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10 Italy road trips: routes, bases, tolls, ZTL — and when to leave the car

Liguria to Lake Garda — each with the legs, the best bases and a car-free alternative.

PROTOTYPE · SEO/GEO article v1 · facts from the EmweGo guides (checked 2026-09-23) · question source: Transport deep research T01–T10 (23 Sep 2026) (T07)
Short answer

Italy works best as a road trip with 2–4 bases, not a new hotel every night. A car is great in Tuscany’s hill towns, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia and the Dolomite passes — and a burden in Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como, where you park once and switch to trains, boats and buses. Every historic centre has a ZTL; rental cars don’t get permits automatically. Tolls are per km (about €0.08/km for a car on Autostrade in 2026) — calculate each leg. Km below are estimates unless marked official.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Italy · Itineraries

At a glance
Best with a carTuscany hills · Puglia · Sicily · Sardinia · Dolomites
Park onceCinque Terre · Amalfi · Lake Como
Bases2–4, not nightly moves
Tolls~€0.08/km (car, Autostrade 2026)
ZTLEvery historic centre · no automatic permit

Liguria, Tuscany and the lakes

Route

R09 · Lake Como

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Como → Cernobbio → Tremezzo → Menaggio, then ferry to Varenna/Bellagio, ~100–150 km plus crossings. Apr–Oct (ferry timetable changes after 4 Oct 2026). Parking is scarce and Como’s walled town is ZTL — ferries first, car for outer villages.

Lake Como without a car →

Navigazione Laghi ↗

Route

R08 · Dolomites passes

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Bolzano → Ortisei/Selva → Passo Gardena → Passo Sella → Canazei → Passo Pordoi → Arabba/Corvara, ~120–180 km. A22 is tolled; passes are free. Mid-Jun–Sep. Parking at Sella and Gardena is very limited and roadside parking is banned — base in Ortisei, Canazei or Corvara and use buses 471/473 and lifts.

Dolomites without a car →

Val Gardena · Dolomites passes mobility ↗

The south and the islands

Route

R04 · Amalfi and Sorrento

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Salerno → Vietri → Maiori/Amalfi → Ravello → Positano → Sorrento, ~80–110 km but very slow on the SS163. Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Park once: Amalfi’s Luna Rossa garage (170 cars) or Salerno; peak-season traffic restrictions apply. Then ferries (Salerno–Amalfi €12) and buses (Positano–Amalfi €10).

Amalfi Coast guide →

Visit Amalfi · getting around ↗ · Visit Amalfi · sustainable mobility lines ↗ · Travelmar · 2026 fares ↗

Route

R05 · Puglia: Valle d’Itria + Salento

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Bari → Polignano/Monopoli → Alberobello → Ostuni → Lecce → Otranto, ~300–380 km, mostly toll-free state roads. Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Bases: Monopoli, Ostuni, Lecce. Park outside historic centres. Bari–Lecce trains work; trulli villages and beaches favour a car.

Puglia and Salento beaches →

Viaggiare in Puglia · itineraries ↗

Route

R06 · Sicily west to east

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Palermo → Segesta → Erice/Trapani → Marsala → Agrigento → Ragusa/Noto → Syracuse → Catania/Taormina, ~650–800 km (the Messina–Palermo SS113 leg alone is 250 km). Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Bases: Trapani, Ragusa or Syracuse, Catania. Leave the car for Palermo and Catania city days.

Sicily guide →

Visit Sicily · Sicily by motorbike (SS113) ↗

Route

R07 · Sardinia: Gallura

Verified 2026-09-23
Olbia → Porto Cervo → Palau → La Maddalena → Santa Teresa: 99 km, 2 h 13 (official SardegnaTurismo route) plus ferries. May–Jun, Sep. Bases: Palau, Santa Teresa, or 1–2 nights on La Maddalena. Beach car parks fill early in July–August.

Sardinia guide →

SardegnaTurismo · Gallura itinerary (99 km, 2 h 13) ↗

Before you set off

Good to know

Calculating tolls

Verified 2026-09-23
Toll = km between toll booths × class rate (car 2026: €0.07869/km flat, €0.09315/km mountain, VAT included); several concessionaires may apply on one route.

Autostrade · 2026 toll rates per km ↗

Good to know

Rent for part of the trip

Partially verified · 2026-09-23
Take the train between cities and rent a car only for the countryside legs (Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily). One-way rentals and city-centre returns inside ZTLs need checking.

Renting a car →

Visit Tuscany · by car ↗

Quick answers

Which Italian regions are best for a road trip?

Tuscany’s hill towns, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia and the Dolomite passes.

Should I drive the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?

No — park once and use ferries, trains and buses.

How long is the Tuscan coast road trip?

The official Visit Tuscany route is 300 km, Castiglione della Pescaia to Marina di Carrara.

How are Italian motorway tolls calculated?

Per km by vehicle class — about €0.08/km for a car on Autostrade in 2026.

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Related answers

Sources: Autostrade · 2026 toll rates per km ↗ · Visit Tuscany · Tuscan coast itinerary (300 km) ↗ · SardegnaTurismo · Gallura itinerary (99 km, 2 h 13) ↗ · Visit Sicily · Sicily by motorbike (SS113) ↗ · Val Gardena · Dolomites passes mobility ↗ · Visit Amalfi · getting around ↗ · Parco Cinque Terre · Train MS Card ↗