The Best Italian Road Trips for Families: Beautiful Routes, Hidden Gems & Travel Tips

The Best Italian Road Trips for Families: Beautiful Routes, Hidden Gems & Travel Tips

Italy is one of those countries where every kilometre can feel like part of the holiday.

One moment you’re driving through rolling Tuscan hills, the next you’re stopping in a medieval village for gelato. You can spend the morning exploring an ancient city, the afternoon swimming in a lake and the evening eating pizza in a little piazza.

And that is exactly why we love travelling through Italy as a family.

Over the years, we have explored different parts of Italy, from Tuscany and Elba to the Italian Alps and the beautiful lakes in the north. Some trips were proper road trips, while others were based around one place with day trips from there. But together, they have given us a pretty good idea of just how much variety Italy has to offer.

Whether you’re planning your first Italian road trip with kids or you’re looking for inspiration for your next one, these are some of the routes and destinations we would consider.

Why Italy is so good for a family road trip

Italy works incredibly well for families because you don’t have to choose between different types of holiday.

You can have culture and beaches. Cities and countryside. Mountains and swimming pools. Adventure and plenty of downtime.

And then there’s the food.

Pizza, pasta, gelato, focaccia, fresh fruit, pastries… Even our girls have always found something they love.

Another reason we enjoy driving through Italy is the freedom it gives you. You can stop when you see a beautiful village, change your plans when the weather isn’t great or stay a little longer somewhere you really like.

But you don’t have to drive across the entire country to have a great Italian road trip.

In fact, we would recommend choosing one region or combining two nearby areas rather than trying to see everything in one holiday.

Here are some of the combinations that work particularly well.

Route 1: Florence, Rome & Tuscany

Florence → Rome → Tuscany → Siena → Pisa → Lucca

This is a wonderful option if you want to combine famous Italian cities with the countryside and smaller towns of Tuscany.

We started our own Tuscany experience in Florence, and it turned out to be a fantastic base for exploring the surrounding region. Florence itself is surprisingly easy to enjoy with children. The historic centre is compact, there are beautiful squares everywhere and, naturally, there is no shortage of gelato.

We stayed just outside Florence and used it as a base for exploring places such as Siena and San Gimignano. Having somewhere with swimming pools and space for the girls to play meant we could combine sightseeing with plenty of downtime.

You can read more about how we experienced the city in our Florence with Kids guide.

Add Rome to your itinerary

If you want to make this a longer Italian adventure, Rome is an obvious addition.

Rome is completely different from Florence. Instead of Renaissance architecture and Tuscan landscapes, you suddenly find yourself walking among thousands of years of history.

The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and Vatican City are the obvious highlights, but what we love about Rome is the atmosphere between those famous sights. Narrow streets, little piazzas, fountains, restaurants and gelaterias make the city just as interesting between the major attractions.

We have now written a separate Rome with Kids guide, with our tips for exploring the Eternal City as a family.

Rome and Florence can work particularly well together if you want to combine two completely different Italian city experiences before heading into the countryside.

The Tuscany Road Trip: Slow Down and Enjoy the Scenery

If you have more time, don’t just drive through Tuscany between Florence and your next destination.

Give the region some time.

Our Tuscany Road Trip takes you deeper into the countryside, with places such as Siena, Val d’Orcia, Pisa and Lucca along the way.

This is the Italy many people picture when they dream about a road trip: rolling hills, vineyards, cypress-lined roads, medieval villages and long lunches that somehow turn into very long lunches.

And Tuscany is actually a great region for families because you don’t have to fill every day with sightseeing.

Spend one day exploring Siena. The next, visit a hilltop village. Then have a slow afternoon at your accommodation or by the pool.

That balance is something we really appreciate when travelling with children.

Siena

Siena is one of those cities where simply wandering around is part of the experience.

The enormous Piazza del Campo is the heart of the city, and the narrow streets surrounding it make exploring feel like an adventure.

And naturally, there was food involved when we visited.

Anneloes once arrived in Siena absolutely starving, which resulted in her happily devouring a huge, delicious slice of pizza. It was exactly what she needed at that moment.

And Siena is also where we have one of our favourite little family memories involving Evelijn. She was only two when she discovered that ice cream is called gelato in Italian. She pointed at the gelato and confidently asked for “gelato” and we were honestly stunned that she had somehow figured it out.

Those are the memories that stay with you long after the sightseeing is forgotten. We’ve shared more about our time in this beautiful Tuscan city in our Siena with Kids guide, including the places we visited and what made Siena such a lovely stop for our family.

Pisa and Lucca

Pisa is an easy addition to a Tuscany road trip, especially if your children are desperate to see whether the Leaning Tower really does lean.

It does.

But we would combine Pisa with another destination rather than spending an entire day there. Lucca is a particularly good combination, with its impressive city walls, narrow streets and relaxed atmosphere.

You can cycle or walk around the walls, stop for lunch and explore the old town before continuing your journey. We’ve shared more about visiting Pisa with kids and exploring Lucca with kids in our guides, if you want to see how we experienced both places as a family.

Together, Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca make a really lovely first introduction to Tuscany.

Route 2: Northern Italy – Lakes, Mountains & Cities

Milan → Lake Como → Lake Garda → Dolomites → Stelvio Pass → Venice

If Tuscany gives you vineyards and medieval villages, northern Italy gives you mountains, lakes and a completely different landscape.

You can start in Milan, combine city life with the spectacular scenery of Lake Como, continue towards Lake Garda, head into the Dolomites and, if you’re travelling at the right time of year, even experience something as unusual as summer skiing at the Stelvio Pass.

You could then finish in Venice.

It is a route with a huge amount of variety, which makes it particularly interesting for families who don’t want two weeks of sightseeing.

Milan

Milan makes a good city stop at the beginning or end of a northern Italy road trip.

You can see the impressive Duomo, explore the historic centre and enjoy some proper Italian food before picking up your car and heading towards the lakes.

We wouldn’t necessarily spend a huge amount of time here with younger children, but a couple of nights can work very well.

Lake Como

Lake Como feels completely different again.

The mountains rise straight out of the water, colourful villages line the shores and boats connect many of the most beautiful places around the lake.

We loved the fact that you can combine sightseeing with simply enjoying the lake. One day you can explore Bellagio and Varenna, the next take a boat somewhere new, and another day do very little at all.

Our Lake Como with Kids guide goes into much more detail about where we went, how we explored the lake and why it worked so well for our family.

And honestly, don’t underestimate the value of a boat when travelling with children.

It is transportation, sightseeing and entertainment all in one.

Lake Garda

From Lake Como, you can continue towards Lake Garda, which has a completely different family-holiday feel.

We recently spent a week here and loved the combination of swimming, villages, sightseeing and activities.

The girls could enjoy places such as Gardaland while we could explore towns like Sirmione and Verona. And there was still plenty of time for those slow Italian evenings with pizza and gelato.

For us, one of the biggest advantages was staying in one place for a full week rather than changing hotels every few nights.

Our One Week at Lake Garda with Kids gives you a better idea of how we organised our week and what we enjoyed most.

The Dolomites

If your family loves mountains and outdoor adventures, continue towards the Dolomites.

In summer, you can hike, take cable cars into the mountains, discover alpine lakes and explore mountain villages.

In winter, the landscape changes completely and the region becomes one of Italy’s most spectacular ski destinations.

This is a great place to add some adventure after spending time around the lakes.

Stelvio Pass

And then there is the Stelvio Pass.

We have a slightly unusual Italian experience here: summer skiing.

Yes, you really can ski in Italy in July.

The Stelvio Pass combines a spectacular mountain drive with the opportunity to ski on the glacier, making it one of those destinations that is more about the experience than ticking off a traditional attraction.

Our Stelvio Pass summer skiing guide explains what it is actually like and how you can combine it with a northern Italy road trip.

Route 3: Tuscany & Elba

Tuscany → Piombino → Ferry → Elba

Want to combine a road trip with some proper beach time?

Then add Elba to your Tuscany itinerary.

After exploring Florence, Siena and the Tuscan countryside, drive towards Piombino and take the ferry across to Elba.

The journey itself becomes part of the adventure, and once you arrive, everything slows down.

Elba has beautiful beaches, clear water, mountain scenery and charming villages. Because the island is small enough to explore by car, you can discover a different part of it every day without spending hours in the car.

We absolutely loved that combination of adventure and downtime.

Our Elba guide takes you through the island and explains why it works so well for a family holiday.

This would be a particularly good choice if your children need some beach and pool time after several days of sightseeing.

Route 4: Italian Alps Road Trip

Turin → Bardonecchia → Italian Alps

Italy isn’t just about Tuscany, lakes and beaches.

Head west towards Piedmont and you’ll discover another side of the country: the Italian Alps.

We are heading back to Italy this winter to explore Turin, so this is one part of the country where our Travelicious story is still growing.

From Turin, you can continue towards Bardonecchia, a ski resort close to the French border.

We visited Bardonecchia for a family skiing holiday and loved how different it felt from some of Europe’s larger ski resorts.

It has beautiful mountains, Italian food, a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to combine skiing with simply enjoying the village.

Our Bardonecchia ski guide shares more about our experience.

And because we’re visiting Turin in winter, there will be more Italy content coming from this part of the country too.

How Long Do You Need for an Italy Road Trip?

This really depends on which part of Italy you want to see.

For a first trip, I would resist the temptation to squeeze everything into one holiday.

One week

Choose one region.

For example:

Florence + Tuscany

or

Lake Garda + Verona

10–14 days

Now you can combine regions.

For example:

Rome → Florence → Tuscany

or

Milan → Lake Como → Lake Garda

2–3 weeks

This gives you much more freedom.

You could combine:

Rome → Florence → Tuscany → Elba

or create a longer northern Italy route:

Milan → Lake Como → Lake Garda → Dolomites → Stelvio Pass → Venice

The important thing is not how many places you can put on the itinerary.

It’s how much time you actually have to enjoy them.

Driving in Italy with Kids

A car gives you a lot of freedom, particularly outside the major cities.

You can stop for lunch in a tiny village, change your plans because the children have had enough sightseeing or discover a swimming spot that wasn’t even on your itinerary.

For us, that flexibility is one of the best things about an Italian road trip.

But I wouldn’t keep a car for every part of your holiday.

If you’re spending several days in Rome or Florence, you don’t need one. Parking can be expensive and driving in historic city centres is not something you want to add to your holiday stress.

Pick up the car when you leave the city and return it when you no longer need it.

We always compare rental cars before booking, especially during school holidays.

Where Should You Stay?

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned travelling through Italy with children is that accommodation can make or break your trip.

We don’t necessarily need luxury.

But we do want somewhere that works for our family.

A pool can be worth its weight in gold after a morning of sightseeing.

That’s exactly why we loved having a family-friendly base near Florence. We could explore during the day and return to the pool while the girls still had plenty of energy.

In other destinations, we prefer a central apartment or hotel so we can walk to restaurants and attractions.

Think about what your family needs rather than simply choosing the most beautiful hotel.

And remember that changing hotels every two nights sounds great on paper.

With children, it can become a lot of packing.

What to Eat on an Italian Road Trip

One of the best things about travelling through Italy is that every region has its own food traditions.

Tuscan food is different from Roman food. Northern Italian cuisine is different again.

And that’s part of the fun.

In Rome, look for dishes such as carbonara, cacio e pepe and supplì.

In Tuscany, expect hearty dishes, local cheeses, pasta and plenty of wonderful wine for the adults.

Around the lakes, you’ll find fish, risotto and fresh local ingredients.

And wherever you go, there is one thing you can almost guarantee:

gelato.

If food is an important part of your trip, we’ve also put together our Italy Food Guide, where we explore the dishes and regional specialities worth looking out for as you travel around the country.

Packing for an Italian Road Trip

Road trips with children mean moving between different types of accommodation, so we have learned to keep our packing organised.

Packing cubes have become one of our travel essentials.

Everyone gets their own cube, which means we don’t have to unpack four suitcases every time we arrive somewhere new.

And if you’re travelling through Italy in summer, don’t forget that you may need everything from swimwear and sandals to comfortable walking shoes and a light jacket for the mountains.

Our Italy Packing List is useful if you’re putting together your own trip and don’t want to forget those little things that make travelling with kids easier.

Which Italian Road Trip Is Right for Your Family?

There isn’t one perfect Italian road trip.

And honestly, that’s one of the things we love about Italy.

If you want history and culture, combine Rome, Florence and Tuscany.

If you want lakes, mountains and adventure, head north towards Lake Como, Lake Garda and the Dolomites.

If you want culture and beach time, combine Tuscany with Elba.

And if you’re looking for winter adventure, Turin and Bardonecchia offer a completely different side of Italy.

You can even combine several of these routes if you have three weeks or more.

The trick is to leave enough space between the destinations.

Because some of our favourite Italian memories weren’t created while rushing towards the next attraction.

They happened while eating pizza.

While stopping for gelato.

While swimming in the afternoon.

While driving through the countryside and suddenly deciding to pull over because the view was too beautiful to ignore.

That’s the Italy we love travelling through.

Planning Your Italy Road Trip

Planning an Italy road trip sounds exciting, but working out which destinations to combine, how long to stay and where to stop can quickly become overwhelming.

And that’s especially true when you’re travelling with children and want to balance sightseeing with downtime.

If you’d rather have someone help you put it all together, I can plan your Italy trip for you  creating a family-friendly itinerary based on your travel style, the time you have available, your budget and the experiences you want to include.

Let me plan your Italy trip and I’ll help you turn all those ideas into a trip that actually works for your family.

Because the best family road trip isn’t the one that fits in the most places.

It’s the one that fits your family.