Famous road · 4 km off the route
Villach Alpine Road
- Summit
- 1,732 m summit
- Length
- 17 km long
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Road trip route · Germany · Austria · Italy
Munich to Venice drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 6 hr
- Distance
- 567 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €70
- Tolls (est.)
- €10
The Munich to Venice drive
The drive from Munich to Venice covers 352 miles (567 km) and takes about 6 hr without stops. That's a long day, but doable in one go with a couple of proper breaks. If you'd rather split it, Villach is about halfway.
It's split between the A10, the A8 and the A23, with no single road carrying more than 32% of it. On the way you go past Rosenheim, Traunstein and Salzburg, and you'll be near Villach roughly 3 h 22 min in. It crosses 2 borders: Germany to Austria near Salzburg and Austria to Italy near Udine.
This is a mountain drive. It reaches about 1,320 m and climbs around 1,848 m in total, so check the high roads are open before you set off. The Villach Alpine Road is 4 km off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €70 one-way plus roughly €10 in motorway tolls. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 352 miles this is longer than 86% of the 144 routes covered here, so it is worth treating as a trip in itself rather than a transfer. Split across 2 days it works out at about 3 hours behind the wheel each day, which leaves most of the daylight for the places in between.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping, plus where you cross the border.
- StartMunich
- 62 kmRosenheim40 min in
- 103 kmTraunstein1 h 6 min in
- 119 kmInto Austria
- 134 kmSalzburg1 h 25 min ingood place to stop
- 318 kmVillach3 h 22 min ingood place to stop
- 378 kmInto Italy
- 438 kmUdine4 h 39 min in
- 496 kmPortogruaro5 h 16 min in
- 523 kmSan Donà di Piave5 h 33 min in
- 549 kmMogliano Veneto5 h 49 min in
- 567 kmVenice
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A10180 km · 32%
- A8126 km · 22%
- A23120 km · 21%
- A482 km · 14%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Mountain pass · 6 km off the route
Rossfeld Panoramastrasse
Mountain pass · 8 km off the route
Mangart Saddle Road
- Summit
- 2,055 m summit
Mountain pass · 10 km off the route
Predil Pass
- Summit
- 1,156 m summit
Best stops between Munich and Venice
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
National Parks
Triglav National Park
Slovenia's only national park centered on Mount Triglav, with alpine lakes, gorges, and the Julian Alps.
Landmarks
Mirabell Gardens
Elegant Baroque gardens in the heart of Salzburg, famously featured in The Sound of Music with views toward the fortress.
Landmarks
Salzburg Old Town
Mozart's birthplace and a UNESCO World Heritage city of Baroque churches, narrow lanes, and the famous Getreidegasse shopping street.
Natural Wonders
Königssee
A pristine emerald-green lake nestled between steep mountain walls, famous for its echo and the pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä.
Natural Wonders
Vintgar Gorge
A spectacular 1.6-kilometer gorge carved by the Radovna River, walkable via wooden platforms past rapids, pools, and a 13-meter waterfall.
Castles & Palaces
Hohensalzburg Fortress
One of Europe's largest and best-preserved medieval fortresses, towering above Salzburg's Baroque old town.
Mountain Passes
Mangart Saddle Road
Slovenia's highest-reaching road at 2055m, a narrow single-track shelf road with no guardrails climbing to a dramatic saddle beneath the Mangart peak.
Mountain Passes
Vršič Pass
Slovenia's highest pass at 1611m with 50 numbered cobblestone hairpins, built by Russian POWs in WWI and now a popular Julian Alps motorcycle route.
National Parks
Berchtesgaden National Park
Germany's only Alpine national park, surrounding the pristine Königssee and the dramatic Watzmann massif.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Germany
- Tolls
- No motorway tolls
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- Required in winter conditions
Low-emission zones: Umweltzone (about 36 active, incl. Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne).
Austria
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Vignette (ASFINAG)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- 1 November - 15 April
Italy
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Autostrade
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest
- Winter tyres
- 15 November - 15 April
Low-emission zones: ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in Germany and Austria and Italy
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Amalfi Coast Drive
30 miles of stomach-churning sea-cliff hairpins, lemon groves, and pastel villages
68 km · 1.4h driving · 5 stops · 3 days
Großglockner High Alpine Road
Austria's most spectacular pass: 36 hairpins to 2,504m and the country's highest peak
72 km · 1.9h driving · 5 stops · 1 days
Black Forest High Road (B500)
Cuckoo clocks, dark-wood villages, cake, and a high road that floats above the canopy
158 km · 3.2h driving · 4 stops · 2 days
Stelvio Pass + Dolomites Loop
48 hairpins to 2,757m then a tour of UNESCO-listed Dolomite peaks
332 km · 6.2h driving · 8 stops · 4 days
Munich to Venice FAQs
How long is the drive from Munich to Venice?
Driving from Munich to Venice takes about 6 hr nonstop, covering 352 miles (567 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Munich to Venice?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €70 one-way. Expect around €10 in motorway tolls. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Munich to Venice in one day?
Yes, though it's a long day: about 6 hr of driving. Plenty of people do it in one go with two or three proper breaks; if you'd rather split it, Villach is about halfway.
Which roads do you take from Munich to Venice?
The fastest route uses the A10 (about 180 km), the A8 (about 126 km), the A23 (about 120 km), the A4 (about 82 km). It passes Rosenheim, Traunstein, Salzburg, Villach.
Where should I stop on the way from Munich to Venice?
If you stop every couple of hours, Salzburg comes up about 2 h in, and Villach comes up about 4 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 13 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Munich and Venice?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Triglav National Park, Mirabell Gardens, Salzburg Old Town: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Munich & Venice
Berlin → MunichFlorence → VeniceLjubljana → VeniceMilan → VeniceMunich → FrankfurtMunich → InnsbruckMunich → PragueMunich → SalzburgMunich → ViennaMunich → Zurich
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Germany road trip planner, browse every destination we cover or the Italy planner, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Italy guide.