Montepulciano Terme: Wellness & Wine Experience: Honestly? According to me, this is an absolute must (I’m an SPA and wine lover), after driving and walking for hours, you deserve a bit of relax! Check out this amazing experience in here. And once you start chipping away at its foreboding exterior, you’ll find untold treasures below the surface: priceless works of art, eccentric beautiful buildings, world-class restaurants and oases of calm. Explore the best things to do in Milan and remember: appearances aren’t everything.
The Main Square: With its lovely fountain on the side, the Duomo and Palazzo Tarugi and Palazzo Contucci.
Piazzale Michelangelo: Especially at sunset, it will give you the most incredible view of Florence from above. Perfect for photography lovers. If you go there, think about me sleeping with only a blanket on the ground, what an epic trip!
Video of this two weeks Italian Road trip itinerary!
What I do now, and you should do as well!
I hope you enjoyed my article and that you will be inspired to visit my beautiful Italy, loving my country as much as I do!
The beautiful Mole Antonellliana by night
On of the best ones is definitely from Florence to Cinque Terre and it’s most suitable if you are flexible with your dates and are on an Italy road trip coming from the south and ending in the northern part of the country, like this one.
So, this bubbling and inspiring city definitely should be on your Italy bucket list. Prepare to have your mind blown! 😉
What is The best Italian road trip itinerary for 2 weeks?
Honestly? If it was for me (personal taste!) I would spend just half day in Milan and aim straight to Lake Como, but the itinerary is yours so maybe you are a fashion addict and want to spend a whole afternoon shopping in Milan 🙂 Either way, Lake Como would deserve at least 2 days of exploring in my books!
Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace): Located in Piazza Castello, If you visit it, I promise that the inside will leave you totally speechless. I still remember the first time I went there, admiring in awe the beautiful dancing room, the statues, the paintings and the seemingly never-ending luxury rooms. No wonder it was included in the list of World Heritage sites in 1997. Totally worth it!
In This 2 weeks Italy Road Trip Article You Will Discover:
— THE BEST PLACES YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN YOUR TRIP TO ITALY —
— THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN ITALY—
— COOL TOURS OR EXPERIENCES YOU CAN BOOK DIRECTLY ONLINE—
— MY RECOMMENDED HOTELS/B&B THAT ARE PERFECT FOR YOUR TOUR OF ITALY —
— HOW TO USE A GENIUS (FREE) TOOL TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR HOTEL BOOKINGS —
Don’t forget to hop on the ferries that cross the lake, it’s a perfect way to explore the beautiful towns surround it like Menaggio, Bellagio, and Varenna, to mention but a few of my favorites.
3) CORNIGLIA: Unlike the four other Cinque Terre towns, Corniglia is not perched right on the seafront, but some 100 meters high on the cliff-top. Attention: trying to walk this in the blistering heat at midday could be a bad idea – you could just end up sweaty, hot, dehydrated and no doubt in a bit of a mess 🙂 you can use the connecting shuttle bus from the train station, it only takes 5 minutes or so. A perfect place to enjoy the views of this magnificent area! TWO WEEKS IN ITALY ROAD TRIP: CONTENT SAVE IT FOR LATER… PIN IT!
A super nice hotel, central and with amazing views over the lake, the owner Francesco is super friendly (like most of the people from Rome and surroundings!), breakfast is included and a parking space is available too, mandatory for a stress-free Italy road trip, right? 🙂 Click to Check the Hotel out!
14 DAYS TALY ITINERARY DAY 14-15 | MILAN & LAKE COMO
Images credits/attributions: Shutterstock.com (except for Emilia Romagna)
WHAT TO SEE IN ROME IN ONE DAY:
Santa Croce Church: With its gothic facade and the ample plaza is a very well known landmark in Florence, famous for being the place where you will find Galileo and Michelangelo’s tombs.
Most Famous Things To Do In Rome:
- Saint Peter’s Church and Dome
- Piazza Di Spagna /Pincio Terrace
- Piazza Navona
- Fontana di Trevi
- Colosseum and Via Dei Fori Imperiali (at night is a must!)
- Lungotevere Castel Sant’Angelo (At sunrise, I did it: Best experience in Rome ever)
- Pincio Terrace (At sunset, for the best view of Rome)
- Trastevere (For dinner obviously!)
WHAT TO SEE IN VATICAN CITY IN ONE DAY:
That said, If you want to travel slower and stay more in one place you can easily rearrange this itinerary by simply skip a few places, no problem!
Most Famous Things to do and see in Vatican City:
- Visit the Musei Vaticani.
- Take a tour of The Sistine Chapel.
- Visit the Vatican’s beautiful gardens.
- Admire it from the top of the St Peter’s Dome!
With Pruvo? Darn! I wish they had created this service years ago and that I had discovered it as soon as it was available!
RECOMMENDED BEST HOTELS IN ROME:
Yes, I did it too… so why I didn’t put it in here? Because when I went there the digital cameras didn’t exist yet so we used the whole film to try and be in the right position for the photo. Only one had the right angle but it was super blurry!
The beauty of Turin, compared to other Italian cities is that it is so easy to walk around. I didn’t have a car for 8 years and I know every single street, as you can easily walk from the city center to some of the most beautiful buildings and plazas around.
Piazza Castello/Via Garibaldi: Is Turin’s central square, lined with museums, theatres, and cafes. Dominating it is the part-medieval, part-baroque Palazzo Madama, the original seat of the Italian parliament. To the north, is the beautiful facade of the Palazzo Reale, the royal palace built for Carlo Emanuele II in the mid-1600s. If you are up for some shopping, on the left of Palazzo Reale, you will reach Via Garibaldi, packed with high end and budget shops (I used to live in the student house in that area!) 😉
RECOMMENDED BEST TOURS IN ROME:
If you want to have a truly amazing Italian experience: Road trip is the main word! Nothing beats an Italian Road trip, trust me. I took my driving license in Rome (crazy, I know!) and from there I discovered every region by car. Slowly, savoring the panoramic scenery that only my beautiful country can offer. Using the train is also a great option but nothing beats driving around Italy!
A word of advice: You might want to see as much as possible during your epic road trip, but in my opinion is better to pick just 3-max 4 cities or villages you don’t want to miss for any reason and leave the rest as a last minute choice.
It seems that, nowadays, the city is merely associated with Agnelli and its automobile empire. However, that would be forgetting that eight decades earlier another dynasty, not an industrial one, but a royal one chose Turin as its capital. La Gran Madre Church: The church of Gran Madre di Dio is a Neoclassic-style church located in front of Piazza Vittorio Veneto, at the western side of the bridge dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele I. Very easy to reach by foot from Piazza Castello through via Po (filled with shops and restaurants), it’s very beautiful at night. Since this is YOUR road trip, you might decide to spend the night in San Miniato, in this case, I highly recommend this hotel, located in a former convent, it offers free parking space and even an SPA and wellness center to recharge your batteries 🙂 Pisa and Florence are only 45 min away by car! Click to Check the Hotel out!
Given the proximity of Lake Como with Milan, you can opt for booking one of the great tours from the Lombardy Capital, instead of spending money (and time) using your car. Many people choose this option and they are able to enjoy a full day in Lake Como without stress and seeing all the top sights stated above.
4) VERNAZZA: Dating back almost 1000 years, iconic Vernazza still stands to show you a beautiful piece of historic Italian charm – that I fall in love with again and again. This town really stole my heart! Don’t forget to see the Church of Santa Margherita and Vernazza’s hidden beach just off Piazza Marconi.
Leaving Rome, you can drive by the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla and onto the Ancient Via Appia by the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. This tour of the Roman Castles will take you along the ‘Road of the Lakes’ through one of the hilly areas of volcanic origin that characterize the outskirts of Rome, the Colli Albani, with its many growing villages.
In Milan, as previously stated, is actually super easy to get around, either by walking a bit or via their efficient public services (the underground metropolitan system is very good). This way you will able to do quite a lot in one day.
This lovely town is all about strolling around slowly admiring its beautiful historical buildings and the old medieval atmosphere, so take your time to enjoy it, find a good trattoria to eat, drink an espresso and take it “the Italian way” = EASY & SLOW 🙂
Giardini di Boboli: We spent a whole afternoon in there and you can’t miss them for anything in the world, the main word here is GREEN. So much green, and fountains, groomed trees, statues and hidden grottos. Go there and … RELAX!
If you can’t watch the video right now, no worries… I’ll wrap it up in my final recap!
Parco Sempione: Located in the heart of Milan, Parco Sempione is a lovely park where you can relax and chill and also visit the Sforza Castel and the Arch of peace, two of the most famous landmark in Milan… As for the Duomo, you can’t say you have seen Milan if you miss this spot!
Being a very small town, after you have admired its historical center, there are many activities you can book for an even more memorable experience!
It’s not ALWAYS like this but, more often than not, the cheapest hotels are not in the center, but in rather shady areas without many amenities, connections and restaurant in sight, so I had to spend money on taxis and buses to go back and forth. Not a great deal, right?
You think you don’t have enough time to see it all and/or you are not keen on walking all day with the risk of missing something important? Then an organized tour is what you need to set your mind at peace, below are the ones I recommend the most:
WHAT TO SEE AT THE ROMAN CASTLES:
Leaving Rome, you can drive by the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla and onto the Ancient Via Appia by the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. This tour of the Roman Castles will take you along the ‘Road of the Lakes’ through one of the hilly areas of volcanic origin that characterize the outskirts of Rome, the Colli Albani, with its many growing villages.
Most Famous Things to do and see in The Roman Castles:
In Milan, as previously stated, is actually super easy to get around, either by walking a bit or via their efficient public services (the underground metropolitan system is very good). This way you will able to do quite a lot in one day.
ITALIAN 2 WEEKS ITINERARY DAY 13 | TURIN
ITALY 2 WEEKS ITINERARY DAY 4 | MONTEPULCIANO
2) MANAROLA: Arguably one of the most photographed towns in Cinque Terre, Manarola is a beautiful place to explore and of course grab a bite to eat! I swear that every time I visit Manarola I put on 4kg in weight! The gelato, the calamari, the wine … it’s all just too good!
14 DAYS ITALY TINERARY DAY 8 | FLORENCE
If you are staying for two days in this magnificent city, you will have some spare time to choose among some of the coolest tours around. Since there are so many ones to choose from, I put some of my favorites below and you can check out more tours by clicking on the whole list.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN MONTEPULCIANO:
This lovely town is all about strolling around slowly admiring its beautiful historical buildings and the old medieval atmosphere, so take your time to enjoy it, find a good trattoria to eat, drink an espresso and take it “the Italian way” = EASY & SLOW 🙂
Things To Do in Montepulciano:
Giardini di Boboli: We spent a whole afternoon in there and you can’t miss them for anything in the world, the main word here is GREEN. So much green, and fountains, groomed trees, statues and hidden grottos. Go there and … RELAX!
If you can’t watch the video right now, no worries… I’ll wrap it up in my final recap!
14 DAYS ITALIAN ITINERARY DAY 10 | BOLOGNA
HOTEL BEL SOGGIORNO
Parco Sempione: Located in the heart of Milan, Parco Sempione is a lovely park where you can relax and chill and also visit the Sforza Castel and the Arch of peace, two of the most famous landmark in Milan… As for the Duomo, you can’t say you have seen Milan if you miss this spot!
RECOMMENDED TOURS IN MONTEPULCIANO:
Being a very small town, after you have admired its historical center, there are many activities you can book for an even more memorable experience!
It’s not ALWAYS like this but, more often than not, the cheapest hotels are not in the center, but in rather shady areas without many amenities, connections and restaurant in sight, so I had to spend money on taxis and buses to go back and forth. Not a great deal, right?
You think you don’t have enough time to see it all and/or you are not keen on walking all day with the risk of missing something important? Then an organized tour is what you need to set your mind at peace, below are the ones I recommend the most:
Obviously the main attractions of the Cinque Terre National Park are the famous villages, so let’s check them out in detail to see what distinguishes one from the other, they are all marvelous and unique!
Villa Del Balbianello: Located on the left-wing of the Lake, near the village of Lenno, it is a must see for sure. Beautiful views of the Lake and the Villa itself with its terrace garden is truly out of this world! One of the best spots to admire Lake Como mighty beauty. It’s surely one of the most touristy and popular Villas to visit.
I had the luck to discover the town I have declared the loveliest of the entire Tuscany Region during a Road trip from Rome to Florence. It was a super dark and rainy day but my first reaction when I left the car in the spacious parking lot just before the town walls was: WOW WHAT IS THIS PLACE?
Villa Del Balbianello: Located on the left-wing of the Lake, near the village of Lenno, it is a must see for sure. Beautiful views of the Lake and the Villa itself with its terrace garden is truly out of this world! One of the best spots to admire Lake Como mighty beauty. It’s surely one of the most touristy and popular Villas to visit.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SAN GIMIGNANO:
I had the luck to discover the town I have declared the loveliest of the entire Tuscany Region during a Road trip from Rome to Florence. It was a super dark and rainy day but my first reaction when I left the car in the spacious parking lot just before the town walls was: WOW WHAT IS THIS PLACE?
RESIDENZA MONFY
Useful Info: As with most popular sights, just remember to buy your tickets early or online, otherwise be prepared for a few hours waiting around peak times (still worth it if you ask me!)
Nowadays, the town still welcomes travelers from all over the world with stunning sites to behold like The Duomo, The Tower of Frederick and the well preserved medieval precinct of the town. You can spend the whole afternoon here filling up on local olives! Isn’t that a good enough reason for you to stop in there? I know it would be for me 🙂
Hop On-Hop Off Ticket: Super Touristy, I know, but when you don’t have much time is so worth it! I remember hating that red bus and I ended up loving it when I had only one day in Warsaw and I managed to see it all (at my own pace but they don’t miss the important spots). Check it out!
WHERE TO STAY IN SAN GIMIGNANO:
FIRST WEEK
One of the best hotels in San Gimignano! You’ll have everything at your doorstep: public parking just 50mt away, breathtaking views from the windows and the location is superb, right in the city center. This hotel will be the cherry on top of your already amazing experience in San Gimignano! Click to Check the Hotel out!
RECOMMENDED TOURS IN SAN GIMIGNANO:
There are many tours but they depart from other cities like Siena to visit San Gimignano, but since you are on your epic road trip, you don’t need those! The only one I feel I can recommend is actually a “detour” or a secondary option to your Itinerary.
HOTEL DI STEFANO
Il Quadrilatero Romano: One of my favorite places in Turin for its many restaurants, aperitife bars and lovely streets, filled with history from the Roman empire. Great for an interesting night out in Turin!
