🇮🇹 Same-country drive · Italy
Driving from Rome to Venice
Essential tips for driving from Rome to Venice, covering the A1 motorway, toll systems, and regional traffic expectations.
- Drive time
- 5h 33m
- Distance
- 534 km
- Same day?
- Yes, doable
- under 8 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €72
- petrol · diesel ≈ €66
- Tolls
- ≈ €40
- per-km
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 33 of 106 ≥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
+2h 16m- Distance:
- 504 km (−30 km)
- Duration:
- 7h 50m
Via: Strada Statale 3 bis Tiberina · SS309 · SS2bis · SR3
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.
5h 33m
534 km · €72 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
534 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
6h 25m
FlixBus-eu
See details ↓
4h 31m
TRENITALIA
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 leave Rome via the A90 orbital and merge onto the A1dir to intercept the A1 autostrada heading north, where the landscape shifts from the rolling hills of Lazio into the sharper, industrial corridors of Tuscany. The climb toward the Apennine Mountains peaks near 700 meters as you transition onto the A1var, a modern engineering marvel of tunnels and viaducts designed to bypass the older, winding sections of the pass. While this route is generally reliable, winter storms can coat these high-altitude stretches in ice or snow, so ensure your vehicle is prepared if travelling between November and March. The motorway surface is well-maintained, but be prepared for heavy lorry traffic that tends to bunch up in the right lanes.
Crossing into the Emilia-Romagna region, the route flattens significantly as you join the A14 toward Bologna. This is a high-traffic junction where the flow of vehicles intensifies; keep your eyes peeled for lane drops and sudden merging patterns. Once you sweep past the industrial outskirts of the Po Valley, the scenery becomes vast and agricultural, signaling your approach to the Adriatic coast and the final turn toward the Venetian lagoon.
Navigating Italian motorways requires a steady hand with the toll system, which is distance-based and managed through ticket machines at entry and exit points. Keep your change or a valid card ready for the booths, and avoid the yellow Telepass lanes unless you have a pre-registered device. Remember that the standard speed limit of 130 km/h drops to 110 km/h during heavy rain, a rule strictly enforced by the tutor camera systems along these major arteries. As you near Venice, traffic congestion is almost inevitable, so budget extra time for the final approach to the Mestre junction before you cross the Ponte della Libertà into the city parking zones.
Route highlights
- The A1var tunnel network through the Apennine Mountains
- The intersection at Bologna where the A1 meets the A14
- The final approach across the Ponte della Libertà toward Venice
- The tutor speed monitoring systems on major autostrade
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Long day — start early
Doable in one day but it is a full day behind the wheel. Start before 9am, plan one proper lunch stop, keep the driver rested.
- Distance:
- 534 km
- Duration:
- 5h 33m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Orvieto 🇮🇹 it
≈107 km≈ 18.5 km detour from the main route
-
Arezzo 🇮🇹 it
≈214 km≈ 12.3 km detour from the main route
-
Barberino di Mugello 🇮🇹 it
≈321 km≈ 5.4 km detour from the main route
-
Santa Maria Maddalena 🇮🇹 it
≈428 km≈ 6 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Tolls on motorways in IT
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.
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.
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.
-
A1 Autostrada del Sole298 km
-
A13 Autostrada Bologna-Padova116 km
-
A1var Variante di Valico33 km
-
A1dir Diramazione Roma Nord21 km
-
A14 Ramo Casalecchio10 km
-
A4 Autostrada Serenissima10 km
-
A57 Tangenziale di Mestre9 km
-
A90 Grande Raccordo Anulare8 km
-
SR11 Via della Libertà7 km
-
A24 —5 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 96%
- Secondary
- 1%
- Other / rural
- 3%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 0 m
- Highest point
- 697 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 951 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 1,004 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €72
40.1 L × €1.79 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €66
32.1 L × €2.05 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €61
94 kWh × €0.65 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €40
- IT — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 534 km in-country ≈ €40)
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.
EV charging
33 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- Enel X HPC Calenzano — Calenzano 350 kW
- Free To X ADS Fabro Ovest — Fabro 300 kW
- Free To X AdS Fabro Est — Fabro 300 kW
- Ewiva Casello di Barberino di Mugello — Barberino di Mugello 300 kW
- Free To X AdS Adige Ovest — Villamarzana 300 kW
- Free To X AdS Adige Est — Rovigo 300 kW
- Magliano Sabina Supercharger — Magliano Sabina 250 kW
- Supercharger Barberino Del Mugello — Barberino Del Mugello 250 kW
- Ewiva Orte — Orte 150 kW
- Ewiva Casello di Fabro — Fabro 150 kW
- Be Charge Marco Polo — Bologna 110 kW
- BeCharge Viale Porta Po 110 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇮🇹 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
🇮🇹 Venice
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8°
2°
|
10°
3°
|
14°
6°
|
17°
9°
|
21°
14°
|
27°
19°
|
29°
20°
|
29°
20°
|
25°
17°
|
19°
12°
|
13°
5°
|
9°
2°
|
| 74mm | 65mm | 118mm | 86mm | 194mm | 71mm | 102mm | 99mm | 142mm | 157mm | 63mm | 50mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Venice
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
⛅
14° / 13°
—
-
Wed 13
☀️
17° / 12°
—
-
Thu 14
🌧️
16° / 11°
51.5mm
-
Fri 15
🌧️
16° / 10°
14mm
-
Sat 16
🌧️
14° / 13°
32.6mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 25 manoeuvres
- Via Luigi Luzzatti
- (A24) 5 km
- Complanare TPU sinistra 2 km
- — 0.8 km
- Grande Raccordo Anulare (A90) 8 km
- — 0.6 km
- Diramazione Roma Nord (A1dir) 21 km
- — 2 km
- Autostrada del Sole (A1) 232 km
- Autostrada del Sole (A1) 36 km
- Raccordo A1-Variante di Valico (A1) 7 km
- Variante di Valico (A1var) 33 km
- Autostrada del Sole (A1) 24 km
- Ramo Casalecchio (A14) 5 km
- Autostrada Adriatica (A14) 5 km
- Autostrada Bologna-Padova (A13) 116 km
- Interconnessione A13/A4 Dir. Venezia (A4) 0.5 km
- Autostrada Serenissima (A4) 10 km
- Tangenziale di Mestre (A57) 9 km
- Tangenziale di Mestre 0.2 km
- Tangenziale di Mestre 0.4 km
- Via della Libertà 2 km
- Via della Libertà (SR11) 3 km
- Ponte della Libertà (SR11) 4 km
- —
By coach from Rome to Venice
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 6h 25m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- Departures / day
- ~1
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Rome to Venice
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
- 4h 31m
- 2 changes
- Lead operator
- TRENITALIA
- Alternatives
- 5
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- FR 8418
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.
Frequently asked
Do I need a vignette for driving on motorways in Italy?
No, Italy does not use a vignette system. Instead, you pay distance-based tolls at plazas when entering or exiting the motorway.
What is the speed limit on the A1 and A14?
The speed limit is 130 km/h on motorways under normal conditions, but this is reduced to 110 km/h in wet weather.
Are there snowy mountain passes on this route?
The route reaches an elevation of nearly 700 meters in the Apennines; while the motorway is kept clear, winter conditions can occasionally cause delays or require caution.
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, 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.