🇮🇹 Cross-border drive · Italy → Poland 🇵🇱
Driving from Bologna to Warsaw
- Drive time
- 14h 51m
- Distance
- 1,383 km
- Same day?
- Split it
- 12 h+, plan a stop
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €188
- petrol · diesel ≈ €167
- Tolls
- ≈ €80
- mixed
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 16 of 78 ≥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.
Alternative
+1h 31m- Distance:
- 1,555 km (+171 km)
- Duration:
- 16h 22m
Via: A1 · D1 · A10 · A4
Avoids motorways
+9h 35m- Distance:
- 1,384 km (+1 km)
- Duration:
- 24h 26m
Via: B25 · 728 · SS13 · 91
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.
14h 51m
1.383 km · €188 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
1.383 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 48m
from €40
See details ↓
19h 35m
TRENITALIA · Trenitalia
See details ↓
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Overnight recommended
Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 1 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Sollenau (at).
- Distance:
- 1,383 km
- Duration:
- 14h 51m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Roncade 🇮🇹 it
≈173 km≈ 5.3 km detour from the main route
-
Spittal an der Drau 🇦🇹 at
≈346 km≈ 35.5 km detour from the main route
-
Judenburg 🇦🇹 at
≈519 km≈ 2.7 km detour from the main route
-
Traiskirchen 🇦🇹 at
≈692 km≈ 2.5 km detour from the main route
-
Rousínov 🇨🇿 cz
≈865 km≈ 5 km detour from the main route
-
Jastrzębie Zdrój 🇵🇱 pl
≈1,038 km≈ 5 km detour from the main route
-
Radomsko 🇵🇱 pl
≈1,210 km≈ 8.8 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Multi-country chain · IT → AT → SI → CZ → PL
You'll cross 5 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 IT / PL
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.
Vignette required in AT / SI / CZ
Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania require a sticker or e-vignette for motorway use. Buy at the border — missing one is a heavy on-the-spot fine.
Long rural stretch on S8 Trasa Bohaterów Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r.
Plan for about 119 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Long rural stretch on S6 Semmering Schnellstraße
Plan for about 105 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.
Italian historic-centre ZTL — confirm your hotel registers your plate
Must knowBologna
This city's old town is encircled by automatic ZTL cameras. Crossing without a permit triggers €80–120 per pass. Ask your hotel the day you arrive: "Can you register my plate for ZTL access?" Some only register the entry, not parking — clarify both. Cameras read plates from any country and Italian fines reach foreign addresses up to a year later.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Digital vignette before crossing the border
Must knowAustrian motorways need a vignette — €10.10 for 10 days, €30.40 for 2 months, or €103.80 annual. The digital version (linked to your plate) is bought online at asfinag.at and activates from a chosen date — if you buy on the Austrian side of the border, it's only valid 18 days later under consumer-protection rules. Buy ahead.
Czech e-vignette is plate-linked, no sticker
Must knowCzechia replaced paper vignettes in 2021. Buy on edalnice.cz with your plate, valid from the chosen date. 10-day is CZK 290 (~€12), annual CZK 2,300 (~€95). Police read plates electronically — no display required. The first 90 minutes after purchase, the system sometimes hasn't synced; keep your purchase confirmation accessible.
You'll hit three different toll systems on this trip
Must knowThis route crosses countries with mismatched toll mechanics — France's ticket-and-pay, vignette stickers, electronic-only stretches. There's no single transponder that works everywhere, but a Telepass EU device covers FR/IT/ES/PT and a Bip&Go covers the same plus a few more. For a one-off trip, contactless cards plus a Swiss vignette and Austrian e-vignette is the simplest mix.
Brenner, Tauern and Karawanken tunnels are extra
UsefulEight Austrian routes charge separate tolls on top of the vignette: Brenner (A13, ~€11.50), Pyhrn (A9, ~€6.50), Tauern (A10, ~€14), Karawanken (A11, ~€8.50) and others. Pay at the booth — no vignette discount. If you're heading south to Italy via the A13, budget for it.
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.
Diesel and petrol typically 15–20% cheaper than DE/CZ
TipPolish fuel prices are among the lowest in the EU. If you're crossing from Germany or the Baltics, fuel after the border. Major brands (Orlen, BP, Shell) accept all major contactless cards; some independent stations are cash-only — the queue is the giveaway.
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.
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.
-
A1 Autostrada Bursztynowa218 km
-
D1 —177 km
-
A23 Autostrada Alpe-Adria127 km
-
A4 Autostrada Serenissima124 km
-
S8 Trasa Bohaterów Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r.119 km
-
A13 Autostrada Bologna-Padova115 km
-
A2 Süd Autobahn112 km
-
S6 Semmering Schnellstraße105 km
-
B317 Friesacher Straße59 km
-
A5 Nord/Weinviertel Autobahn55 km
-
S36 Murtal Schnellstraße45 km
-
52 —44 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.
- Motorway
- 55%
- Secondary
- 39%
- Other / rural
- 6%
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: 14h 51m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- Cross-border: it → pl. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
- About 590 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
- 841 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 1,672 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 1,632 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €188
103.7 L × €1.81 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €167
83 L × €2.02 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €139
242 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
≈ €80
- IT — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 307 km in-country ≈ €23)
- AT — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €10.10 for 10 days Annual vignette is €103.80 if you drive often
- SI — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €16.00 for 7 days Annual vignette is €117.50 if you drive often
- CZ — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €13.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €88.00 if you drive often
- PL — €0.05/km on the motorway network (≈ 359 km in-country ≈ €18)
Prices last refreshed 2026-10-12.
Fuel and EV charging along the route
Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.
EV charging
16 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- Ionity St. Lorenzen 350 kW
- Ladepark Villach — Villach 300 kW
- SMATRICS Nikolaigasse — Villach 300 kW
- Villach Supercharger — Villach 250 kW
- Tesla Supercharger St. Lorenzen im Mürztal 250 kW
- HAS TO BE Karawankenweg — Villach 225 kW
- EWIVA — San Stino di Livenza 150 kW
- Villach Supercharger — Villach 150 kW
- GreenWay Elektrownia Powiśle — Warszawa 140 kW
- Poysdorf Supercharger — Poysdorf 120 kW
- Warsaw Supercharger — Warsaw 120 kW
- Be Charge Hotel da Gigi — San Stino di Livenza 110 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇮🇹 Bologna
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9°
2°
|
12°
3°
|
16°
6°
|
18°
8°
|
22°
13°
|
29°
18°
|
32°
20°
|
31°
20°
|
26°
16°
|
21°
12°
|
13°
5°
|
10°
3°
|
| 64mm | 72mm | 88mm | 63mm | 167mm | 76mm | 57mm | 53mm | 74mm | 103mm | 40mm | 68mm |
hot mild cold
🇵🇱 Warsaw
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4°
-1°
|
5°
-1°
|
11°
2°
|
15°
6°
|
20°
9°
|
24°
14°
|
26°
16°
|
26°
16°
|
23°
13°
|
14°
7°
|
6°
2°
|
4°
0°
|
| 58mm | 49mm | 41mm | 55mm | 53mm | 58mm | 89mm | 74mm | 35mm | 62mm | 48mm | 49mm |
hot mild cold
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 53 manoeuvres
- Via Cesare Battisti 0.2 km
- Via Giovanni Amendola
- Viale Angelo Masini
- Via Stalingrado 3 km
- Tangenziale di Bologna (RA1) 0.3 km
- — 0.4 km
- Autostrada Bologna-Padova (A13) 115 km
- Interconnessione A13/A4 Dir. Venezia (A4) 0.5 km
- Autostrada Serenissima (A4) 124 km
- Autostrada Alpe-Adria (A23) 54 km
- Galleria Lago (A23) 4 km
- Galleria Mena (A23) 12 km
- Autostrada Alpe-Adria (A23) 9 km
- Galleria Raccolana (A23) 8 km
- Autostrada Alpe-Adria (A23) 32 km
- Süd Autobahn (A2) 52 km
- Süd Autobahn (A2) 6 km
- Klagenfurter Schnellstraße (S37) 18 km
- Friesacher Straße (B317) 15 km
- (B317) 21 km
- Friesacher Straße (B317) 15 km
- Murtal Schnellstraße (S36) 8 km
- Friesacher Straße (B317) 8 km
- Murtal Schnellstraße (S36) 37 km
- Semmering Schnellstraße (S6) 105 km
- Süd Autobahn (A2) 51 km
- Süd Autobahn (A2) 2 km
- Südosttangente (A23) 5 km
- Hochstraße St. Marx (A23) 3 km
- Südosttangente (A23) 1 km
- Wiener Nordrand Schnellstraße (S2) 7 km
- Wiener Außenring Schnellstraße (S1) 8 km
- Nord/Weinviertel Autobahn (A5) 50 km
- Umfahrung Drasenhofen (A5)
- Umfahrung Drasenhofen (A5) 5 km
- (B7)
- (52) 44 km
- (D1) 86 km
- (D1) 12 km
- — 2 km
- (D35) 0.7 km
- — 1 km
- (D1) 79 km
- Autostrada Bursztynowa (A1) 218 km
- (74) 9 km
- Trasa Bohaterów Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. (S8) 119 km
- Aleje Jerozolimskie (7) 4 km
- Aleje Jerozolimskie 1 km
- Aleje Jerozolimskie 0.6 km
- Aleje Jerozolimskie
- Aleje Jerozolimskie
- Rondo Romana Dmowskiego
- Rondo Romana Dmowskiego
By plane from Bologna to Warsaw
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 48m
- Door-to-door from :from airport.
- In the air
- 79 min
- At ~850 km/h cruise speed.
- On the ground
- 90 min
- Taxi + security + boarding (typical short-haul).
- Route
- BLQ → WAW
- 1.116 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.
By train from Bologna to Warsaw
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 19h 35m
- 4 changes
- Lead operator
- TRENITALIA
- + 5 more
- Alternatives
- 7
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- FR 9416
- REG 16794
- RJX 132
- IC 406
All operators across alternatives
- TRENITALIA
- Trenitalia
- Österreichische Bundesbahnen
- OEBB Personenverkehr AG Kundenservice
- PKP Intercity
- DB Fernverkehr AG
Includes a high-speed rail leg (TGV, ICE, AVE, Frecciarossa-class).
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
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, and Open Charge Map for EV charging stations. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.