England to Italy road trip: epic cross-country guide

A road trip from England to Italy – what an adventure! Whether you’re heading for the Italian Riviera, the hills of Tuscany, the beautiful lakes of Como and Garda, or the bustling cities of Milan, Rome, Florence,… this trip should be on everyone’s bucket list. Check out our best road trip from England to Italy, including must-see stopovers along the way!

The Grand Place at Lille. Image credit - Velvet.

Best road trip from England to Italy – 7 places you can’t miss

Getting to Italy from England is a long drive but well worth it. There are different options depending on where you want to leave England, what countries you want to see on the way, and of course where you want to arrive in Italy. Our trip goes from London to Rome, taking the Dover-Calais ferry crossing and arriving in northern Italy at stunning Lake Como.

Total distance : about 1,330 miles/2,140 kilometres | Recommended days : 7 days | Best time to do the route : summer | See route in Google Maps

1. Lille

Our first major stop is the northern France city of Lille, the fourth biggest urban area in France after Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, and the capital of “French Flanders”. Start a Lille sightseeing day at main square Place du Général-de-Gaulle, for restaurants and people watching, then take in Lille museums and art galleries like Palais des Beaux-Arts.

Lille is a foodie and shopping haven too! Held in September, La Braderie is the biggest flea market in Europe, drawing millions of visitors. It also has Europe’s biggest bookshop, Le Furet du Nord, and the huge Marché de Wazemmes market. Be sure to sample the city’s best-known dish moules et frites (mussels and chips), or chocolates and pastries from the many little patisseries and boulangeries. Maroilles is the special cheese of Lille.

The route fromLondon to Lille is 173 miles, including the Dover-Calais ferry crossing. If you have time, we recommend a stop at Folkestone in Kent before Dover, then a short detour to Dunkirk or Saint-Omer from Calais. Calais is great for sightseeing too – stroll its beach or pier, or visit the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode/City of Lace and Fashion museum.

2. Reims

Next up is stunning Reims and its centuries of diverse history. Reims was a major city in the time of the Roman Empire and later was the site of the coronation of the kings of France, giving it the nickname of the Coronation City. Its Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tau Palace and the former Saint-Remi Abbey are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Also, visit the Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne for its fine vintage collection of cars and motorbikes, or see the spectacular artwork and tapestries of the Musée Saint-Remi. Place Drouet d'Erlon in the city centre is where to go for restaurants and bars, and Place de la Republique for the Saturday market.

And of course, you must have a champagne tour! Reims is famously one of the French centres of champagne production, where many champagne-producing houses or les grandes marques have their headquarters. Take a tour of the chalk caves below the city streets where Reims champagne is aged.

Lille to Reims is 216km. A lovely detour is to just south of Reims to Épernay, another champagne centre.

3. Luxembourg City

The next big leg of the trip is fromReims to Strasbourg, a journey east of around 340km. However,Reims to Strasbourg via Luxembourg (485km) is well worth the detour, making Luxembourg our next stop!

The “Grand Duchy of Luxembourg” is one of Europe’s smallest states; and its capital Luxembourg City, although small, was the first city in Europe to be named European city of Culture more than once. The City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Luxembourg sights around the Old Quarters and the modern part of the city include the Gothic Revival Cathedral of Notre Dame, the fortifications, the underground art gallery Am Tunnel and the Adolphe Bridge. The National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the Luxembourg City History Museum and the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam) are popular stops too.

4. Metz

Detouring to Luxembourg from Reims also means our trip can stop at the cathedral city of Metz on the route to Strasbourg. Like Reims, Metz is steeped in rich and diverse history dating from Roman times. These days, it’s known as “The Green City” for its many public parks and gardens.

Indoors, visit the labyrinth Museum of Metz for an overview of the city, or take in a show at the opera house of Metz Metropole, the oldest working opera house in France. Centre Pompidou has Europe's largest collection of 20th-century art, while Cathedrale St-Etienne and the adjoining Place d'Armes are two of the best known Metz sights.

It’s a 67-kilometre journey fromLuxembourg to Metz, or about 83km if you want to detour to Luxembourg’s second city Esch-sur-Alzette. Southwest of Metz, the Parc naturel régional de Lorraine/Lorraine Regional Nature Reserve (make for Pont-à-Mousson) is a top spot to spend a few peaceful hours.

5. Strasbourg

Another of the European Union’s four capitals, and the main overall, is the Alsace city of Strasbourg close to the German border. It’s also another of our stops that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its historic city centre the Grande Île or Grand Island.

Sights to see in Strasbourg include its many medieval streets and churches, the black and white timber-framed buildings of the Petite France quarter, and the Gothic cathedral with its famous astronomical clock. The Parc de l'Orangerie has French gardens and the Parc de Pourtalès an open-air museum of international sculpture. You might also like the Barrage Vauban/ Vauban Dam, where there’s a viewing platform to see over the city.

Drive fromMetz to Strasbourg in around 166km, skirting the southern edge of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord/North Vosges Regional Natural Reserve.

6. Zurich

From France to Switzerland for our next fab stop! Drive southwest fromStrasbourg to Zurich (221 kilometres) via the scenic little city of Colmar, well worth a stop if you have time. Then

arrive in Switzerland at the Swiss cultural capital of Basel, and drive east to Zurich from there.

Switzerland's biggest city is popular with travellers as an access point for skiing the Swiss Alps, but there’s lots to see and do before moving on. The Swiss National Museum and Kunsthaus art museum are both here, along with a riverside Old Town perfect for a day’s exploring.

Go shopping in the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the busiest shopping streets in the world, or climb the hill at Lindenhof, a former Roman fort. Another great Zurich walk is around the three-kilometre boardwalk of Lake Promenade, starting from Bellevue. And if you prefer to park up and access Zurich public transport, you’ll have a huge range of options on the ZVV network.

7. Lucerne

Our final stop before Italy is the scenic city of Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist attractions. Set on Lake Lucerne with views of the Swiss Alps, this is a spectacularly scenic city to spend a day in.

Among Lucerne’s many bridges is the wooden Chapel Bridge or Kapellbrücke, dating from the 14th century to make it the oldest covered bridge in Europe. The Lion Monument, historic Old Town, Swiss Transport Museum and Lido beach are also top spots. Another sightseeing option is to take a boat tour on Lake Lucerne, or take the railway or cable car up Mount Rigi for views over the city.

Zurich to Lucerne is only 52 kilometres, so makes one of the trip’s easiest driving days before arriving at the Italian border.

Arriving in Italy

The drive from Switzerland to Italy on our route goes fromLucerne to Lake Como (195km), via the famous Gotthard Pass in the heart of the Swiss Alps. You’ll need the Gotthard Road Tunnel rather than the Gotthard Tunnel, as the latter is for railway journeys only.

From Lake Como, drive to Milan, Lake Garda, Bologna and Florence. Here’s our route fromLake Como to Rome.

More England to Italy road trips

Via Harwich and the Netherlands

An alternative route for England to Italy is from the Essex port town Harwich, for the ferry to Hook of Holland. The route then goes through Belgium.England to Italy via Harwich and Hook of Holland is around 1,250 miles/2,010 kilometres.

Via Germany

Fancy taking in a few top German sights on your way to Rome? ThisEngland to Italy via Germany route (1,290 miles/also includes Belgium and beautiful Bruges, then arrives in Germany at the spa city of Aachen. Spend a day in Frankfurt before driving to Milan via Zurich.

Arranging your road trip from England to Italy

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