Driving Milan to Naples in 8 days in January, tips

Not sure why you are flying to Milan and renting from there but then you basically want to go just around Naples, 500 miles to the south of Milan. If you were interested just in Orvieto, Todi and Naples, you could have flown to Rome and avoid a lot of driving in the January fog of the Po valley. 8 days is not a lot of time and you are covering a lot of miles. Are you also driving back up to Milan to catch the flight back home? That would be crazy. Also your girlfriend may have been to those places, but what about you? Don't you care to see any of those places? Rome, Florence and Venice are the most visited cities in Italy, obviously for a reason. Since you are traveling in January I would concentrate in the cities. More to do and see in winter.

Hi, Thank you for the response, we are planing a longer trip to include more of Europe, including Rome and Florence, in the spring of 2014. This trip is kind of odd because I used miles to get the tickets and I worked hard to not have more than 1 layover flying there and back. Yes, we are landing in Milan and coming back through Naples. Flying directly to Naples would have added 2 more layovers (3 total), one in Germany arriving at 9pm and leaving at 11am not much time to have done anything. This was the best route at the time of booking.

My best tip would to take plenty of money. At $9.50 per U.S. gallon for unleaded gas, you'll need it. Even though your girlfriend has been to the more popular destinations, you both will be missing a lot if you didn't just stop in for a day or two at Florence and Rome. (Pisa's off the beaten path somewhat.) And anytime I'm within 2 hours of Venice, I'm not going to miss visiting this fabulous place. Orvieto's a very neat hilltop town, and a great place to stay before going into Rome an hour away.

Daniel, Keep in mind that each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit for driving in Italy, which is used in conjunction with your regular D.L. These are valid for one year and can be easily obtained at any AAA office for a small charge. Failure to produce an I.D.P. if requested can result in fines on the spot! You may find it helpful to have a look at other posts on the HelpLine regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato or photo radar fines that others have encountered. If you inadvertently drive through one (or more) of the ZTL Cameras, it will be an expensive lesson! Happy travels!

Did you rent a disel car? If not, it is well worth changing your reservation to a diesel one.

Driving in and out of central Naples is a royal pain in the tail. I know the city pretty well and am still forever getting turned around. I really like Naples and basicly detest Sorrento and all the other recommendations you're likely to receive. I'd go with your idea, but allow an extra hour or more for each excursion.

Thank you for the comments. I will likely follow my itinerary as I laid it out we were already going to stay about 6 miles from downtown Naples in a hotel that has parking and that should alleviate some traffic. Also, thanks for the tip on the IDP, never occurred to me, I am heading over to my local AAA first thing tomorrow. Happy Holidays to all =)

Gas and toll costs aside, I think that's a great idea. You're very lucky to take such a long road trip through Italy, it's very enjoyable. I highly recommend you try to panini (sandwiches) at the Autogrills on the autostrada. They grill them up for you and they're delicious and cheap so you can save some money.

Interesting journey, Bologna in January may be foggy, but it is a city that worth a visit and the food is divine. Remember that in Naples the red light is just a suggestion and you also remember to require that the car has winter tires, you may find snow in the Apennines.