A road trip that starts in Milan and ends on the Adriatic crosses some of the most varied scenery in Europe in a little over a week. You leave a fashion capital in the morning, sleep by an Italian lake, cross the Dolomites, spend a day in Mozart's city, wake up beside an alpine lake in Slovenia and finish with a seafront walk in Croatia. It is the kind of journey that is wonderful to take and tiring to drive yourself. This guide explains how we plan it with a dedicated chauffeur and what to think about before you book.
Start with the shape of the route
The simplest way to plan a multi-country trip is to think of it as a chain of bases rather than a list of sights. For this route, a natural chain is Milan, Lake Garda, the Dolomites, Salzburg, Lake Bled, Ljubljana and the Istrian coast. Each stage is a drive of between one and four hours, which leaves most of the day for the places themselves.
On our sample itinerary the longest days are the Dolomites to Salzburg, a little over four hours on Google Maps, and Lake Garda to Cortina d'Ampezzo, about three and a half. Most other days are shorter: Lake Bled to Ljubljana is under an hour, and Rovinj to Opatija about an hour and a quarter.
How many days to allow
Nine days is a comfortable length for this route, with two days that involve little or no driving: one in the Dolomites and one in Salzburg. Guests who want to include Vienna usually add one or two nights. Salzburg to Vienna is about three and a half hours, and Vienna to Lake Bled about four and a half, so the extension adds a long driving day on each side.
If you have less time, the route can be shortened by finishing in Ljubljana or by skipping one of the mountain nights. If you have more, the Istrian coast and the islands of the Kvarner Gulf invite a few slower days at the end.
Why one chauffeur for the whole trip
On a journey like this, the alternative to a chauffeur is usually a rental car or a series of trains and transfers. A rental car means one person in the group drives every day, often on mountain roads, and returns the car in another country. Trains work for some stages but not for the lakes and passes, and every change means carrying luggage.
With a dedicated chauffeur, the same driver and the same car stay with you from the first pick-up to the last drop-off. Your luggage stays in the car. The driver knows the plan, adjusts departure times to the weather and the traffic, and stops when you want to stop. In the evening he is available if you have a dinner reservation away from the hotel.
Choosing the hotels
We do not sell hotels. You choose and book them, or your travel planner does, and we plan the driving around them. It helps to send us the list as soon as it is confirmed, especially in places where cars cannot reach every door, such as the centre of Salzburg or the car-free streets of Ljubljana. The driver then knows where he can stop and how far the luggage needs to be carried.
Choosing the vehicle
For a couple, the Mercedes S-Class or V-Class is the most comfortable choice for long days. Families and groups of friends usually prefer the Sprinter Luxury VIP, which carries up to eight passengers with their luggage and still has room for what you buy along the way.
Seasons
Late spring, summer and early autumn are the easiest seasons for this route, with all mountain roads normally open. In winter the Dolomites and Salzburg are beautiful, but some high passes close and the plan needs more flexibility. Your driver chooses the route on the day.
How to start planning
Send us your dates, the number of travellers and suitcases, and the places you would like to see. We reply with a suggested route, real driving times and a written quote. The price is on request, because every tour is different, and the quote lists exactly what it covers.