Stay longer in each base
Choose places from which you can explore locally, with days for your hotel, the pool or a leisurely lunch. Around a week in one area is often more rewarding than moving daily.
Explore route planningCountryside, coast and smaller places
A car where it adds freedom to your holiday
Country hotels, hill towns, vineyard visits and quieter stretches of coast become easier to explore with a car. We plan self-drive holidays around well-chosen bases, manageable distances and time to stop along the way.
You can drive throughout or collect a car after a city stay. ExpertoItaly helps decide where it will be useful, which hotels suit the route and how to make the travel days enjoyable.
Plan the route before the car
Choose places from which you can explore locally, with days for your hotel, the pool or a leisurely lunch. Around a week in one area is often more rewarding than moving daily.
Explore route planningParking, access roads and the final approach matter. We consider these alongside the rooms, setting, restaurant options and the places you want to visit.
Explore places to stayEnjoy a city on foot, then collect the car when you leave for the countryside. We compare collection and return points with the wider route.
Explore car-free stagesYou do not need a car simply because a holiday includes several places. Historic city centres and busy coastal roads can be easier without one; rural accommodation and dispersed sights are often where driving earns its place.
Choose an area to explore

Country hotels, vineyard areas and hill towns suit days out by car. Combine a city stay with a longer rural base.
Explore this destination
Explore the Itria Valley and Salento, or combine part of Puglia with Matera, allowing enough time in each area.
Explore this destination
Choose a manageable part of the island or two complementary bases. A car can help with country stays, beaches and archaeological sites.
Explore this destination
Use a country base for smaller towns and landscapes, then add time on the Adriatic if you would enjoy a coastal stay.
Explore this destination
Plan around the coast and inland areas you most want to see, with realistic driving days and time to enjoy each stop.
Explore this destination
A car suits selected rural and mountain hotels. We balance that access against parking and traffic around busy lakeside towns.
Explore this destinationExamples to shape around you

Coast, countryside and a city finale
Fourteen nights linking the Sorrento Peninsula, Cilento and Maratea with a final cultural stay in Matera. We discuss where driving is helpful and where a transfer may suit you better.
Explore the southern route
Vineyards and the sea
A route through vineyard country and contrasting coastal areas, with time to explore from each base and enjoy the hotels along the way.
Explore the Tuscan route
14 nights · Drive after Verona
Spend the first part above Verona, then collect the car for Castel Fragsburg near Merano and a lakeside stay in Malcesine.
Explore the northern routeA week in a Sicily villa gives you a base for local outings, with pool days between them. We can arrange a villa on its own or as part of a wider journey. Explore villas in Sicily.
The practical details
Car-hire conditions depend on the supplier, vehicle and collection point. Your quotation and booking information should set out the arrangements for your particular hire.
We consider passengers, suitcases, automatic or manual transmission and the roads around your accommodation. A larger vehicle is not always the more practical choice.
Tell us what you needThe security deposit, insurance excess and any excess-reimbursement policy are different things. We explain the quoted arrangements and what remains payable or recoverable.
Read our car-hire adviceWe check opening times, driving-licence and payment-card requirements, additional drivers, fuel terms and any one-way or out-of-hours charges before confirming the hire.
Read about planning and supportWe also discuss restricted traffic zones in historic centres, parking arrangements and instructions for reaching your hotel. Driving days should leave time for breaks and the arrival itself.
If you plan a wine-tasting day, ask about a driver or an excursion so everyone can take part comfortably.
Before you choose
No. We plan bases that are enjoyable in their own right, with time for the hotel and local surroundings as well as outings.
Yes, where suitable hire points are available. We can combine a city stay or rail journey with a car for the countryside, then plan the most practical return point.
Requirements vary with the driver’s licence, issuing country, supplier and vehicle. We confirm the relevant documentation, main-driver card and deposit requirements for the proposed hire.
Tell ExpertoItaly which roads or situations concern you. A smaller area, simpler collection point and suitable hotel access may help; a car-free route with selected private-driver days may suit you better.
Explore another approach
Choose complementary places and the right amount of time in each.
Explore multi-centre holidaysUse trains, ferries and private transfers between well-chosen bases.
Explore car-free holidaysStay longer in one city, pair two cities or add a quieter final stay.
Explore italian city breaksChoose a private base around your group, location and plans.
Explore villas in sicilyPlan with ExpertoItaly
Tell ExpertoItaly where you would like to explore, how much driving feels comfortable and the sort of places you enjoy staying. We will recommend the route, bases and transport arrangements.
Tell us what you have in mindPersonal planning and support from ExpertoItaly · Travel Trust Association member Q8055