The most colourful (and Instagram-friendly) road trip across Europe. From the lake at Anncey to Cinque Terre, St. Paul in Venice and the Dolomites. A 3,900-kilometre road trip to remember with impressive stops in France, Austria and Italy as the main destination.
Italy, a beautiful country with many highlights - from the canals of Venice to the vast vineyards and colourful streets in Cinque Terre. It is therefore no surprise that Italy is one of the world's most popular destinations. It has incredibly diverse landscapes, delicious food, a beautiful coastline and so on. Read our tips for a unique road trip through Italy & go prepared!
Transport
If you opt for a road trip through Italy from the Netherlands, there are 2 options. You go by car (with or without caravan) from place to place or you go by motorhome. In this case, we opted for a motorhome and we recommend this to everyone. It gives you the ultimate feeling of freedom, you can go anywhere and with the many campsites and free campingspots it is also convenient.
Tip: You can easily rent a motorhome online. Through reliable websites such as Campstar, Camptoo or Goboony. We rented a motorhome on the website of Camptoo. On this website, several individuals and companies offer their motorhomes, each with different options, different insurances and different rental terms. Perfect for a road trip through Europe! Want to know more about renting a motorhome and finding Of free campingspots? Then check out our blog: Free motorhome travel across Europe.
Would you rather fly and just take a road trip in Italy? Then check out SunnyCars here you can easily, safely and quickly rent a car or book a complete tailor-made round trip at TravelHome.
2-Week road trip from the Netherlands to Italy
We took 2 weeks on the trip below but this means you are on the road a lot. We love that! Driving a few hours every day and enjoying the scenery. Do you also want to get away for a fortnight but stay longer in one place? Then choose, for example, to Camogli and Borghetto in Parma skip.
Do you have more than 2 weeks? Then choose to stay longer in one place or add cities like Florence and Rome to your trip.
Day 1: Saulx, France
As soon as you get into your car or motorhome, your holiday begins with Saulx in France as your first stop. France that is home to some of the most romantic and elegant cities in the world. Best known for its capital Paris, but which has so much more beauty to offer. We found Saulx a fine first stop and therefore think it is a great starting location for your trip to Italy. Due to the current situation (corona 2020), we did not have the opportunity to stop earlier. Do you have this? Then opt for an extra stop in Antwerp or Brussels.
From Amsterdam to Saulx is a 6.5-hour drive.
Day 2: Annecy, France
Annecy is a picturesque village and perfect for your second stop. The town lies on Europe's cleanest lake namely Lac d'Annecy. You can spend hours here gazing at the beautiful scenery, picnicking on one of the quays or exploring the historic town centre. Going in summer? Then make sure you stay an extra day and opt for one of the many outdoor activities.
From Saulx to Annecy is a 3.5-hour drive.
Day 3 - 4 : Camogli, Italy:
On the third day, you drive from Annecy to Camogli. This, still fairly unknown town, on the Italian Riviera is one of Italy's best-kept secrets. It is a quiet and still unspoilt coastal town that is only a half-hour drive from Portofino. Camogli is an old fishing village with colourful houses where you can relax for a while. Just wander through the narrow alleys, eat pasta, drink coffee and enjoy! Would you like to know more about Camogli? Check out our blog here!
From Annecy to Camogli is a five-hour drive.
Tip: Keep in mind that there is a cost for travelling via the M.Blanc tunnel. The cost of this tunnel is €61.30 with a motorhome and €46.30 by car. For more information, visit here.
Tired of driving and want to stop earlier? Then opt for a stop in Turin. Turin is the first major city you encounter in Italy when travelling via the M.Blanc (Frejus) tunnel. We chose to travel directly to Camogli. The reason is that we wanted to avoid the big cities at this time (corona 2020).
Do you want to stop here and learn more about this city? Then check out our friends at travelstel.co.uk for the best highlights!
Day 5: Cinque Terre, Italy
A short drive to Cinque Terre and on to the Parma region at the end of the day. Before going to Cinque Terre, we both thought; this is just one village. A village full of colourful houses built on a cliff but this is not the case.
In fact, Cinque Terre consists of five different villages. That is why it has the name Cinque Terre what ‘five countries’ means in Italian. The five villages belonging to this area are (from north to south): Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. In this case, we visited the town of Manarola.
Want more information about Cinque Terre? Then read this article by travelwives !
Camogli to Cinque Terre (Manarola) is 1.5 hours' drive.
Day 6: Borghetto Parma, Italy - transit to Venice
From the south coast to Venice is a long journey. This is why we chose to stay overnight at Borghetto Parma. The idea was to arrive late and leave early again. We had found a free camping spot near a local cheese farmer with a beautiful view. What was supposed to be a short stop led to a fantastic tour of the parmesan cheese factory. Want to know more about this? Read our blog The most fun and free camping spot in Parma, Italy.
Cinque Terre - Manarola to Borghetto Parma 1 hour and 45 minutes' drive & from Borghetto Parma to Venice is 3.5 hours' drive.
Day 7 - 8: Venice, Italy
Venice, the floating city. Where you cannot go by car and all transport is via boats and bridges. On days 7 & 8, you'll have plenty of time to visit one of the world's most unique cities. Want to know more about Venice, view our mini guide!
We stayed at a free camping spot close to the centre of Venice. Read more about this spot and transport to Venice in our new blog soon.
Day 9 - 12 : Dolomites, Italy
The Italian Dolomites is one of the most impressive places in the world. After four days of driving around, we were still not satiated. Visiting the Dolomites is enchanting, spectacular and quite an experience. There are many ways to experience the Dolomites, but a road trip is definitely the best introduction. We visited the following places Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Val di Funes (Villnöb), Cortina d'Ampezzo, Lago d'Antorno, Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lago Di Braies (Pragser Wildsee).
From Venice to the Dolomites is a 4-hour drive. The Dolomites is a large area with several breathtaking spots. Bear in mind that you'll be travelling through the mountains a lot here, which means you'll spend longer on the road.
Day 13 - 14: Zell am See, Austria
Spend your last days in Austria in the area around Zell am See. We recommend driving to this area via the GrossGlockner High Alpine Road. Besides being much faster, the views are spectacular. In addition, enjoy the mountains for a while, take another nice hike, photograph one of the blue lakes and end your road trip through Europe well.
From the Dolomites (Lago di Braies) to Zell am See, Austria is about 3 hours' drive. This is the route including the GrossGlockner High Alpine Road. Please note that you have to pay for High Alpine Road as it is a national park. For more information and current prices, visit here.
Want to know more about this road trip through Italy or has anything changed from the text above? Let us know at [email protected]. Need more travel inspiration? Take a look at our landing page.