Italy road trip part 1 (from Sicily to Perugia)
Last updated on December 16th, 2025.
I was 19 years old when I took my first road trip around the United States.
Starting from Chicago, we headed to Florida, then to New York, and eventually back to Chicago.
Knowing little about the states, towns and cities we were driving through added to the awe and mystery of the adventure.
The trip was a defining travel moment for me: passing through large areas of land, and experiencing ‘life on the road’.
Italy was one place where I’d always wanted to repeat my US road trip adventure. After spending some time planning our Italy road trip we began our adventure in Sicily.
An Italy road trip from Sicily to Perugia
Starting point: Sicily
Sicily is an interesting island for so many reasons. Though close to the Italian mainland, being in Sicily can sometimes feel like you're in another country.
On the surface, it's the typical Mediterranean island — good weather, food, beaches etc.
Sicilians have their own dialect, as well as a more relaxed attitude than their neighbors in the north. Locals are welcoming, but their seemingly tougher outer exterior makes it harder to befriend them.
Above all, Sicily has some beautiful places to visit around the island. Catering to all types of travel, it's an Italian bucket list destination that the whole family will enjoy.
My general overview of when to visit Sicily is a good starting point to planning your Sicily trip.
Santa Teresa di Riva
Our home in Sicily is in a residential coastal town on the north-east of the island called Santa Teresa di Riva.
Located in the province of Messina, it's smaller and more personal than its province’s namesake larger city. Many of Sicily’s shores are stony rather than sandy, but don’t let that put you off.
High temperatures in August (82°F/28°C to 90°F/32°C) make a few stones a small price to pay for the warm and clean waters. The majority of tourists I've met in the town have been other holidaying Sicilians, many visiting from Palermo.
What to eat in Sicily
While Italy in general has a reputation for having some of the best food, for me, Sicily holds the title for food utopia.
Flavorful fruits, perfectly ripe vegetables, and not forgetting the abundance of fresh fish and seafood available daily.
Homemade gelato in a fluffy buttery brioche bun is a must, as is the traditional Granita Siciliana typically eaten for breakfast.
The icy dessert is available in several flavors (strawberry, coffee, lemon etc) and usually served with fresh cream on top.
If the sound of fresh cream is too heavy to start your day, you can ask for one 'senza panna' (without), or 'poca panna' (less).
Having tried several places in the area for Granita, I can say that Bar Mimmo is the best. They also sell other desserts like giant profiteroles, so I advise making some space by wearing something loose.
To sample some of the freshest seafood around, make a visit to Aloha Mare. This seafood haunt always has long queues in summer, given its range of mouthwatering dishes.
If you're looking for a more local experience in Sicily, and want to stay clear of tourists, then I recommend Santa Teresa di Riva. If, however, you want to go where everyone else goes in Sicily, there's one place that's unmissable.
Touristic Taormina
The hilltop historic town of Taormina is extremely popular among visitors — and for good reason.
Taormina has great views overlooking the Ionian Sea, historic landmarks and plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants. Featuring in the hit TV show, The White Lotus, further boosted its popularity.
It makes Taormina a popular choice for visitors when planning their East Sicily itinerary.
One thing to know about Taormina is that it's consistently busy. Long waiting times are typical for top Taormina attractions like the Ancient Greek theater.
As our Italy road trip took place during the peak of summer, I decided to give the theater a miss. The Sicilian sweltering temperatures aren't forgiving and I knew I could visit during a 'quieter' and less hotter period.
Instead, I decided to continue exploring the pretty streets of Taormina.
Other sights in Taormina
Sorbeto in hand, we spent time taking in the Greek-Roman architecture found in many historic churches and on shop fronts.
Other points of interest in Taormina include Isola Bella. This enchanting isolated island has a narrow sandbar that connects the island to the beach.
Not to be confused with Isola Bella in Lago Maggiore, it's easily one of Taormina's most populated spots.
One idyllic way to see Isola Bella is by joining a boat tour. This sunset coastline boat tour from Taormina includes a visit to Isola Bella, Cape Taormina and the Grotta delle Sirene. It also includes dolphin watching plus time to swim or snorkel.
Traveler tip: arrive as early as possible if you plan on visiting Isola Bella in summer. It gets extremely busy and parking fills up very quickly.
For something a little more unique for your Taormina itinerary, visit the main train station. One of the prettiest in Sicily, it was also one of several filming locations of The Godfather in Sicily.
Day stop: Catania
If the name Catania rings a bell, it may be because of one of two reasons. The city is home to one of the major airports in Sicily, Catania Fontanarossa Airport.
The other reason may relate to its renowned mafia presence. Despite this, the Sicilian city is absolutely worth a visit — if only you spend one day in Catania.
During our stay, the police presence (with guns), didn’t detract from the fact that Catania is an incredibly beautiful city.
Catania attractions
When you hit the main piazza, one of the first buildings you see is La Cattedrale di Sant’Agata (Catania Cathedral). The Catholic church was rebuilt in a grand baroque style after several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions from Mount Etna.
It's one of many historic churches to see in Catania, and I’d suggest spending a little longer if your itinerary allows. Above all, Catania is a key stop on this Italy road trip itinerary.
Catania is also home to the original and incredibly moreish Arancini, a.k.a. stuffed rice balls. Etoile D’Or served the best ragu-filled arancini as well as the popular sweet ricotta-filled mini cannolo. Small in size, it leaves plenty of room to try other flavors.
Unfortunately, since writing this post, Etoile D'Or permanently closed its doors in 2020.
Car rental in Catania
Renting a car in Italy is usually a pain-free process and is essential for your Italy road trip. You book (and pay) online, and turn up at the collection point on the day of travel. This wasn’t the case, however, when renting a car in Sicily.
We turned up at Catania Airport to find that our car hadn’t arrived, despite having booked online 5 days before. This was after an hour's wait and having to settle for another car.
Lesson learned? Don’t expect too much. Anything good that happens when renting a car in Sicily will come as a welcome surprise.
Boarding the ferry at Messina
There’s only one way to reach mainland Italy from Messina by car — and continue your Italy road trip — and that’s by ferry. Messina is the third largest city and it's home to the ferry port.
Be prepared for long waiting times and queues on entering the port. If you don’t have a ticket, you’ll need to jump out of the car and scramble along with everyone else to get one.
If there’s one thing I learned from being in the south, it's to do as the southerners do. This means spotting gaps in the queue and jumping ahead of others. This applies to buying tickets for the ferry as well as for the bathroom.
Is it great or the most polite thing to do? Absolutely not. But, act otherwise and you'll likely find yourself at the back of the line every single time.
First mainland stop: Lecce
Approximately 6 hours later after driving through Reggio Calabria, we arrived in the historical town of Lecce.
The journey from Lecce to Sicily is a lengthy one, but very scenic. One of the cheapest places to visit in Italy, Lecce is situated in the southern region of Puglia.
Despite it being past midnight when we arrived, the city was buzzing with life.
Old buildings and churches built in baroque architectural style decorate every corner of this small, yet impressive city.
At night, the lights from the bars and restaurants act as a beacon to help people find their way around.
People spill out of the eateries that line the main roads and smaller side streets. We too, at 12:30am joined in, enjoying a platter of local ham, homemade bread and a glass of wine.
One of our favorite stops on our Italy road trip, Lecce is a city that we'd happily revisit.
Port lunch at Trani
The next day of our Italy road trip, we stopped for lunch at the seaport town of Trani. Also located in Puglia, the August summer sunshine created the perfect backdrop for some leisurely outdoors dining.
What to do in Trani
One of the highlights of Trani is the old fort overlooking the sea, which has been restored for the public. The manicured gardens and pebble paths leading to the seafront are a peaceful prelude before hitting the busy highway.
For lunch, we ate a local dish called riso, patate e cozze (rice and potatoes with fresh mussels). While tasty, it was still no match for the delectable plump mussels we'd eaten in Sicily.
Map: all the stops on our Italy road trip
Overnight in Perugia
We continued our Italy road trip and arrived in Umbria late afternoon/early evening, met by a glorious golden sunset descending upon the green hills.
Driving into the heart of Italy, I counted the number of castles we passed along the way. I was most impressed by, though a very distant view, of the grand, medieval castle of Rocca Maggiore in Assisi.
A strong evocation of Italy’s past, the scenery made the long car journey more enjoyable.
Arriving at night
We arrived in Perugia at night, and to a far different scene from our arrival in Lecce.
The city’s a traditional university town, meaning that come August, there’s noticeably fewer people. The main hub of activity, created by the thousands of students, resumes when the new term begins in September/October.
August was also noticeably cooler at night in Perugia than in the south given the city's higher altitude. Because of this, be sure to take a light jacket/sweater for evenings out.
What to see in Perugia — Italy road trip
Signs of medieval architecture are everywhere in Perugia.
At the heart of the city is the wonderful 13th century constructed Palazzo del Priori. Previously the old civic palace, today it’s home to the city’s administrative headquarters.
We'd initially planned to join a walking tour of Perugia Old Town. Unfortunately, our late arrival time to the city on our Italy road trip changed our plans.
Where to park in Perugia
If driving, note that there's no parking inside Perugia’s narrow street city center. Head instead to the main underground car park. From there, you can easily access the city’s hilltop town center via the escalators.
Once you step off the escalators, you enter the main square, Piazza IV Novembre. You’d be hard pressed to miss the main attraction of the grand fountain, Fontana Maggiore, and the stone sculptures on the basin.
With or without the presence of the students, Perugia’s charm is alluring on its own merit. An abundance of Roman baroque architecture, intertwining streets and Perugina Baci chocolates, this city truly is a must see.
Continue to part two of our Italy road trip where we continue the journey from Siena to Veneto.
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Your beautiful narrative and of course the pictures made me feel like heading for this road trip too ? Italy is my dream vacation that I have been planning about for long since I came to know about its existence. Your road trip experience and information you shared here would definitely help. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! I hope you visit one day, it's beautiful in Italy
Wow - this is such an epic roadtrip! I've travelled Italy a couple of times, covering various cities, but mostly by train which is even more relaxing. Going back next month but, alas, only to Venice for the Biennial.
Thank you! We did it, and I'd love to try the other side of the country on our next trip
This is full of informations.. Thank you for sharing this blog article to the world.
Welcome!
Sounds like a great start to your Italian road trip. My hubby and I spent a week on Sicily many years ago and loved it. I'm eager to return!
It's an incredible island, with plenty to see and eat too 🙂
I pinned this! A road trip through Italy is a dream of mine- thanks for a great itinerary!! Looks AMAZING!
Thank you! I hope you do this trip one day, it's a dream 🙂
This is so on time, I am about to plan a trip to Sicily but have been looking at other road trips in the surrounding area too. Will check out your other posts on Italy too.
Great Bianca, let me know if you need anymore tips 🙂
Your road trip plan looks amazing. I am heading there in Sept and maybe I will rent a car for some adventure. Thanks for the inspiration!
You're welcome, hope you enjoy it!
This is a very detailed blog about Italy and when i visit there im sure ill make this as my reference. Cant wait to try some gellato
You'll love the gelato, there are some amazing places to eat 😀
This looks amazing! I’m definitely saving it for my Bucketlist. The gelato on the brioche bun has my mouth watering!
It's my favourite dessert when we're back in Sicily!
LOVED our time in Italy. So much culture, friendly people and delicious food. This is an awesome road trip!
Aw I'm so glad! It's an incredible country to do a road trip 😀
I love to travel to Italy for food and architecture. They are so lucky to have so much history and beautiful places! Your photos of food made me hungry to taste it again. As for the places, I didn't know about Lecce before and this sounds very interesting to me and I actually surprised that I havent heard about it as it looks like an amazing city. Thanks for inspiration.
Lecce is so wonderful and you have to return and visit, you'll love it 🙂
I think I will stay in Sicily until I get tired eating seafood at Aloha Mare. Lol. They look so delicious! Buildings and churches are always fascinated me, especially the Catania Cathedral.
I feel so lucky to be there every year. And yes, the food's incredible!
My husband and I were in Italy in June and literally talked about how amazing a road trip would be! I've always wanted to visit Sicily and love the idea of renting a car. Thanks for the warning about car rentals- it's normally so easy. Trani sounds like the perfect little spot! Seaport towns are always my favorite!
It's a sweet spot, and definitely not a touristy place either. A road trip's really a good idea in Italy; you won't be disappointed!
So jealous! I've never done a real road trip and you've done so much!
Thank you
Italy is great for self-drives, your post has inspired me to try and do more European driving holidays in upcoming years, we used to do more but have somehow veered away from them in recent years. And, although I visited Sicily as a child, my husband hasn't been, so it's well overdue! Bookmarking your itinerary.
Wonderful! You definitely have to go, especially as you write about food. There's so many delicious things to eat here, and always fresh too
A road trip is always a great way to see and experience a country and this one in Italy is no exception. I’d never heard of having gelato in a brioche topped with heavy cream but it sounds amazing - a mix of sweet and salty. What amazing food though - from the fresh seafood in Sicily to the plate of hams in Lecce.
It's really one of my favourite things to eat! And so sinful but a must too 😀 Sicily's a foodie paradise
I love doing road trips and if it is Italy or Spain these are my favourites . I have travelled from Naples to the amalfi cost last year and loved it. This is certainly food for thought and one I would love to try . So many beautiful places to stop by like the coastal town of Santa Teresa di Riva and a quick stop at Catania will surely feature on the list for me. Thanks for sharing a great post
You're welcome. We're there often, so I really enjoy sharing my tips and experiences 🙂
Hi Lisa! Good to see you here! I wanted to visit the Baroque Church personally - Catania could also be an option. I'm sure there are a lot of interesting small towns you saw from your trip! Photos could be a lot, lot more. Do you like Italy's hams?
I'm in Italy a lot, and yes, love everything there, especially the food! It's full of baroque and baroque Gothic churches there; I hope you visit soon, it's beautiful!
What an amazing idea for a road trip! I did this a few years ago and it still is one of the top 20 road trips I ever took. I loved the Taormina’s steps it always reminded me a lot of Hvar in Croatia! Thanks for sharing this, it brings back a lot of nice memories!
We loved it too! I've not yet been to Hvar, but have heard many fun things about it 🙂
This is so cool! What a road trip! And I really need to get to Sicily!
You must, it's a wonderful island.
Such a great and an informative post! I have pinned it for later as well!
It’s my dream to explore Europe on road like a car or a van!
I'm so happy to read that, thank you! I hope you have as great a time as I did.
I did the same thing when I was 19 and it was pretty life changing! I love that you got to do such a fun adventure in Italy this time!
It's an amazing country to do a road trip and very life-changing!
Road trips are also amazing and that too more wonderful if it is from Sicily to Perugia. As you said car rentals are pain free and can be booked online then really suitable for me. Taormina centre of Sicily looks lively and suitable for walking around. Gelato inside a bun sounds unique and I will try it surely.
It's a wonderful road trip with so many sights to see along the way! The gelato in a bun is delish 😀
Keeping the food aside, there is so much to see along the way. Lecca seems gorgeous as does Catania. I like the sound of Taormina. Seems like a quiet and quaint town with hidden stories. Well captured Lisa.
Thanks Ami, that's kind of you to write! It's a stunning place, and I'm glad to share it with you all 🙂
Even though I have been to Italy before, I haven't been to Sicily yet. Maybe that is why I would totally love to have Gelato inside a Brioche bun. I had Gelato every day when I was in Italy the last time. Didn't know renting a car in Catania was so difficult. But glad to see that you got it sorted out.
We did, and had a wonderful trip! The gelato in the bun is so good, and you'll want to try a new flavour each day!
Wow! Sicily looks like a beautiful city with all those historical buildings. Road trip to such a picturesque place is definitely a great idea. I would love to try the lip smacking Italian flavours, especially that gelato bun. The Catholic church in Catania looks so majestic. Hope to visit this place someday. Quite fascinating post! 🙂
Aw I hope you get to visit too! The gelato bun is amazing, and you can forget about the diet here haha!
Granita sounds super interesting! I'm a huge ice-cream and gelato fan, but not sure about putting it in a bun. I guess it would taste similar to a soft ice-cream cone though. How long was your full road-trip?
We were on the road for 6 nights with stops in between of course. Part 2 is also published if you want to take a look 😀
It amazes me how these Italian girls (and guys!) stay so slim with the food they eat! If I visited Sicily I would have to do it as a road trip as my Flixbus doesn't cover that part of Italy. Comparing the Italian road trip to the US one, if your car wasn't ready in the US I'm sure you would have been upgraded within seconds of them realizing. I was thinking about the mafia and where are they from in Italy, you answered my question with Catania.
I know exactly what you mean, they tend to eat a lot too in Sicily! You're welcome about the mafia trivia...so now you know!
An Italian road trip is always a good idea! I love all of the food you've tried too - especially the seafood. I am such a foodie when I travel and Italy has a great cuisine, so it is the ideal destination for me!
Oh it's so tasty, and you can't go wrong with Italian food. I hope you get to do a road trip one day!
What a great trip you had! I love Italy but have never driven through it myself. I do think you get to see so much more when you do it that way but I'm always nervous about driving in other countries. Your beautiful photos make me want to try, though!
It's wonderful, and a trip with so much to see, and eat, along the way!
Italy is on my list of countries to visit and your post and beautiful pictures have really added to that desire. Hope to visit soon! ??
I hope so too! It's a great country to travel
Wow Lisa! At the age of 19, you did a road trip in the US. That's amazing. That country is made for road trips. I had been to Italy and covered the same places like you did. It was a road trip too but with a bus full of people. We had great fun but I would wanna go back and do a trip like you did. You r pictures are very enticing and your suggestions have incited my wanderlust even more.
Thank you Archana, I'm always happy to inspire others and encourage wanderlust! I hope you get to make the same trip one day 🙂
That seafood looks amazing! I desperately want to visit Italy and your post makes me want to go even more! Love your suggests of where to go and what to eat - a fantastic guide!!
Aw thank you Katie! It was such a great trip, and I'm glad I was able to share it with others 😀
Loved reading this! I'm going to Italy in September and I can't wait. This has some great suggestions of places to see and I can't wait for all of the food of course! Beautiful photos too 🙂
Thanks Sonja, happy I could advise on some places to visit 🙂 Have a wonderful time when you go!
I have seen mostly all parts of Italy but due to lack of time I missed Sicily. Sicily looks beautiful and full of history due to medieval architecture. I would like to walk around Taormina to have the beautiful views of Ionian Sea.
Taormina is really pretty, but avoid August if possible. It gets so busy and is full of tourists, not just Italians!
I love road trips and think it would be a DREAM to drive around Italy! Oh, the places to stop and eat...and eat more...and then drive to another city to eat again...okay, stopping now. What a fun trip and I can't wait to hear about the next leg of your journey!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It's one of those road trips that everyone needs to try once in their life! Part 2 is out so please to check it out.
What a delightful experience this must have been. I really enjoyed reading this post and must also compliment you on the lovely photos you have taken. Italy is such a picturesque place with so much to see and experience. I now find myself looking forward to reading the next installment.
Thanks Nicole! It was so great and I have such great memories of every place I visited. Part 2 is already out, so please do give it a glance 🙂
I made the mistake of reading this before eating breakfast. Now I want ice cream and pastries! I would love to see Sicily and Southern Italy as I've only been more north and it's supposed to be quite different.
Apologies, I should have put a warning at the beginning of this post! Yes, the north is very different, not in a bad way, just different 🙂
Italy is such a majestic country! It has literally everything: gelato, amazing food, delightful desserts, beaches, and rich in culture & history. Someday I would like to explore the entire country for a long period of time. Looks like you had a blast on your road trip 🙂 Safe travels! - Mariella
It really does have everything, and I feel very lucky I experienced this trip. Thank you! Safe travels to you too.
The Mr. and I love taking roadtrips but we're always scared of the condition of the roads and the kind of drivers we'll encounter on the way. Your post has given me more confidence to go on a road trip in Italy. The first one we did was 2 months ago in Mexico and it turned out great. I believe that during a road trip you get to see a lot of things that you can't see from a plane or a train. You got to see some amazing cities and eat some amazing food ( that Ham platter tho!). Definitely planning one now when I visit Italy.
Thank you, I'm glad I've inspired you to take an adventure! I hope you have as much fun on this trip as in Mexico!
One of my favorite parts of your road trip is reading about all of the delicious foods to try including fresh seafood which is my favorite! Noted to wear something loose! I also didn't know that Sicilians have their own dialect, I wonder how similar it is to Italian.
The seafood in Sicily is to die for Danielle! And yes, it's so hot there, especially in summer. Hope you get to see it for yourself in person one day!
Ahh yes Italian cuisine is definitely exceptional. I would say it is definitely in my top 5 favourite cuisines in the world. Btw, you made those hams look super tasty. And yes! Food and architecture in Italy are enough to make one fall in love with this country! I'm glad you finally made your dream come true this summer! <3
Thanks Justine! Glad you enjoyed the post, yes Italian food is always good, honestly have never tried a bad dish!
I love a good road trip and Sicily looks perfect for just that. Hope you enjoyed all that ham!
Thanks Shaun, yes I did! Sicily has some of the best food in the country, especially in summer, you gotta go for yourself 🙂
I haven't made it to Sicily yet but I have explored other parts of Italy. It looks so beautiful though I am not sure I would want to drive in Italy, I have heard the drivers are crazy!! I would love to visit all the little towns and villages though, they look stunning from your pics 🙂
Thanks Clare! It's beautiful and yes, everything you've heard about driving in Italy is correct...it's nuts and not for the softly softly approach! Thanks for reading!
You had me at Gelato in a Brioche bun 😀 Even the fresh seafood looks so delectable ! Taormina's steps remind me a lot of Hvar island in Croatia, very charming!
Haha, thanks Medha, it's even more delicious in real life 🙂 Yes, Taormina is a must visit, though it gets very busy in the summer!