First time in Italy: 10-day road trip from Zurich to Tuscany
Hi everyone,
I’m planning a road trip with my girlfriend from July 2 to July 12 and would love some feedback.
We live near Zurich, Switzerland and will travel by private car.
This would be my first time in Italy. I’m not really a sightseeing chaser — I don’t need to tick off every famous landmark. I’m more of a “vibes” person: good food, wine, beautiful towns, aperitivo, relaxed evenings, nice views and time to slow down. I love eating and cooking, so food is a big part of the trip for me.
This is the current itinerary:
| Date | Place | Night | Idea | Goal | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1, Thu, July 2 | Parma | 1 | Relaxed drive from Zurich | Start the holiday calmly without driving all the way to Tuscany | Leave early, drive via Gotthard / Milan towards Parma | Check-in, short walk, relaxed dinner |
| Day 2, Fri, July 3 | Parma → Pisa → Tuscany base | 1 of 4 | Arrive in Tuscany with a short Pisa stop | Get the first Tuscany feeling without overloading the day | Drive to Pisa, quick stop if we feel like it | Continue to Certaldo / San Gimignano / Poggibonsi, check-in, pool, aperitivo |
| Day 3, Sat, July 4 | San Gimignano / Certaldo | 2 of 4 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Day 4, Sun, July 5 | Siena | 3 of 4 | Siena day trip | Culture, old town and good food | Drive to Siena, cathedral, Piazza del Campo, old town | Lunch in Siena, then return to the base |
| Day 5, Mon, July 6 | Volterra | 4 of 4 | Quieter Tuscany day | Experience a more authentic town and slow down again | Drive to Volterra, old town, views, relaxed walk | Lunch in Volterra, then back to the hotel |
| Day 6, Tue, July 7 | Tuscany base → Florence | 1 of 2 | Travel | Wake up in Florence on July 8 | Slow breakfast, check-out, drive to Florence | Check-in, Oltrarno / Ponte Vecchio / aperitivo |
| Day 7, Wed, July 8 | Florence | 2 of 2 | Anniversary day | Enjoy the day consciously and chill | Slow breakfast, no early pressure | Walk through Florence, rooftop aperitivo, nice dinner, evening by the Arno |
| Day 8, Thu, July 9 | Florence → Bologna | 1 | Food / old town stop | More proper Italian city vibe | Slow check-out, drive to Bologna | Check-in, old town, porticoes, get ragù |
| Day 9, Fri, July 10 | Bologna → Pontresina | 1 of 2 | Transition from Italy to the mountains | Push the return journey | Breakfast in Bologna, drive towards Engadin | Check-in, short walk, fresh mountain air, quiet dinner |
| Day 10, Sat, July 11 | Pontresina | 2 of 2 | Quiet mountain ending | Wind down before going home | Muottas Muragl or Morteratsch | Coffee / cake, wellness or quiet afternoon, final dinner |
| Day 11, Sun, July 12 | Pontresina → Zurich area | — | Drive home | Get home relaxed | Check-out | Drive back home |
We start with Parma as a relaxed first stop instead of driving all the way to Tuscany in one day. Then we stay four nights somewhere around Certaldo / San Gimignano / Poggibonsi as a base for Tuscany.
We then spend two nights in Florence before continuing to Bologna.
I originally considered another stop, but Bologna seems more food-focused and “Italian” in the way I’m looking for.
Finally, we drive to Pontresina in Switzerland for two nights before going home. This is meant as a calm ending in the mountains instead of having a very long drive home from Italy on the last day.
Main questions:
- What do you think of this itinerary overall?
- Is Certaldo / San Gimignano / Poggibonsi a good base for this kind of Tuscany trip? If yes, what kind of stays would you recommend there?
- Since it’s our anniversary, what restaurant would you recommend for it?
Preferences:
- I care more about atmosphere, food, wine, beautiful views and relaxed evenings than ticking off landmarks.
- Hotels should be clean, comfortable, slightly modern and car-friendly.
Would love to hear your thoughts.