How to Drive From Italy to Turkey (Routes & Tips)

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By looking at a map, it’s quickly apparent that Turkey isn’t necessarily a brief hop and skip away from Italy, or western Europe for that matter.

Despite this, Turkey is a wildly popular destination for camper vans, recreational vehicles of all sizes and jam-packed minivans full of families on summer holiday. So, how did they get there?

While short and inexpensive flights to Turkey are at anyone’s disposal, there is still a scene of travellers (like us) who simply cannot imagine setting off on adventures without our own car.

To us, there’s no other way to experience a particular destination than with a proper road trip and it’s true – getting there is just half the journey!

The drive from Italy to Turkey isn’t for everyone, but that’s kind of what makes it beautiful. The adventure may be long, but it’s damn sure one to remember! In this guide, we’ve included the two options for driving from Italy to Turkey and what to expect.

Why Would You Drive From Italy to Turkey?

While the two countries are separated by three different seas, you’re conveniently able to travel from one to the other by taking short and affordable flights. Flying from Rome to Istanbul takes 2.5 hours and will typically cost under €150 round trip.

So, why on earth would anyone ever take a route that’s much longer and more expensive?

Well, for people like us, we enjoy a good road trip and wanted to bring our own car from Italy to Turkey. Although the journey by car seems far-fetched, we’re not the only loony ones out there that are making the trip.

Our road trip throughout Turkey is still to date in our top three favorite adventures.

If you do not care about bringing your own car to Turkey or road tripping around Turkey, stop reading here and start digging your nose into flights instead. Based on efficiency and price, flying is the cheapest way to get from Italy to Turkey.

Is There an Italy to Turkey Ferry?

There is no ferry crossing that takes passengers from Italy to Turkey. While the drive from Italy to Turkey does involve a ferry ride or two, it’s not possible to take a boat directly from Italy to Turkey.

Depending on the route you choose (more on this below), you will have to journey by sea with your car via a ferry to Greece and then possibly from Greece to Turkey.

Your Options: Routes From Italy to Turkey by Car

1. Driving From Northern Italy to Turkey

If you’re planning a drive from Italy to Turkey and departing from any of the northern regions of Italy, it doesn’t make sense to take a ferry from Italy to Greece first. Instead, the most efficient route will consist of driving through the Balkan Peninsula. From the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, it’s possible to cross the border into Slovenia.

Including Slovenia, your road trip will begin to take you east and through the countries of Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria before reaching the Turkish border.

The last major city in Italy before the Slovenian border is Gorizia. After crossing the Bulgarian border, the first major city you’ll run into in Turkey is Edirne. The distance between these two is around 1,400 km (870 miles).

Ideally, you’ll want to plan on spending one to three nights along the 14-hour journey to break up the route into palatable sections.

Driving Through the Balkans to Turkey

The drive from northern Italy to Turkey takes you through a mix of EU and non-EU countries, which means that you’ll need to be prepared for the border crossings.

First, you’ll drive from Slovenia to Croatia, which are both EU states and part of the Schengen Zone. This means there is free travel and unrestricted movement (i.e., no official border crossing).

Getting into Serbia may take a little longer because it’s not an EU country and there is a border patrol station where they will check your passports and related documents. Serbia is a very popular “go-through route” for Europeans headed south, so getting in and out of Serbia is extremely easy.

Essentially, Serbia knows they’re the most convenient route for commuters and has made it uncomplicated for travelers. The drive through Serbia consists of staying on a straight highway for the entire duration.

Entering Bulgaria, and therefore an EU country, will also take a bit longer since you’ve just exited Serbia (non-EU and non-Schengen Zone). Countries that have official land borders will always have two stations – one for the country you are leaving and one for the country that you are entering.

When leaving a country, the process tends to be much quicker than the security and document checks you’ll undergo at the country’s border that you are entering.

Turkish Border Requirements

The land border between Bulgaria and Turkey is here. It is massive, filled with truckers and will take at least one hour to get through, depending on the season. When entering Turkey through the land border, make sure you have the following items ready.

• Passport
• Visa (if applicable)
  • Check here if your nation is required to have a tourist visa for Turkey
• Vehicle Documents
  • Valid registration and car insurance
• Driver’s License (your locally issued DL is valid)
• Documentation for pets, if you’re travelling with any
  • This usually consists of a pet passport. An EU pet passport will suffice at the Turkish border based on experience.

2. Driving From Southern Italy to Turkey

You can reach Turkey by car when you depart from the east coast of southern Italy. This route eliminates a ton of driving, which saves money on fuel, but crossing the Adriatic Sea by ferry isn’t necessarily cheap.

From the Italian region of Puglia, you must catch a ferry from either Bari or Brindisi in order to cross the sea and arrive in either Albania or Greece.

Ferry Ride from Italy to Greece

Taking a ferry from Italy to Igoumenitsa, Greece is the most favored option because this way, you are still traveling within the European Union. You will not have to encounter an official border control station until arriving at the Greece – Turkey border.

If you take a ferry from Italy to Albania instead, there’s additional driving to be completed and a slightly longer border control process (because Albania isn’t an EU state).

When choosing to depart from either Bari or Brindisi, it’ll just come down to the ferry schedule and availability on your preferred time/date.

Personally, we ended up taking the ferry from Bari to Igoumenitsa which is roughly a 12-hour journey with Ventouris Ferries. The Brindisi to Igoumenitsa ferry is slightly shorter and gets you to Greece in around 9 hours.

NOTE: Different ferry providers offer different crossing times. The slowest journey is by Ventouris Ferries and takes 12 hours. Alternative ferry rides by Anek Superfast and Grimaldi Lines take between 8 – 9.5 hours instead but are usually more expensive.

Both routes are predetermined quite well in advance and are scheduled for the same handful of departure times and days throughout the season. We tend to opt for overnight ferry rides with any sea journey over 10 hours because it makes the trip go by much quicker.

During the summer time, act fast on buying tickets in advance because certain ferry rides (along with sleeping cabins) book up.

Driving from Igoumenitsa to Turkey

Upon landing in the small port town of Igoumenitsa, you’ll jump on the A2 (E90) motorway which leads you all the way to the Turkish border. It’s a very direct journey and allows you to take the quickest way possible, the entire time.

Driving across the northern width of mainland Greece takes about 6.5 hours and 620 km (385 miles). If you’re travelling with kids (like us), we highly recommend not planning to cross the border into Turkey on the same day.

After driving all day from Igoumenitsa, we stopped for a one-night stay in the city of Alexandroupoli, which is under one hour from the Greek border.

Border crossings can be a huge ordeal, so we like to break up the journey to avoid having an unbearably long day. Do not underestimate the time it will take to cross the border into Turkey from Greece.

You never know how long you may be stuck in line – bring enough snacks, water and make sure your car’s A/C is working perfectly. Requirements for crossing this land border into Turkey are the same as previously mentioned above.

Including the ferry ride from Puglia to Igoumenitsa and then the drive from Igoumenitsa to the Kipi Border Station, the journey by car from Italy to Turkey will take around 15.5 – 18.5 hours without any stops.

Recommended Route for Driving From Italy to Turkey

If you’re able to find tickets and availability for a ferry ride to Igoumenitsa from Brindisi, choose this over departing from Bari. The ferry journey from Brindisi is favourably shorter.

What to Expect When Driving From Italy to Turkey

Ferry Accommodation

Ferries from Italy to Greece will either depart in the afternoon or at night. To not lose an entire day just to ferry travel, we prefer booking ferries which depart at night and arrive in the morning.

Furthermore, this makes it easier to take a young child on a long ferry ride because instead of running around all day on a ship, the whole family can simply sleep. Naturally, this depends on what suits your schedule the most and perhaps what’s even available during peak season.

If you’re booking an overnight ferry, paying the extra fee for a cabin is well worth it. However, if you’re a solo backpacker or young enough to not complain about sleeping on the floor of a frequented ferry that doesn’t receive nearly enough cleaning as it should – go for it! You’ll save a solid €100 – €200 by doing so.

Anyone who is travelling with children should definitely only opt for a cabin during an overnight ferry ride.

How to Cross Land Borders Like a Pro

This is applicable in any border crossing scenario, but we’ve found that the more prepared you are and have the required documents already in your hand, the less likely you are to be “randomly” hassled.

Show the authorities that you’re ready to provide anything and everything they want to see, which gives them less reason to bother you about anything.

Furthermore, drive up to the border patrol booths with all of your windows rolled down. This lets the border agents know that you are willing to be searched (because you have nothing to hide), which then deters them from requiring to search you.

Stay Connected with Mobile Data

By leaving Italy, you’re leaving the EU and therefore, leaving EU-valid mobile data behind. Upon arriving in Turkey, the internet on your cell phone will not work with your existing European SIM card.

You must travel throughout Turkey with a SIM card that’s specifically valid in Turkey (or a worldwide SIM). To ensure you’re still able to access mobile data in Turkey, you can either purchase a physical SIM card at a shop in Turkey or buy an eSIM card ahead of time.

A physical SIM card is cheaper to purchase in Turkey than an eSIM card, but it can be a hassle to even get to a shop to begin with, without any internet.

Preparing yourself with an eSIM card means it will be functional as soon as you arrive in Turkey. This is the best choice for any traveller who prefers convenience and likes to be one step ahead.

Be Aware of Tolls

We consider ourselves to be well-prepared before hitting the road. But even as avid road trippers, of course, we don’t remember or know the toll system of each country off the top of our head. No, you don’t have to be risky, you just need to know what to expect.

For the most part, there are two types of toll systems you’ll come across while driving in Europe. First, there are physical toll booths which require you to stop along the motorway and pay a toll in order to pass through. You can pay with cash or card, and it’s either a set fee or based on the distance driven.

Then, there are toll passes, also known as a vignette. As soon as you cross the border into a new country in Europe (or even a few kilometers prior to), you are greeted with various signs.

Among the most important signs are the speed limits and any notice of tolls. If you see a sign that has the word vignette in it (or even tolls written in English), you should pull over at the next gas station you see and purchase a vignette sticker.

Countries are required to let drivers know if they’re driving on a tolled road, so at some point, you will always see some sort of sign about it.

Many countries do issue electronic vignettes but you can still purchase a physical sticker or pay the fee at a gas station.

Getting Fuel in Turkey

Turkey has no shortage of gas stations and fortunately, fuel is historically much more affordable than it is in Italy. Naturally, if you fuel up at a gas station along the motorway in Turkey, prices are more expensive.

When choosing which gas station to stop at in Turkey, stick with bigger establishments and not small stations with just one or two pumps. Opting for well-known gas station brands like Petrol Ofisi will ensure you’re not fueling up with poor-quality gas or diesel.

More Turkey Travel Posts:

Cappadocia 3-Day Itinerary

• How to Spend One Day in Istanbul
• A First Timer’s Guide to Istanbul
• Best Road Trip Routes in Turkey
• Top Family Destinations in Turkey
• Visiting Turkey in September
• How to Get to Mount Nemrut

Travel Resources for Driving From Italy to Turkey

☔️ TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA or VisitorsCoverage

✈️ FLIGHTS: Skyscanner, CheapOair or Kiwi.com

🚙 CAR RENTALS: Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com

🚊 TRAINS & BUSES: Busbud, Trainline or Omio

🛳 FERRIES: Direct Ferries

🛌 ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com, Agoda or Trivago

☎️ ESIM / CELL PHONE DATA: Airalo

📸 TOURS & ACTIVITIES: GetYourGuide or Viator