We take you on a road trip to Southern Italy in this post from our travel blog OneDayOneTravel. Last summer, you were able to explore southern Italy with us on social networks. From Rome, in a rental car, we traveled together in a country with a unique cultural heritage where visits, beaches, villages, pasta, and pizzas followed one another. A palette of landscapes and flavors that is perfectly suited to a road trip.
For travellers in a hurry, you can take the motorway to get to each stage.
For travellers who have 2 weeks or more, you can take advantage of the small roads and in particular the famous via Appia and make a tour in Salento, in the Puglia region. This is what we did.
By the way, we are Franck and Richard. We are travel bloggers and have been exploring the world by sharing our inspiring stories, itineraries, city guides, practical tips and alternative plans with you since 2008 on OneDayOneTravel.
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We also have a local travel agency MimpiGO, based in BALI, Indonesia. Since 2021, we have been offering 100% tailor-made, authentic, eco-responsible and solidarity-based trips.
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The picturesque landscapes of southern Italy are well worth a visit. We'll give you some advice on how to enjoy this road trip with peace of mind after reading the details of our stages.
We already knew Southern Italy before undertaking this trip. Franck has Italian origins and he no longer counts the number of return trips he has made between Paris and Southern Italy (Puglia) by car but also by train and even by plane. For Richard, this is the 5th time he has been to Italy. It was however our first time for many stages.
As far as flight comparisons are concerned, we always go to the website of skyscannerto quickly find the best prices in a minimum of time.
The route of the Road Trip in Southern Italy
Here are the 7 stages that we selected during this Road Trip in Southern Italy, between Bari and Brindisi.
1. Rome (flight from Paris to Rome)
2. Villa d'Este in Tivoli (Rome-Tivoli: 35 km)
3. Pompei (Tivoli-Pompei: 230 km)
4. The Amalfi Coast (Pompeii-Salerno: 60 km)
5. Matera and Craco (Salerno-Matera: 200 km)
6. Alberobello and the white villages (Matera - Alberobello: 70 km)
7. Brindisi and the Apulia region (Alberobello - Brindisi: 80 km)
Time to explore!
After our 5-day stay in Rome, we started our Road Trip in Southern Italy and drove almost 700 km in 1 week. We reached the Puglia region by driving mainly on secondary roads. We then did a tour in the Puglia region and more particularly in Salento.
For information, the journey from Rome to Brindisi is 567 km by motorway.
The stages of the Road Trip in Southern Italy
1. Rome
To visit Rome is to visit the eternal city, a real open-air museum.
We stayed 5 days in Rome during this Road Trip in Southern Italy. This is our second stay in Rome. Romantic, historic and captivating, Rome is unique and like no other European city. It is the perfect destination in Europe for a long weekend getaway. In just 3-4 days you will have a good overview of the gems of the Italian capital. Moreover, the city is easy to visit on foot and public transport is available to most of the sights.
In order to fully enjoy the Eternal City, we advise you to rent a flat in Rome, close to the centre and to public transport, which is theideal type ofaccommodation if you stay a few days in Rome. It's cheaper than staying in a hotel, and it's the ideal way to get a feel for the Roman way of life.
In addition to the video above, don't miss our article in which we reveal our 15 favourite visits in Rome. This TOP 15 will inspire you for your next stay in the Eternal City.
2. Villa d'Este in Tivoli
The gardens are the most sumptuous part of the Villa d'Este.
Located about 30 km east of Rome, the Villa d'Este and Tivoli, the town where it is located, is an ideal excursion fromthe capital or a must-see if you are on a road trip in the area. We really fell in love with this stop.
The Villa d'Este is the masterpiece of the Italian garden of the 16th century. We are in the middle of the Renaissance. The garden is part of the world heritage listed by UNESCO since 2001.
We were lucky enough to be able to visit the gardens of the Villa d'Este in complete peace. Unwittingly, we were enjoying the garden while the Italian football team was playing a World Cup match in Brazil. We joined them afterwards. Poor guys, their team had just been eliminated from the 2014 World Cup.
If you are staying in the area, consider the Agriturismo option. These are farmhouses where you can also taste local products. The welcome is often warm and the atmosphere good-natured. As soon as we arrived, we were presented with plates of local cold cuts and cheeses. How could we resist? This is also the pleasure of a trip to southern Italy. Its gastronomy!
Tips and good addresses in Tivoli in thisvisit to the Villa d'Este
3. Pompeii and the Naples region
The ruins of Pompeii, are one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
We had a great time driving on the back roads of southern Italy from Tivoli to Pompeii for almost 6 hours. We drove through typical villages and picturesque landscapes with orchards, gardens and olive groves. For a few kilometres, the road led us along a stretch of the via Appia. The Via Appia was the first motorable road in the world. It was built during the Roman Empire and linked Rome to Brindisi. This is our route in southern Italy
After driving along the sea, as we approach the site of Pompeii, we finally see the silhouette of the volcano Vesuvius. Pompeii is not far away!
Pompeii is 26 km from Naples on the A3 motorway, direction Salerno. Take the Pompei West exit. The site is 5 minutes away.
When you visit the archaeological site of Pompeii, you literally go back in time. It is indeed one of the most surprising and moving sites in Italy. Richard is visiting the site for the second time. Twenty years ago, he had already come to Pompeii on a school trip. He had kept a memorable souvenir. This reunion lived up to his expectations. As for Franck, it was a great first. Afterwards, this visit will remain one of the most memorable of our Road Trip in Southern Italy.
We tell you why in our article on the visit of Pompei. See also our article on our 15 good addresses, tips and advice to visit Naples. tips for visiting Naples.
4. The Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most picturesque coasts in Europe.
We leave Pompeii directly after our visit and head south to the Amalfi Coast. This is the beginning of a 50 km long tourist route.
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most picturesque coasts in Europe. This winding road overlooks cliffs plunging into the Mediterranean Sea. The road is taken at the end of the day and you can enjoy the breathtaking views in the light of the sunset before reaching Salerno at nightfall.
If you like curves, you'll be served!
It's true that the road twists and turns a lot. And sometimes the road is narrow, and knowing that buses use this stretch daily, it is better to be careful and keep one eye on the road, or even two
The Amalfi coast is home to some highland villages but also to some rather posh tourist villages along the coast. If you know us at all, you know that we rarely book our accommodation in advance. We tried everything to sleep in one of the seaside villages without success. All the hotels of all categories were fully booked. We continued our journey to Salerno, where we slept in a bnb we found with difficulty after dark. We tell you more about this adventure at the end of our article on Pompei.
When visiting the Amalfi Coast, we highly recommend staying at Hotel Oceania, located in the picturesque town of Salerno. This charming hotel offers stunning views of the sea and is just a short walk away from the town's historic center. The rooms are comfortable and well-equipped, and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. During our stay, we enjoyed delicious meals at the hotel's restaurant, which serves a variety of local and international dishes. Whether you're traveling with family, and friends, or on a romantic getaway, Hotel Oceania is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of southern Italy. Don't miss the chance to book your stay at Hotel Oceania Rome.
5. Matera and Craco
This troglodytic village is really atypical and worth a visit.
Our Road Trip in Southern Italy then took us to Matera in the region of Basilicata, not far from Puglia, in Southern Italy. Famous for its sassi, cave dwellings carved into the tufa rock, Matera is one of our favourite villages in southern Italy.
The village has been the setting for many films such as The Passion of the Christ with Mel Gibson. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the village of Matera is in the running to be the European City of Culture 2019! It is also one of the oldest villages in the world (7000 years old!!!).
It is only natural that Matera deserves its own article. You will find our travel diary, our advice, and an idea for anunusual excursion, the village of Craco. This abandoned village is a tiny village perched on a hill overlooking the magnificent landscapes of Basilicata.
We strongly recommend that you get lost on the roads of Basilicata.
6. Alberobello and the white villages
A trullo, trulli!
After the hilly region of Basilicata, here we are in the region of Puglia and more particularly in Alberobello. While we find ourselves in one of the most touristic villages of this region of southern Italy, we decide to put our backpacks there anyway. It is the end of the day. The village is quiet. The shops are almost all closed. It's the ideal moment for a photo shoot in the middle of the trulli, at the last light of the day.
There are about 1000 trulli in Alberobello!
After a restful night in the town, we set off to explore the surrounding white villages: Cisternino, Locorotondo and Ostuni. We'll tell you more about these three villages soon.
7. The Puglia region
Puglia, a booming travel destination.
After the white villages, we drove to the Castellana cave, a must-see for all travellers in Southern Italy, provided you are not claustrophobic. The visit, although a little expensive, is well worth it. We then drove down into the Salento to the village of Sanarica. From this village nestled in the olive groves of Salento, we were able to travel around Puglia for 10 days. Otranto, Gallipoli, Maglie, Lecce, Bari etc.
Want to know more? Check out the TOP of our favourite villages and activities in PugliaPuglia is a little-known region with great tourist potential. This region of southern Italy has many assets.
On the land side, the villages all have their own identity and a rich cultural heritage.
On the sea side, Puglia offers two options: to the east, the Adriatic coast and its sandy beaches, and to the west, the Ionian Sea and its landscape of rocks sculpted by the sea.
The rich and variedgastronomy of Italy has its place in Puglia. It was here that weate our biggest pizza and the best parmigiana, home-made if you please!
After this stay, we went to Brindisi to take a ferry to Greece. But that's another story we'll tell you soon.
Tips for renting a car in Southern Italy
We'll tell you why we chose to travel by rental car in southern Italy.
Renting a car is really the ideal way to visit southern Italy. Why? Because you're completely free to get off the beaten track and travel at your own pace.
As far as accommodation is concerned, being independent makes it easier to test accommodation outside the city centres. We took advantage of this for example in Tivoli by sleeping in the middle of nature in an AgriTurismo. All our addresses can be found in the articles associated with each stage.
As far as security is concerned, you have to be vigilant but no more so than elsewhere, including in Puglia. We never felt unsafe. On the contrary.
On the driving side, be extra vigilant. When driving, Italians are unfortunately only too rarely respectful of white lines, speed limits and especially STOP signs. So be careful. Their driving is surprising at first, but you get used to it with time. There are many fixed speed cameras all over Italy. So be careful.
As for car rental prices, they are relatively modest provided you compare the offers of the different car rental agencies. We found a Fiat 500 for about 20 euros per day at the car rental company Sixt.
On the practical side, we always take a few photos of the car to justify the previous presence of scratches or other dents, to cover ourselves when we return the vehicle.