museums and food. Also, if you stick on the western side, Siena. Smaller pauses, possibly: Volterra, the lago di Bolsena, Viterbo (cited several times in Dante, for better or worse,) the Parco dei mostri in Bomarzo. Further out: Verona, Bologna, Ravenna.
posted by jetlagaddict at 9:13 PM on February 9, 2016

I can't speak for anything south of Siena, but Florence -> Bologna -> Como is an easy drive and really lovely. Florence -> Bologna is a couple of hours on the autostrada, or longer if you decide to take backroads. (If you care about sport driving at all, the roads there are some of the best in the world; Ducati tests its bikes in that area.) Bologna -> Como is about 3 hours on the autostrada. One suggestion if you do drive: make sure you don't drive into the historic center of any of the cities. (I've inadvertently driven across the Piazza della Signoria. You don't want to do that.)

And I'll second Superplin's recommendation of Bologna. The worst meal I had there was better than the best meal I've ever had in Florence.
posted by asterix at 9:48 PM on February 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

I won't mention a specific region, but I will recommend that you stay in Agriturismos. These are lodging / hotels that must comply to specific standards about supporting and growing local products. You can very easily select them by region and amenities. If you select carefully, you can have a fantastic authentic Italian experience with amazing food while also meeting really nice people. Just take some time with your selection as the Agriturismos differ greatly from one another. Read the reviews carefully and perhaps call them with questions.

I would also suggest focusing on a specific region. Tuscany or something. I would spend a couple of days in a city and the rest on the country side.
posted by jazh at 2:36 AM on February 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

I did the exact same thing with a couple of American friends. One thing they really underestimated was the difference between driving in Italy and driving in the US. In Italy there are so many sites, so many quaint villages where you can stop, while in the US, distances are much bigger and driving is more or less a necessity to drive from one interesting thing to another. (I know, slightly exaggerated). We combined cinque terre, tuscany, amalfi and rome in 12 days. That was waaaay too much.

Keeping this in mind, I would definitely recommend you to skip at least one, and better two of the four destinations you mention. Tuscany/Bologna possibly with a side trip to Cinque Terre could be a nice tour.

Have fun, Italy is beautiful!
posted by eau79 at 2:44 AM on February 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

I just realized my link upthread didn't work (that's what I get for trying to post a link on a mobile phone); it was supposed to be for this Orvieto restaurant Tipica Trattoria Etrusca.
posted by nightrecordings at 8:30 AM on February 10, 2016

nthing Orvieto and wholeheartedly seconding Tipica Trattoria Etrusca! Orvieto is fantastic. Hill towns in Italy in general are fantastic. Every time we have stayed in Orvieto we drove, but it is difficult to find parking in the town itself. You can park at the bottom and take the funicular up or stay at one of the little hotels near the Duomo that has a tiny parking area.
Explore the caves! Eat all the things! Go to Il Mago di Oz and talk to the shop owner!

If you have some time you can also go to the nearby Civita di Bagnoregio and walk over the land bridge to explore the town there. It's pretty great.
posted by bedhead at 10:37 AM on February 10, 2016