10 Best 5-Day Road Trips in Europe

The best 5-day road trips in Europe stay under about 600 kilometres in total, use two or three overnight bases, and keep most days to three hours of driving or less. Our ten picks below fit that rule: the Alps from Munich to Venice, Tuscany, Andalucía, Provence, Germany's Romantic Road, Slovenia, Portugal's Silver Coast, Dalmatia, southwest Ireland, and Spain's interior from Barcelona to Madrid. Every distance here is approximate, so check the route in a planner before you book anything.

The road to San Biagio near Montepulciano, Tuscany. Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What makes a good 5-day road trip?

Five days sounds like a lot until you count the travel. Most people lose half of day one picking up a car and half of day five getting back to an airport. That leaves around three full days on the road. In our experience a 5-day trip works when:

• Total driving stays near 400 to 600 km. More than that and the trip becomes a commute.
• You sleep in two or three places, not five. Every hotel change costs about an hour of packing, check-out and parking.
• No single day is over three or four hours behind the wheel. We explain why in how many hours to drive per day.

If you want the general method first, read how to plan a 5-day road trip.

The 10 routes at a glance

1. Which is the best 5-day Alpine road trip?

Munich to Venice through the Dolomites. It is our favourite five days in Europe. You cross the Brenner Pass, spend two nights in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and finish in Venice without the car. No day needs more than about three hours of driving. We wrote the full day-by-day plan in our Munich to Venice road trip guide.

Watch for: Austrian motorways need a vignette, and Dolomite passes get busy in July and August. Start early.

2. Is Tuscany good for a 5-day road trip?

Yes, and it might be the easiest one on this list. Pick up a car leaving Florence (not in the centre, which has restricted traffic zones), then base yourself in Siena and somewhere in the Val d'Orcia near Pienza or Montepulciano. Short drives between hill towns leave time for long lunches.

Watch for: ZTL zones. Many Tuscan town centres fine cars that enter without a permit, so park outside the walls.

3. What is the best 5-day road trip in southern Spain?

Andalucía from Ronda to Nerja. Ronda's gorge, the white village of Mijas Pueblo and the coast at Nerja fit comfortably into five days with short drives. Our Andalucía road trip itinerary has the stops in order.

Watch for: Summer heat inland. In July and August, drive in the morning and save the afternoon for shade.

4. Can you do Provence in 5 days?

Yes, if you stay on one side of it. Base yourself in Avignon, then in a Luberon village such as Gordes or Roussillon, and do day loops. Lavender fields bloom roughly from late June to July. If you want to continue to the coast and have more time, our Paris to Nice road trip covers a seven-day version.

5. Is the Romantic Road worth driving in 5 days?

It fits five days almost perfectly. The official route runs from Würzburg to Füssen, about 460 km, through walled towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl, and ends near Neuschwanstein Castle. Book castle tickets in advance in summer.

6. Why is Slovenia great for a short road trip?

Slovenia is small, so you can see the Alps, a turquoise river valley and the Adriatic in five days without long drives. Go Ljubljana to Lake Bled, over the Vršič Pass into the Soča valley, and down to Piran on the coast.

Watch for: You need a vignette for Slovenian motorways. The Vršič Pass is normally closed in winter and has many hairpin bends.

7. Is Portugal good for a 5-day road trip?

Lisbon to Porto along the Silver Coast is a relaxed five days: Óbidos, the big waves at Nazaré, the monastery at Batalha, and the university town of Coimbra before Porto. Driving days are short.

Watch for: Many Portuguese motorways use electronic tolls only. Ask your rental company how tolls are paid before you leave.

8. What is the best 5-day coastal road trip in Croatia?

Split to Dubrovnik. It is only about 250 km, which leaves plenty of time for swimming stops along the Makarska Riviera. The coastal road passes briefly through Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum unless you take the Pelješac Bridge, so check your rental car's cross-border rules and carry your passport.

9. Is Ireland a good 5-day road trip?

Southwest Ireland works well with two bases: Killarney for the Ring of Kerry, and Dingle for the Slea Head drive. Roads are narrow and slow, so the kilometres look small but take longer than you expect. Remember you drive on the left.

10. Is Barcelona to Madrid worth driving?

It is if you skip the direct motorway. Our Barcelona to Madrid road trip goes through Zaragoza, Teruel and the hanging houses of Cuenca, turning a one-day drive into a five-day trip through towns most visitors never see.

How do I choose between these routes?

Ask yourself one question: do you want mountains, coast, or towns?

• Mountains: Munich to Venice, Slovenia.
• Coast: Croatia, Portugal, Ireland.
• Towns and food: Tuscany, Provence, the Romantic Road, Barcelona to Madrid, Andalucía.

Then check two practical things: whether you can pick the car up in one country and leave it in another (one-way fees across borders can be expensive), and how much the fuel will cost. Our road trip cost calculator guide walks through the maths.

If you only have three days, look at our Berlin to Prague road trip or the wider list of best road trip routes in Europe. Ready-made versions of several routes are also on our community routes page.

Plan your 5-day route in Tripvora

Pick one of the routes above, add your overnight bases as stops, and plan it in Tripvora. You will see the distance and driving time for every day, an estimated fuel cost, and whether any day is overloaded. When you are happy with it, export each day to Google Maps or Apple Maps for free.

Frequently asked questions

How far can you drive in 5 days in Europe?

You could drive 2,000 km, but you would not enjoy it. For a trip you actually see, aim for 400 to 600 km in total and three hours or less on most days.

Is it better to do a loop or a one-way route?

A loop is usually cheaper because you avoid one-way rental fees, especially across borders. A one-way route covers more ground. Check the rental price both ways before you decide.

What is the best month for a 5-day road trip in Europe?

May, June and September are a good balance for most of these routes: long days, fewer crowds than July and August, and mountain roads usually open. Check pass opening dates for Alpine routes.