European gas station question

It's kind of funny, there are things I definitely recall about Italian gas stations and things I don't recall so well. The things I recall about the gas stations are there are some automatic gas stations. Those don't have an attendant at all and you have to use a chip and pin credit card - so I skipped them.

I drove a diesel car so had to make sure I knew the name of the fuel I needed and didn't accidentally put in the wrong kind.

I don't really recall whether I used any self service stations, I know at least some were full service but I can't recall if they were all full service.

@Brad If you don't recall, might it be time to return and refresh your memory?

As Brad said, the first thing you need to remember is that unmanned stations won't accept your US cc, unless you are one of the few of us who has a chip & pin (not chip & signature). It can get tricky in Italy because many manned stations will have only self-service for a couple of hours at mid-day. Ditto on weekends. A good rule-of-thumb is to refill as soon as you drop below half full. Most stations on autostrade will be open and have an attendant or a cashier on duty throughout the day. They always seem to be able to run an American cc. Caution: using the word, "always" is hazardous, especially when referring to Italy; however, that's been our experience. It's a good idea to ask before the pumping starts and to keep enough cash ready to cover the bill.
Buon viaggio!

We just returned from 30 day trip to Italy which included 12 days of driving. We always got fuel during the day and did not run into any self serve gas stations. I do have a chip and pin card if needed. However, at one station, even though they had credit card signs, when the attendant got done pumping the gas he told me their credit card machine was not working. The above advice to have enough cash is spot on.

In Sicily, we encountered a number of stations that had both self-serve and full-serve lanes. It wasn't particularly difficult to figure out the procedures, which did vary. At some stations, you pay first; at others, you paid at the end. We mostly used cash; I don't remember if we tried to use my friend's chip and signature card, but I believe we did at least once with no difficulty.

Beyond getting fuel, you are learning all you need to know about renting a car and driving in Italy, right?

Insurance...ZTLs...hidden cameras...ticket costs...rental agency fees for providing your info to the authorities...and more.

Thank you everybody. And yes, Lo, we do have all that information. International drivers permit etc. Just got gas today and started wondering if it is the same there.

check out the Auto Grills......like a large convenience store where you can have an espresso or sandwich made to order and then eat at a tiny table.....and buy loads of Italian souvenirs......clean enough restrooms, too

In September of 2010 we traveled the back roads of Italy. We did not have a chip and pin card and did not encounter any issues. What we did encounter was the typical mid day closure of gas stations usually from 12-3. I recall most of the ones we stopped at being full serve. As for the dreaded ZTLs, they are marked as long as you keep your eyes open. In Milan, there were also signs showing the beginning of a green zone with restricted plates (same as a ZTL?). As for speed cameras, you gotta love the Italians because they warned you with signs when a speed camera was ahead. Our travel was mostly on the back roads with some Autosrada. We traveled from from Innsbruck down to Venice, Bologna, Modena, Milan, and then up to France. So, in my opinion, there is not anything special to be aware of. Just be a typical wide-eyed tourist.