🇬🇷 Cross-border drive · Greece → Italy 🇮🇹
Driving from Athens to Rome
Essential driving guide for the long-distance route from Athens to Rome, covering Greek motorways, ferry logistics, and Italian Autostrada travel tips.
- Drive time
- 20h 21m
- Distance
- 1,313 km
- Same day?
- Split it
- 12 h+, plan a stop
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €187
- petrol · diesel ≈ €156
- Tolls
- ≈ €81
- per-km
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 11 of 83 ≥50 kW
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+6h 29m- Distance:
- 1,299 km (−14 km)
- Duration:
- 26h 50m
Via: Brindisi - Saranda · SS16 · ΕΟ8 · ΕΟ5
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
20h 21m
1.313 km · €187 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
1.313 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
No direct service
Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.
2h 44m
from €40
See details ↓
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on May 1, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You depart Athens on the EO8, eventually linking into the A8 motorway as you trace the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth. The drive through the Peloponnese is defined by the A8 and A5 motorways, where the pace is steady but the toll booths are frequent. Since this route involves a maritime transfer to Italy, your rhythm will be dictated by the ferry schedule from Patras or Igoumenitsa. Ensure your tank is topped up before reaching the Greek coast, as fuel is notably cheaper here than across the Ionian Sea in Italy.
Disembarking in the Italian port of Brindisi, you join the A2 motorway, locally known as the Autostrada del Mediterraneo, which pulls you north through the Apennines. While the maximum altitude on this route barely touches 700 meters, do not underestimate the climb into the southern mountains; even in mild shoulder seasons, the transition from sea-level warmth to mountain wind can be jarring. The Italian road surface is generally well-maintained, but be prepared for heavy lorry traffic and a more aggressive lane discipline compared to the Greek mainland.
Transitioning to the Italian Autostrada requires a shift in mindset regarding motorway etiquette. Speed limits are strictly enforced, particularly when weather rolls in from the Tyrrhenian or Adriatic coasts, dropping the limit to 110 km/h in wet conditions. Tolls are distance-based, so keep your ticket accessible from the moment you enter the network. As you approach the outskirts of Rome, heavy congestion is inevitable; aim to avoid the Grande Raccordo Anulare during peak morning or evening hours to save yourself an hour of idling in city traffic.
Route highlights
- The engineering scale of the Rio-Antirrio bridge connecting the Peloponnese to the Greek mainland
- The transition from the A5 motorway to the ferry terminals at Igoumenitsa
- The winding ascent of the A2 Autostrada through the rugged Basilicata region
- The iconic, high-speed approach into Rome via the final stretches of the A24 or A1
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Overnight recommended
Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 2 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Igoumenítsa (gr).
- Distance:
- 1,313 km
- Duration:
- 20h 21m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Diakoptó 🇬🇷 gr
≈164 km≈ 5.3 km detour from the main route
-
Préveza 🇬🇷 gr
≈328 km≈ 17.1 km detour from the main route
-
Sarandë 🇦🇱 al
≈493 km≈ 2.5 km detour from the main route
-
Melendugno 🇮🇹 it
≈657 km≈ 32.9 km detour from the main route
-
Modugno 🇮🇹 it
≈821 km≈ 1.2 km detour from the main route
-
Lesina 🇮🇹 it
≈985 km≈ 3 km detour from the main route
-
Popoli 🇮🇹 it
≈1,149 km≈ 9.6 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Multi-country chain · GR → AL → IT → HR
You'll cross 4 countries on this drive — each with its own toll system, fuel pricing, and motorway rules. Skim the must-know section below before you set off, and have your registration plus insurance card in the door pocket for any roadside check.
Tolls on motorways in GR / IT / HR
Budget for motorway tolls — France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal charge per-km, Croatia and Greece by section. Contactless cards work almost everywhere; have one loaded.
Long rural stretch on Brindisi - Saranda
Plan for about 201 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Long rural stretch on Α8 Αθήνα - Πάτρα
Plan for about 179 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
City access & emission zones
ZTL cameras read your plate from any country
Must knowItalian historic centres (Florence, Rome, Milan, Bologna, Pisa, Siena, Verona, Naples, Turin, Palermo and dozens more) are ringed by automatic Zona Traffico Limitato cameras. Driving in without a permit triggers €80–120 per crossing, and the fine reaches your home address up to a year later via cross-border collection. Treat any city centre as off-limits unless you've confirmed your hotel offers a permit, and ask the hotel to register your plate the day you arrive.
Centro Storico ZTL is permit-only, day and night
Must knowRome
Rome's historic centre ZTL operates Mon–Fri 06:30–19:00, Sat 14:00–19:00, plus Fri/Sat night party hours. Cameras at every entrance, no booth. Hotels inside the ZTL register your plate for the duration of your stay — but only if you ask, the day you arrive, with the registration document. Trastevere and Testaccio have their own night ZTLs.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Telepass saves you the toll-booth queue
UsefulItalian autostrade work like France: ticket on entry, pay on exit. Contactless cards work at most modern lanes (look for "Carte" — avoid yellow "Telepass" lanes without the device). For long routes, a Telepass EU transponder works in IT/FR/ES/PT and pays for itself across two days; at minimum, keep your insurance card and registration in the door pocket — booth attendants occasionally ask.
What your car must carry
Hi-vis vest mandatory before stepping out
Must knowItalian law requires you to wear a reflective vest before exiting the vehicle on a motorway shoulder, day or night. One warning triangle in the boot is also required. Both items are typically €15 at any Autogrill or fuel station — don't arrive without them.
Driving rules & habits
Plan your stops, not just your finish time
UsefulOSRM gives you free-flow drive time. Realistic add: 10% on motorway-heavy routes, 25% if you're crossing two cities. Eat at off-peak hours (11:30 lunch, 18:00 dinner) — service-area queues at noon kill 20 minutes. EU fatigue research is consistent: 15-minute break every 2 hours, full 45-minute break before 6 hours. The drive between hours 7 and 9 is where avoidable accidents cluster.
Fuel stations
"Servito" pumps cost about €0.20/L more
UsefulItalian fuel stations split between fai-da-te (self-service) and servito (attended). The same station typically offers both, with attended pumps charging a 10–15% premium. Off-hours, attended turns into self-service automatically. If a pump is out of paper or won't take your card, try the next station — Italian banking sometimes refuses foreign chip cards on first attempt.
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Off-motorway stations close at lunch and on Sundays
TipOutside motorways, expect 12:30–15:30 closures and most of Sunday off. Motorway service areas (autogrill) run 24/7. If you're cutting through a small town in the early afternoon, fuel before noon or push to the next motorway entrance.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A14 Raccordo A14-Tangenziale di Bari298 km
-
Α8 Αθήνα - Πάτρα179 km
-
A25 Strada dei Parchi113 km
-
Α5 Γέφυρα Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης88 km
-
A24 Strada dei Parchi78 km
-
SS16 Strada Statale 16 Adriatica62 km
-
SS379 Egnazia e delle Terme di Torre Canne50 km
-
Α52 Αμβρακία Οδός48 km
-
ΕΟ19 Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας27 km
-
SH98 —26 km
-
ΕΟ8 Αθηνών21 km
-
Α2 Εγνατία Οδός9 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Rural-road drive — narrow roads, small towns, patience required.
- Motorway
- 37%
- Secondary
- 11%
- Other / rural
- 52%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Demanding
Tough drive — multiple complicating factors compound fatigue. Strongly recommend splitting across days.
- Long drive: 20h 21m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- Cross-border: gr → it. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
- About 762 km on non-motorway roads where speeds and conditions vary.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 0 m
- Highest point
- 700 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 936 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 966 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €187
98.5 L × €1.90 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €156
78.8 L × €1.98 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €134
230 kWh × €0.58 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €81
- GR — €0.07/km on the motorway network (≈ 429 km in-country ≈ €30)
- IT — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 632 km in-country ≈ €47)
- HR — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 51 km in-country ≈ €4)
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Fuel and EV charging along the route
Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.
Fuel stations
Most common brands
Sample of stations along the route
- Bp ~0 km
- Shell ~0 km
- Bp ~0 km
- Bp ~0 km
- Independent ~0 km
- Shell ~0 km
- Revoil ~0 km
- Eko ~0 km
- Shell ~0 km
- Eko ~0 km
- Eko ~0 km
- Bp ~0 km
- Ετεκα ~0 km
- Independent ~188 km
- Avin ~188 km
- Revoil ~188 km
EV charging
11 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- Tesla Supercharger Psathopyrgos South 250 kW
- Tesla Supercharger Psathopyrgos North 250 kW
- Atlantic — Chieti Scalo 120 kW
- Fast 120 KW Atlantic — Chieti Scalo 120 kW
- PlugQ Polis Park Kannigos — Athens 50 kW
- Polis Park Rizari — Athens 50 kW
- Psathopirgos, Eastbound — Psathopyrgos 50 kW
- Psathopirgos, westbound — Patra 50 kW
- Concessionario Nissan Renauto S.P.A. — Foggia 50 kW
- Enel PAN IP — Foggia 50 kW
- Roma Via Aosta | EnelX Fast — Roma 50 kW
- Bici & Motori — Roma 40 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇬🇷 Athens
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
14°
7°
|
13°
6°
|
18°
9°
|
21°
12°
|
25°
16°
|
32°
22°
|
36°
25°
|
33°
24°
|
29°
20°
|
24°
16°
|
20°
12°
|
15°
9°
|
| 57mm | 45mm | 44mm | 49mm | 51mm | 25mm | 12mm | 14mm | 25mm | 15mm | 97mm | 102mm |
hot mild cold
🇮🇹 Rome
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
14°
6°
|
15°
5°
|
17°
8°
|
20°
9°
|
23°
13°
|
31°
19°
|
34°
22°
|
33°
22°
|
28°
18°
|
24°
14°
|
17°
9°
|
14°
6°
|
| 72mm | 73mm | 120mm | 63mm | 115mm | 48mm | 21mm | 57mm | 106mm | 106mm | 98mm | 62mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Rome
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
⛅
16° / 16°
1mm
-
Wed 13
🌧️
20° / 14°
44.4mm
-
Thu 14
🌧️
20° / 12°
19.8mm
-
Fri 15
☀️
20° / 13°
2.1mm
-
Sat 16
🌧️
18° / 15°
21.7mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 66 manoeuvres
- Πλατεία Ομονοίας (ΕΟ8) 0.1 km
- Αχιλλέως (ΕΟ8) 0.2 km
- Αθηνών (ΕΟ8) 21 km
- Αθήνα - Πάτρα (Α8) 179 km
- — 0.7 km
- — 0.7 km
- Ιονία Οδός (Α5) 1.0 km
- Γέφυρα Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης (Α5) 3 km
- Ιόνια Οδός (Α5) 85 km
- Αμβρακία Οδός (Α52) 48 km
- Βόνιτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 4 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 2 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 3 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας (ΕΟ19)
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας (ΕΟ19) 3 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας (ΕΟ19) 14 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 10 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 3 km
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας
- Ηγουμενίτσας - Πρέβεζας 26 km
- Βασιλικός - Καρτέρι 8 km
- Εγνατία Οδός (Α2) 9 km
- Πάργας
- —
- Εθνικής Αντιστάσεως (ΕΟ6)
- Ηγουμενίτσα - Σαγιάδα 13 km
- Φιλιατών - Σαγιάδας (ΕΟ19) 4 km
- Σαγιάδα - Μαυρομάτι (ΕΟ19) 8 km
- (ΕΟ19)
- (SH97)
- (SH97) 6 km
- (SH98) 22 km
- (SH98) 4 km
- Rruga Skënderbeu (SH8)
- Rruga Mitat Hoxha
- Brindisi - Saranda 201 km
- Strada Fiume Piccolo
- Via Angelo Titi
- Via Provinciale per Lecce
- Via Bastioni San Giacomo
- Via Provinciale San Vito 1 km
- Via Provinciale San Vito
- Egnazia e delle Terme di Torre Canne (SS379) 30 km
- Egnazia e delle Terme di Torre Canne (SS379) 13 km
- Strada Statale 379 Egnazia e delle Terme di Torre Canne (SS379) 6 km
- Strada Statale 16 Adriatica (SS16) 52 km
- Tangenziale di Bari (SS16) 11 km
- Raccordo A14-Tangenziale di Bari (A14) 4 km
- Raccordo A14-Tangenziale di Bari (A14) 0.4 km
- Autostrada Adriatica (A14) 294 km
- Strada dei Parchi (A25) 113 km
- Svincolo Direzionale Torano 1 km
- Strada dei Parchi (A24) 64 km
- Strada dei Parchi (A24) 14 km
- — 0.1 km
- Circonvallazione Tiburtina 0.2 km
- Circonvallazione Tiburtina 0.4 km
- Largo Settimio Passamonti 0.2 km
- —
- —
- Via Luigi Luzzatti
By plane from Athens to Rome
Indicative travel time on a non-stop flight, based on great-circle distance, average commercial cruise speed (850 km/h), and a 90-minute allowance for taxi, security, and boarding.
- Total time
- 2h 44m
- Door-to-door from :from airport.
- In the air
- 74 min
- At ~850 km/h cruise speed.
- On the ground
- 90 min
- Taxi + security + boarding (typical short-haul).
- Route
- ATH → FCO
- 1.049 km great-circle.
Indicative fare: from €40 — fares vary by season, day of week, and how far ahead you book. Always check the airline or a meta-search before planning around this number.
Show flight path on map
Estimate-only. We don't pull live schedules or fares for flights — see the methodology page for how this number is computed.
Air travel emits roughly 5–10× the CO₂ per passenger-km of rail for the same distance.
Frequently asked
Do I need a vignette for Greece or Italy?
No, both countries utilize a distance-based toll system where you pay at gates when entering or exiting motorway segments. Ensure you have a card or cash ready, as some smaller exit booths may not accept all international payment types.
Is there a risk of snow on this route?
While the route avoids high Alpine passes, the climb through the Apennines in Italy can experience winter conditions. If traveling between November and April, ensure your vehicle is equipped for potential cold snaps or localized ice.
What is the best way to handle the ferry crossing?
Book your passage in advance, especially during the summer months. Arrive at the port at least two hours before departure to navigate the customs and vehicle loading procedures efficiently.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, OpenTopoData SRTM 30m for elevation, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin for cross-border fuel-price bands, OpenStreetMap via Overpass for fuel stations, Open Charge Map for EV charging stations, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.