Who takes their dog on their honeymoon?? *silently raises hand* Yep, we did and I (almost) wouldn’t change a thing! Follow along and see how you too can take an epic, off-the-beaten-path two-week Italy Road Trip with your dog!
First things first. If Italy is on your bucket list and you’re worried about leaving your dog behind, or if you just want to share the experience, you’ll need to make sure that you take into account the country’s veterinary and travel requirements.
Bringing Your Dog to Italy
Coming from a non-European Union Country by Plane
If you are travelling from a non-EU country, your dog must have a working microchip, and an EU animal health certificate issued by an official State vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU. That’s going to require some planning. I cover everything you need to know and relevant links to official websites in the article linked below. And here is the link from the Italian Ministero della Salute with more details on how you can follow the rules in Italy for a road trip with your dog.
Rules for Driving with Your Dog in the Car in Italy
If you’re planning an Italy road trip with your dog, be sure to follow the rules for traveling by car. Italy requires that dogs in the car stay safe, comfortable, and unable to interfere with the driver. If you’re flying in, or don’t have a lot of room, you can also use a seatbelt-specific harness to secure your dog.
We brought Helga in a secure crate in the back of the car. She has a pad and a blanket so she can nest, and her favorite armadillo. I don’t know why but it’s the only one she never destroys, so he won a trip to Italy!
We also have a thin blanket that we put over the top of the crate so she doesn’t see cars behind us, or pedestrians, or cyclists. Because, barking. We try to create as calm and peaceful an environment as possible.
Planning Our Route
When and Where to Go?
The purpose of our Italy road trip was to see the countryside, relax a little, have some beach time, some museum time, great food, and lots of free range exploring of places off the beaten path. We weren’t interested in fighting crowds, or dying in the summer heat (we are from Alaska, after all).
So, we did not focus on the big cities and tourist hotspots like Rome, Florence, Venice, or Milan. And we didn’t go during the busy hot summer months. Instead we opted to enjoy a slower-paced trip the last two weeks of September, visiting beautiful places less-traveled, but still hitting a couple bucket list spots along the way.
Driving
It’s also worth mentioning that my husband David loves driving and is ready to tackle anything. That made this trip possible because I’m kind of a skittish driver, and there were times in the pouring rain, on the skinny twisty-turny Amalfi Coast roads when I would have just pulled over and taken a nap to make it all go away. But he was stalwart and kept us on track without incident!
It would be possible to do this trip via public transportation, but we knew it would be too much for Helga and we wanted to be sure that all three of us had a great time. Having our own car with us worked well. She is used to it, and her crate, and we felt driving was the best option.
Germany to Genoa, through Switzerland (Day 1)
10.5 hours driving, 465 miles 749 km, 3 border crossings
We live in Southwest Germany so our first day was pretty much just a mammoth driving session. We left before dawn, and planned to make a 9-hour push through France and Switzerland, only stopping for ‘comfort breaks.’
As bad luck would have it, a tunnel closure in Switzerland turned our 9-hour trip into a 10.5-hour trip! We had to go the old way, up and over the top of the Alps like they did before the tunnel was built! I actually enjoyed the detour. The views were stellar and reminded me of Alaska where David and I have both lived.
We pulled in to a large rest stop right at the top of the mountain pass to stock up on snacks (Swiss chocolate bars) for the rest of the journey, and fill the tank. The shop was right on point with every Swiss Army knife imaginable, a giant wall of Ricola cough drops, and a large stuffed St. Bernard with a flask around its neck! They made the most of the Swiss stereotypes!
Even with the delay, we still made it to Genoa in time to check in to our hotel, get Helga the frenchie settled in, have a fabulous dinner, and crash at a reasonable hour so we would be well-rested for our one full day exploring the city.
🇨🇭SWITZERLAND TIP: If you do drive into Switzerland, you’ll have to purchase a vignette. This is in the form of a sticker, which you can get at customs right when you enter the country, or gas stations near the border. It’s basically like paying a year’s worth of tolls without having to actually have toll booths. Just ask the cashier, who will undoubtedly speak English, and they will give you a sticker to put on your windshield. It’s good until January 31 of the year after you purchase, and costs 40 Swiss francs (about $45). If your car is a rental, be sure to ask the rental company in advance what you’ll need to do, if anything.
Genoa, Italy (Day 1-2)
Why Genoa?
We chose to begin our Italy road trip in the ancient port city of Genoa (Genova). It often loses some tourist love to its sexier photogenic neighbor Cinque Terre, just an hour to the west. We knew that we were going to have to cover some ground to make it to Puglia in the South of Italy and back in two weeks, so Cinque Terre will wait for another trip.
Genoa itself has much to offer. It’s got a lovely harbor area with tons of open air restaurants, and spots to grab an aperitivo, right next to the remains of the old boathouses standing since the 1300s! And the gorgeous and gritty maze of alleyways and cobblestone streets dotted with unexpected palaces, and stunning piazzas is enthralling.
The city was also the home of Christopher Columbus (I’m not a huge fan, personally but his house is still standing, so we went), museums, a stunning cathedral, and so much more. We obviously couldn’t see all Genoa brings to the table in just one day, but here’s how we cherry picked from the long list, and spent a great first honeymoon day.
Where to Stay in Genoa with a Dog
You can read my dog-friendly review of the historic Hotel Astoria in Genoa for all the details, but we loved this hotel. An added bonus was that it was actually the first ever in the city, built as an elegant place to stay for those wanting to explore the city in the 1800s. They even have the original 1864 Otis elevator, in perfect working condition!
The Absolute 3 Must-Do’s for Food/Drink in Genoa
Zeffirino
First, if you’re a pesto lover, I got you covered. Genoa is the actual birthplace of pesto and Zeffirino has, without a doubt, the most phenomenal pesto I’ve ever had in my life. The restaurant is almost 100 years old, and has a wine list that looks like some giant Hogwarts book of spells. It even has its own cart that you can have wheeled to your tableside to peruse.
That said, the regular old house table wine is also fabulous and will suffice if you get wine overwhelm.
Definitely make reservations early because you know if you have the world’s best pesto made right before your eyes at your table, reservations will be in demand!
Banana Tsunami
Even if you don’t have lunch, stop by the inexplicably named Banana Tsunami at the marina for an aperitivo. We needed a spot to cool off and relax while we got into vacation mode, and this place was perfect. You can sip an Aperol spritz, or the concoction of your choice while watching the lazy sailboats, and sightseeing tours drift in and out of the harbor, just like ships have done for more than a thousand years.
You’ll also be given some taralli, a crunchy Italian donut-shaped treat you never knew you were missing, and a bowl full of fantastic olives. No one will rush you and you can take the time to just let it all go, and get ready for the two weeks ahead!
Street Food
Genoa is famous for its street food, which is considered some of the best in Italy. As you wander the cobblestone streets you’ll find all kinds of delectable-looking baked goods, pizzas, foccaccia, gelato, and on and on. You cannot make a bad choice here. And it’s such fun to not know what you want until you see it!
Dog notes 🐾
Genoa loves dogs! So does Italy in general, but we seemed to really notice dogs all over, integrated into human life. So, if your dog is well-mannered, they will be welcomed with open arms almost everywhere!
Pisa Pit Stop (Day 3)
We saw that our route passed relatively close to Pisa, and couldn’t resist the temptation to see the leaning tower and do the obligatory touristy photo op. We hadn’t really planned it out but decided to be impulsive. What could go wrong?
We did get the photos, but it was very hot and crowded with lots of dogs and running kids. Helga can be a big reactive with other dogs and lots of high energy, and let’s just say she reached her limit within a few minutes.
We were starving, so after the photos, David took Helga off to the side away from the chaos and I got us calzones to take back and eat in the car. This was literally the only bad meal we had in Italy and it was almost inedible.
So, we definitely struck out on this one. But I am glad we got to see the tower. We may plan a trip back to Pisa to give it a second chance!
⚠️ PISA TIP – Do not bring a reactive dog to the Leaning Tower of Pisa! And do not purchase food from the vendors across the street!
Castellamare di Stabia (Day 3-5)
9 hours driving (including Pisa stop), 467 miles 753 km
Why Castellamare di Stabia?
Our next stop was the small and relatively obscure town of Castellamare di Stabia. I chose this place because it is strategically located close the famous archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but avoids the crowds close to the sites, and in Naples where most people stay. We wanted a relaxed beachy vibe to bookend our days.
Where to Stay in Castellamare di Stabia with a Dog
We opted for the beautiful beachfront hotel, Miramare di Stabia. You can read my full dog-friendly review of the property for the details including parking, food, and facilities. We absolutely loved our time here.
Helga was in heaven! She loved the beach, and had a blast on her long walks. She loved beachcombing with us, and getting her feet wet, and smelling all the ocean smells. Right by the hotel you can find a little fountain for rinsing sandy paws before returning to the room.
There’s also a beautiful paved seaside promenade for walks if you want to avoid the sand all together.
Pompeii and Herculaneum Day Trip (Day 4)
Day 4 was designated to nerd out on the archaeological wonders of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the most famous of the towns which were obliterated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.
We used a guided tour to visit Pompeii in the morning, and Herculaneum in the afternoon. We had our own car, but the tour group we were with took the train from Pompeii which is located directly in front of the entrance, to Herculaneum. We drove and found parking easily marked and immediately adjacent to both places.
We also had time to enjoy a delicious pizza lunch right by the entrance to Pompeii.
Both sites exceeded my expectations, and looking back I do we’d scheduled more time there. I was so glad the weather was comfortable because it would be brutal in the heat. Yay, late September!
The Naples Archaeological Museum Disaster (Day 5)
After a full day of marveling at Pompeii and Herculaneum, we scheduled the next day to drive to Naples and see all the incredible artifacts discovered at the two sites which are housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, but I’m not going to lie, the drive to Naples was a bit harrowing. Unless you are a very brave soul in a very small car this may be the time to hire a car service or taxi, even if you have your own wheels. But David did very well, acclimatizing to the “rules are just suggestions” driving style pretty quickly. Parking was also kind of a fiasco with parking garages the size of my living room, down impossibly narrow streets, or mobbed with pedestrians and delivery trucks with feisty drivers. But it was all going to be worth it for the treasures that awaited us!
I had checked and double checked everything and we arrived at the museum just after opening so we could have the whole day.
Except they were closed. A man was turning people away and telling them the museum was not open. A couple ahead of us got into a loud argument about it. They had even purchased tickets online, but the guard said that the museum had been open the day before (usually the day it’s closed) so they were closing today instead, and to come back tomorrow. None of this was reflected online anywhere, and I deliberately scheduled Pompeii the day before because that was the museum’s day to be closed. There was no way we could have known.
We were dumbfounded because of course reservations and plans were made, and we were going to have to leave without seeing our bucket list museum of the trip. I was absolutely heartbroken. About all we could do at that point was cross the street and have a morning martini. David needed one after the drive, and I needed one to cry into!
After we recovered, our museum day turned into a day of just roaming around Naples with no particular plan. We had an incredible pizza, did a little shopping, saw some archaeological ruins, popped into a couple churches, and just absorbed the electric atmosphere of this ancient bustling city.
It wasn’t the day we wanted, but we made the most of it and actually had a great time. I’m still shaking my fist at the Archaeological Museum in Naples, but we’ve decided to return and make a long weekend of it some time. I’ll make sure to plan the museum on Day 1!
⚠️ NAPLES TIPS: Don’t drive in Naples unless you have a spine of steel, a small car, and full-coverage insurance! Also, don’t believe the Archaeological Museum in Naples’ published schedule.
Ravello (Day 6-8)
56 minutes driving, 23 miles, 37 km.
Why Ravello?
We knew we wanted to spend a couple days on the Amalfi Coast, but I had a hard time finding many dog-friendly hotels. I should say, I had a hard time finding any dog-friendly hotels that weren’t booked. The town we originally wanted to stay in proved impossible, so I looked farther, and I’m so glad it turned out this way!
Where to Stay in Ravello with a Dog
Ravello is universally touted as a ‘must-do’ day trip from Amalfi, Positano, or the other towns right on the water. Usually whatever is a good day trip is an even better two-day trip so we went for it and booked at a stunning hotel called Villa Amore with breathtaking views over the Tyrhhenian Sea. You can read my dog-friendly review of Villa Amore here.
It also has details about getting to Ravello, parking, and getting to your hotel.
Ravello is perched high on a cliff and the quaint town with its two stunning villas, fascinating cathedral, lemon trees, unbelievable food, gardens of your dreams, and ceramic shops to die for, ticked all the boxes for us. It was a dream.
What to Do in Ravello
I put together a 1-day to 2-day itinerary in this post that covers everywhere we went, everything we ate, and best advice to make the most of your time in this enchanting town that has captivated famous, and creative minds for centuries.
RAVELLO TIP: Take the drive slowly and enjoy. Book your dog-friendly hotel as soon as possible! Choices were very limited even though I planned months in advance, and our stay was in late September.
Matera (Day 9-10)
Driving time 3 hours, 140 miles, 225 km.
Why Matera?
You may never have heard of Matera, and I hadn’t either. I was looking to see if there was anything interesting between Ravello and the Puglia coast, and stumbled across it completely by accident. Matera is the oldest city in Italy, and the third-oldest city in the world! And the oldest section of the city is formed completely out of caves into the sandstone. Shops in caves, restaurants in caves, hotels in caves, cave museums.
There have been several films made here including The Passion of the Christ. Matera was chosen because “it looked more like Jerusalem than Jerusalem” according to our guide! It is an absolute must see and one of the main highlights of our entire trip.
Parking
There are no cars allowed in the old city. Frankly, I don’t know how you’d even get a car in there! So since we would have Helga in tow, and have to carry all our luggage to our cave hotel (!!!) we did a bunch of repacking in the car, taking only the things we knew we would need for 2 nights and leaving the rest in the car.
We found a nice large secure parking garage right near the beginning of the pedestrian zone. There was a dog in residence, but I managed to play bob and weave between the cars and get Helga out before she noticed.
What to Do in Matera
You can read my full post on Matera here, and it really should not be missed. And definitely take a tour. I’m going to plug our tour guide Gaetano here, because he took this place, which was already amazing, and made it unforgettable. Like, life-changing unforgettable. If you’ve taken a lot of tours, you know how valuable and inspiring a great guide can be. He’s that guide. The history of this city from Paleolithic times through the modern day is absolutely captivating and like nothing you have ever seen before.
Once you have immersed yourself and discovered the surprisingly emotional secrets of this incredible city, you can walk (or drive) across the river gorge to the other side to explore the caves where shepherds sheltered during the days before returning home to the city.
Where to Stay in Matera
As soon as I found out there were cave hotels in Matera, I was scouring Booking.com to see if any would accept a dog, and BINGO! The Residence San Giorgio showed up as dog-friendly, and I booked it right away. The room was crazy cool, and was repurposed from an old residence. It had a main floor and a “wine room” downstairs. There wasn’t much down there, but it was delightfully cool on a warm day. You can read my whole post about the cave hotel here.
The only drawback, which we did not know ahead of time, was that you are not allowed to leave your dog alone in the room. This came as a bit of a surprise, as we had never run into that situation before. But we had no choice, so Helga got to use her over-the-shoulder bag and come with us to a couple restaurants. She did better than expected!
We also had to take turns going into churches and other places where dogs were not permitted, while one of us waited outside with Helga. If I went back to Matera, I’d likely stay outside the pedestrian zone in a more dog-friendly hotel, but boy it was really cool and I’m so glad we did it once!
Where to Eat in Matera
We asked the concierge if there were any recommendations for dinner and he said, “Anywhere. Everything is good!” And he was right. We looked at menus, and people’s dishes as we walked past, and everywhere we picked was utterly fantastic. Pistachios feature heavily on menus because they like a dry climate and the area around Matera is DRY. You’ll find everything from tiny mom-and-pop pasta joints to a Michelin starred restaurant!
MATERA TIPS: Wear good shoes because there are LOTS of steps and they are uneven at times, and slippery when wet. Consider not staying in a cave if their dog rules are not compatible with your objectives, or if you have a respiratory condition. And most of all, take the tour!
Ostuni (Day 11-13)
Driving time 1 hour 45 minutes, 125km
Why Ostuni?
We were looking for a jumping off point for 3 days in the Puglia region that would offer an easy drive to dog-friendly beaches, olive groves, great history, and some of the beautiful small towns in the region. Ostuni, the White City, fit the bill!
What to Do in Ostuni
I wrote a full post on Ostuni, including what to see and where we ate. The whole experience in Puglia was utterly romantic, relaxing, and nourishing for the soul. It’s no wonder that more and more Americans are moving to this beautiful region.
Where to Stay in Ostuni
We opted to stay out of the city itself, and found a beautiful small hotel in an olive grove in the countryside. This was the final multi-day stop of the trip and we wanted to make the most of the opportunity to take things at a leisurely pace, and relax.
Petranima Wellness in Trulli was exactly what we were looking for. You can read my whole dog-friendly review of the hotel here. I think I can feel my blood pressure dropping as I type this, just thinking back to relaxing by the pool with a bottle of prosecco, the homemade rosemary foccaccia and cappuccino for breakfast, and the warm breezes rustling through the ancient olive trees…
Helga loved the place too. We had a whole little enclosed yard right off our room, with lounge chairs, a little clothes line, and room for Helga to play. The hosts were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. You can read the full review here.
Petranima Wellness in Trulli – Puglia Paradise With Your Dog!
Day Trips from Ostuni
Ostuni offers some really incredible day trips and could serve as a perfect spot for a week or more to explore the region. You can easily access Alberobello, Cisternino, Monopoli, Martina Franca, and a dozen other enchanting small towns. Also within reach for a longer day trip you can find Bari, Lecce, and there are even companies that do day trips to Matera. But I’d suggest taking at least a full day and an overnight there.
What to Do in Ostuni
Ostuni is the perfect city to wander. Its winding streets, white walls, cute shops and galleries, and charming eateries make for a perfect unplanned day. We grabbed gelato, popped into the cathedral, bought some olive oil, picked up a couple cool antiques, took a day trip to Alberobello to see the famous stone trulli huts, ate gelato, bought a giant tin of olive oil to take home, explored the maze of ancient streets in Cisternino and found a charming spot for dinner, went to a fantastic dog-friendly beach on the Adriatic, and basically just lived ‘la dolce vita’ for three whole days. It was heaven.
Ravenna (Day 14)
Driving time 7.5 hours, 435 miles, 701 km
Why Ravenna?
Ravenna, in my opinion, is an overlooked jewel. When looking for a stopping point on the journey homeward, I picked Ravenna for a few reasons: I wanted one last day by the Adriatic, I wanted to see the incredible 1500 year old mosaics the city is famous for, and I wanted to see the home and final resting place of Italy’s iconic poet, Dante. All of this made Ravenna the perfect last stop on our epic road trip.
Crossing the Rubicon
Don’t blink on that nondescript overpass on your way up the highway to Ravenna! I almost missed it, but then realized that we had literally just crossed the Rubicon! It was a much different experience than Julius Caesar’s when his crossing in January of 49BC meant he had declared war on Rome. But it was pretty cool, nonetheless, and I couldn’t help but wonder what JC would have thought of the new giant highway passing over the Rubicon full of cars and trucks without a horse or soldier in sight.
Where to Stay in Ravenna
We stayed at the dog-friendly Hotel Mosaico which was a quirky little hotel located very close to the old city center of Ravenna, and everything we wanted to see. It’s also located right next to the train station which is convenient if you’re coming to Ravenna by train.
The room was really interesting, the breakfast was lovely, and the staff friendly and accommodating. It wasn’t super fancy, but it was clean, and quieter than we thought it would be (considering the proximity of the trains). A good experience overall.
What to Do in Ravenna
We squoze allll the juice out of our one full day in Ravenna and managed to see four UNESCO world heritage monuments with the most amazing mosaics I’ve ever seen, Dante’s residence, tomb, and museum, had probably the best pizza of my life, sampled a regional pasta made of breadcrumbs, soaked in the incredible Roman brickwork buildings, and took a nice walk on the beach.
I’d recommend two days if you can swing it, but check out Ravenna Italy – Ultimate One Day Itinerary for details on all we did, and where to eat!
Return Home (Day 16)
We broke our last marathon 10-hour drive home into two pieces. We stayed for one night in Switzerland, and then did the second five-hour stint the next day.
If you are flying out of Italy, you may choose to return to Genoa (4 hours and 9 minutes plus a pit stop in Parma). Or you can fly out of Bologna (1 hour 20 minutes), Milan (3 hours 50 minutes) with a pit stop in Bologna or Piacenza), or Florence (2.5 hours).
Our trip home was less eventful. The Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland was open by the time we returned, and we drove through the Alps. If you’re a little claustrophobic, or tunnelphobic, you may want to take the pass over the top if you ever need to make that decision! The tunnel is 10.5 miles long, the fifth-longest road tunnel in the world!
Take that Italy Road Trip with Your Dog!
I hope this off-the-beaten-path Italy road trip with your dog has given you some good inspiration! It was an absolutely unforgettable 16 days. I took thousands of pictures, and gathered more memories than I can count. It was a great honeymoon, and also a really wonderful opportunity to bond with our dog. She was a trooper and had an absolute blast discovering new places and broadening her horizons.
Remember that with some planning, you can create your own memorable experiences on an Italy road trip, with your dog along for the ride!
GENERAL TIPS FOR AN ITALY ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR DOG:
- 🚶♀️Get your steps in on a regular basis before you go to Italy. Even though there’s lots of driving, there’s also lots of walking! You don’t want to miss out because everything hurts! Our max day on the trip was 28,000 steps.
- 🕺Take lots of stops along the way so you and your dog can stretch a bit. We stopped about every 2 hours or so.
- 💧Have a big bottle of water and a bowl in the car. Offer your dog water every time you stop, and give a quick assessment of how your dog is doing and if they seem happy.
- 🌡 Make sure the temperature stays safe and comfortable in the back of the car for your dog. If they are in the sun, use a sun shade or thin blanket to give them shade.
- 🚽 Always have a little pile of 1 Euro coins, a few 2 Euro coins, and a couple 50 cent coins. These are very handy for using the turnstile for the restrooms in the gas station (yep, that’s a thing!), tipping the restroom attendant (also a thing!), or to use the espresso machine.
- 🛒 Don’t ever skip the store at the gas station! “Gas station food” in Italy is a whole other world! Lots of great food, sandwiches, snacks, and souvenirs. I bought 1/4 of a wheel of parmesan in a gas station once, and it was unbelievable!
- 🚗 I didn’t include anything about gas or gas prices because it varies so much depending on how you drive, what car you drive, and the current gas price and exchange rate. But do some homework on it because it will be a large expense. And you’ll never complain about gas prices in the U.S. again!
- 🧘♀️Try to stay in a relaxed mindset. The driving is a little crazy, but the upside is that the other drivers expect you to be a little crazy too. You’ll soon get the hang of it. Also, your dog will pick up on it if you’re stressed out and you want them to have a great time too. So go with the flow and remember to breathe!
- 💩 And always remember the poop bags! Happy travels!
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