Can you enjoy that too? Traveling to Italy by car always gives you such a wonderful holiday feeling. Maybe you'll experience the nostalgia of yesteryear, with a Donald Duck holiday book under a throw in the back seat. A sandwich with fried egg for on the go. And then finally, after a long drive, to see those majestic Alps looming on the horizon. You are almost in Italy… But there is still a long way to go to your final destination. Do you want to stay overnight en route to Italy? Here are the best hotels en route to Italy.
Italy is a great holiday country, we don't have to tell you as an Italophile (or is it your first time in Italy?). Only… it is still a long drive every time. You would actually like to stay at a hotel on the way to Italy.
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Staying overnight en route to Italy?
As far as we are concerned, these are the advantages of a hotel stay on the way to Italy:
- You arrive at your holiday destination more rested.
- Traveling is much more relaxed, without the stress of having to arrive or want to arrive at a certain time.
- Children love sleeping in a hotel on their way to Italy.
- You come somewhere and see something again!
- Your holiday starts immediately, because the overnight stay on the way counts!
It hits! As experienced Italy goers, we have often made the trip to Italy by car. Both the Austria route and the Switzerland route. Although we also made the trip several times in one go, we regularly made a stopover in Germany, Switzerland or Austria.
Below you will find our best tips for hotels en route to Italy, broken down into the hotels you will encounter on the route via Switzerland and the route via Austria. We have selected the hotels at a distance of about 500 to 1.000 kilometers from the Netherlands.
With 1.000 kilometers you are already in Italy, but for some Italy-goers the trip goes even further than Tuscany and we would also like to help them find a good hotel for the road.
The overnight hotels must comply with this
These are the requirements we generally set for hotels en route to Italy:
- The hotel is located along the route to Italy.
- Close to the highway, so you don't lose valuable time.
- The hotel and rooms are clean and quite comfortable.
- The price is a maximum of 120 euros for a room, because we also want to spend the night a little cheaply on the way to Italy.
- Breakfast is included or can be booked at a low price (preferably a nice extensive breakfast buffet, because traveling makes you hungry).
- You can park for free and right next to or in the garage.
Of course you can set other conditions yourself, but your own research has shown that many people embrace the above 'demands'. That is why we have listed the hotels that we recommend as a place to stay on your way to Italy according to this list.
Note: also for the hotels in this list, if you want to be sure of a place, it is best to make a reservation. These hotels in the vicinity of the holiday routes fill up quickly, especially in the high season.
Here they come.
Hotels en route to Italy – Switzerland route
Are you going to Florence, Milan, Rome, Tuscany, Umbria? In most cases, the fastest route to Italy is the route through Switzerland. You can stay overnight in the south of Germany, in Switzerland or in northern Italy.
Note that hotels in Switzerland are more expensive than in Germany or Italy. For Switzerland you need a toll sticker that is valid for one year. You can purchase this vignette most cheaply in advance in the Netherlands. It costs about 35 euros.
Here are our tips:
Super tip: Hotel Lumi, Freiburg im Breisgau
Hotel Lumi is located in Freiburg im Breisgau, 3 minutes away from the A5 and about a 5-hour drive from the border between the Netherlands and Germany.
This hotel is a perfect opportunity to spend the night in cheaper southern Germany instead of Switzerland. The hotel was only open for a year in autumn 2019 and the rooms are super neat. You can park for free in front of the hotel or on the street.
The hotel is in an industrial area, but that doesn't matter much if you're passing through. Then you just want a neat room with good beds and a good breakfast. Hotel Lumi offers all that. You can book rooms from about 80 euros, depending on the season.
Special mention deserves the suite that can accommodate up to 6 people. You have 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate toilet, a sitting area and even a kitchen. Ideal if you – like us – travel with children. You pay a lower price for this than if you have to book 2 separate rooms.
A breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs, tasty rolls, yogurt and fruit costs € 9 per person. This hotel is also perfectly suited for the way back from Italy, when you still have to drive at least 5 to 7 hours before you reach the Netherlands or Belgium.
Check the prices and availability
Super tip: Motel Gottardo Sud, Piotta
We have stayed in this hotel several times, also with children. It is a neat hotel that is located almost directly along the highway (without it bothering you when sleeping). You will find this hotel immediately when you go through the Gotthard tunnel (first exit). It is about 800 kilometers from the border with the Netherlands.
The rates are certainly reasonable for Swiss standards and you get a good breakfast. After breakfast you will be back on the autostrada towards Italy. An extra plus: this is the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. So you feel like you're already on vacation. The motel is rated 'very good' on booking.com.
Check the prices and availability
B&B Hotel Basel/Weil am Rhein, Weil am Rhein
This hotel is located close to the Swiss border. A nice place to spend the night (inexpensive) before entering Switzerland. It is a neat hotel where you can book a family room at a reasonable rate and have a nice breakfast buffet in the morning, before you set off again. The hotel is rated 'Delicious' on booking.com.
Check the prices and availability
Best Western Hotel Dreilanderbrücke, Weil am Rhein
A beautifully situated luxury hotel on the border triangle between Germany, France and Switzerland. Also in Weil am Rhein. The hotel has four stars and gets good reviews. The rooms are new and the breakfast is nice. It is close to the highway and you can easily park here in the garage. If you want a little more comfort on your way to Italy, this hotel is an excellent choice.
Check the prices and availability
Hotel Liberty, Bellinzona
Favorably priced hotel. For 120 euros you have a room with breakfast! Bellinzona in the Italian canton Ticino is also a must to visit. This city has three beautiful medieval castles that you can visit.
Check the prices and availability
Hotel Touring, Chiasso
A super neat hotel on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Staying here means that your holiday has started. The rooms cost between 120 and 150 euros in high season, which is certainly not much for Switzerland. And this hotel offers excellent value for money. A 2 minute drive from the highway and the Italian border and yet stylish.
Check the prices and availability
Hotels on the way to Italy – Austria route
Do you Trentino-South Tyrol, the Adriatic coast near Venice or Lake Garda? Then the most logical route to Italy is via Austria. Please note that you need a toll sticker for Austria. Probably even 2, because the vignettes with the shortest duration are valid for 10 days. One vignette for 10 days costs about 9 euros.
You can then drive via the Fernpass/Brennerpass or via Munich. These routes do not differ much in terms of travel time. There are many options for staying overnight on the way to Italy. You will find plenty of cheap hotels in southern Germany and Austria.
Here are our tips:
Super tip: Landgasthof Jagerwirt, Volders
Are you driving to Italy via Innsbruck? In Volders, not far from here and fairly close to the highway, you will find a hotel that is a popular place to stay on the route with compatriots.
Landgasthof Jagerwirt is a genuine Austrian hotel that is largely run by the innkeeper himself. In the afternoon he is checking in, in the evening he takes the order in the restaurant for you and in the morning he is busy with breakfast.
We had a spacious family room with a loft here. The village itself is also nice to take a walk through and recharge for the rest of the journey. Highly recommended if you don't want to stay in a big hotel.
Check the prices and availability
B&B Hotel München City-Nord, Munich
The B&B Hotels are perfect hotels for when you are passing through and this hotel is no exception. Ideal for when you take the Munich route to la bella italy chooses. The hotel is rated 'Very Good' by travelers who have left their review on booking.com.
Check the prices and availability
Gasthof Plattenhof, Telfs
Conveniently located just 1 km from the highway. You immediately imagine yourself in an Austrian atmosphere in this hotel restaurant. Incidentally, this is a simple, somewhat clumsy hotel with a favorable price. 'Very good', according to travelers with booking.com.
Check the prices and availability
Ibis Budget Munich, Putzbrunn
This hotel is located near Munich, on the A99 ring road. As the name says and the photo confirms, a budget hotel, but you don't need much more on the way to Italy.
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Hotel Motel Visconteo, Binasco
Directly below Milan on the highway, hotel with good facilities. Popular with both business and leisure travelers en route to Tuscany or further south (or vice versa). The hotel is rated 'perfect' for a one night stay. You can optionally combine a stay in this hotel with a visit to the fascinating city of Milan.
Check the prices and availability
Arthotel Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is located between Nuremberg and Munich and the Arthotel Ingolstadt is located right at the exit of the highway. This hotel is a comfortable hotel with good beds and an excellent breakfast. Highly recommended if you left late or simply want to take it easy on the way to Italy via Austria. The next morning you will be on your way to Italy again.
Check the prices and availability
Legoland Feriendorf, Gunzburg
Are you traveling to Italy with children up to the age of 13? You probably won't do them any greater favors than staying overnight at this southern German Legoland park, newly opened in 2018.
At 5 minutes from the hotel you will find the entrance to Legoland Feriendorf. You should of course have a little longer, because the children probably want to be able to enjoy the park for a day.
But outside of the time aspect, this is of course a great option. The rooms have a nice Lego theme, are not too expensive and it is also possible to stay in a so-called 'family barrel' with a shared bathroom.
Book in time, because this place to stay is popular with families with children!
Check the prices and availability
Other hotels
Neat and inexpensive hotels along the highway can actually be found everywhere in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Chains where you can go, for example these:
- Ibis Hotels
- Serways Motels
- B&B Hotels
You can often go here without a reservation and you can book a room including breakfast for less than € 120. The hotels are often in the immediate vicinity of the highway, so that you are quickly on your way the next time.
Of course you can also make the trip more of a holiday by choosing a hotel in a beautiful area further away from the highway. In the list on this page we focus on cheap hotels en route to Italy, because many people just want to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
If you have more time and budget, feel free to look further at hotels that are a bit further from the highway and enjoy your trip to Italy even more.
Find your own hotel for the road
Do you know approximately which route you will drive to Italy? Then search via booking.com to (cheap) hotels in the area. The advantage of booking through booking.com is that you can cancel last-minute if you decide to continue driving. Moreover, you can easily find reviews from other families, couples or single travelers via booking.com, so that you can immediately see whether the hotel is something for you.
Booking through booking.com is very easy. You only need to enter the nearest city and you will immediately see an overview of the possibilities. Are you looking for a B&B on your way to Italy? You can also find it on booking.com.
Or you look on Airbnb for possibilities at people's homes. Sometimes you get your own room or floor, sometimes you have an entire apartment or house at your disposal. In most cases you will not find accommodation via Airbnb directly along the Autobahn, you have to book in advance and of course you cannot cancel at the last minute. Anyway, it can't hurt to browse Airbnb to see if there's anything for you.
If you don't want to be stuck in traffic, it's best to find a hotel that is past the busiest points. In high season these are the Gotthardtunnel, the Fernpass and the roads around Munich.
Search your hotel now via booking.com
Your tips for hotels on the way to Italy?
Have you also stayed in a good hotel on your way to Italy? Then let us know your tips (also possible via Facebook/Instagram). This way we can expand this page with hotel tips for the road and you help other Italy lovers find a nice overnight hotel.
Are you looking for the most beautiful luxury hotels in Italy? Then read this article and marvel at the crème de la crème among Italian hotels.
Photos: booking.com
