Italy to Italy
The length of Italy, from the industrial north to the tightest coast road in the country.
Direct
780 km
484.7 mi
Scenic route
980 km
608.9 mi
Days
3
about 8.2 hr direct
Tolls
£70
one way, per car
The drive
Milan to Amalfi is about 780 km on the A1, which is a long but simple day. The reason to take three is everything between: Tuscany, Umbria and the hill roads around Chianti.
The Amalfi road itself is not about pace. It is narrow, busy and constantly interrupted, and the driving reward is in the precision rather than the speed.
Go early or late in the year. Between June and August the coast road becomes a queue.
April, May, late September and October.
Worth the detour
Where to break the drive
Chianti
Ridge roads between Florence and Siena, best at dawn.
Orvieto or Todi
Umbrian hill towns with easy parking outside the walls.
Sorrento
The practical base for driving the coast road.
Questions
About 780 km, roughly 484.7 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 980 km.
Around 8.2 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 3 days without rushing.
Budget about £70 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
April, May, late September and October.
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