car rental in Italy

1. You can pay cash (Euro) on the toll highways. Sometimes the tollbooths are manned and sometimes they aren't.
2. Most credit cards do not provide car insurance coverage in Italy, Ireland, Portugal, and Israel. After driving in Italy for 5 minutes you will understand why. For added peace of mind we always purchase the extra cost zero liability. It is worth every euro.
3. The document you are referring to is an International Driving Permit. You do not need one to rent a car, but if you are stopped for any reason you could be fined for not having one. Go to AAA and obtain one for $18-$20 and they are valid for one year.

The farther south you travel in Italy driving laws become only suggestions. Driving on the Autostrada is not too much different from driving on our interstates. However, stay out of the passing lane except to pass only. Otherwise, that tiny black dot in the rearview mirror could be a Mercedes or BMW driving at 130 mph and they will tailgate you while honking their horn and flashing their lights. When someone passes you they will immediately pull in front of you once their right rear bumper is past your front left fender. Motorcycles and scooters are everywhere and when you stop at a traffic light you will be surrounded by many scooters and you will wonder where they came from.

We travel in Italy every year and use a combination of trains and car rentals. Go and have fun.

Buon viaggio,

" If there's any other advice you can give us about driving in Italy, it would also be appreciated. "

If your only travel is between Rome & Florence, why drive when the train will get you there in 90 minutes?

If you do decide to drive, get the permit. AAA can fix you up for $15.00. Yes, it is required in Italy.

Whatever your decision, have a great adventure!

1. We rented from Europcar on Sicily 2 years ago, then ferried it to the mainland and drove up to Sorrento. That part of Italy had no tolls, so I can't offer advice.

2. We checked with our Visa card company and decided to use their insurance coverage, and we waived any extra insurance from Europcar. We didn't have any accidents so we fortunately didn't have any claims to file. Check with your credit card bank to see what they cover, what deductibles and paperwork would be involved in the event of damage and see what will be the most convenient and cost-effective for you. Sometimes peace of mind is worth some added insurance expense.

3. Rick Steves even says he's driven without an IDP, and some dubious folks would even argue that "you're not guilty unless you get caught," but if you do get stopped by a cop and don't have one, the penalties are pretty harsh. It's better to be in compliance than to save $15 or $20 at the start of your trip. You can get the IDP at AAA even if you're not a AAA member, so it's cheap "insurance" to have the IDP. It's good for a whole year, and other countries, like Austria, also require it. You will need 2 passport-sized photos for it, or AAA can take the photos for you. Each driver needs their own IDP.

The autostrade thru Calabria had a lot of construction zones, so the highway was down to one lane in places and passing sometimes wasn't possible. People were courteous and also for the most part didn't speed. However, Audis, BMW's, Mercedes, and Volkswagens did zoom past other cars, even when everybody else was driving the speed limit. Maybe there's some unwritten rule in Italy that if you have a German car, you have to pass Fiats and Peugeots. We didn't want any speeding tickets, and this forum is full of reports from people who got home from a trip to Italy and got an expensive ticket in the mail months later, forwarded by the rental company.

Also, make sure you know whether you rental car is unleaded gas or diesel. So you can pick the correct gas pump for refueling, gasoline in Italy is "benzina," and diesel is "gasolio."

1) Yes you can pay cash. Just choose the booth with the white sign showing the cash logo. If the sign has a black hand holding the money, the booth has an attendant, otherwise it's a self service pay machine. Don't use the Blue credit cards sign (Carte) as they utilize only CHIP & PIN credit cards (unless you have such credit card, which are rare in the US still). The type with the transponder has a yellow sign (Telepass)
Check the site below to see what the booth signs show.
http://www.autostrade.it/it/il-pedaggio/pagamento-al-casello
2) Yes. CDW is mandatory and practically all credit cards exclude Italy from their coverage. I suggest you rent your car through a consolidator, such as www.kemwel.com (or their sister company www.autoeurope.com). Their rates are cheaper than directly with the rental car company and it includes insurance. They work primarily with Avis, Europcar and Hertz. I also suggest you select 'no deductible' insurance (NO INSURANCE EXCESS).
3) Yes you need an International Driving Permit AND your American license. The IDP is just a translation of your drivers' license. You can obtain an IDP at any AAA office in 10 minutes for $15. You need 2 passport photos and your DL with you. It's valid for one year, so go just before you go on a trip.

Actually a car is not needed at all in Rome or Florence (a car there is a hassle like having a car in Manhattan).

So I suggest you rent the car only to visit the countryside (Tuscany for example), but not while you are staying in Florence (or Rome). Florence and Rome are connected by very frequent high speed Freccia trains (every 20-30 min) which can take you from one city to the other in half the time a car can. The full fare in standard class is 45 euro (one way per person). If you want to visit the Tuscan/Umbrian countryside between Florence and Rome, rent a car in Florence then take a couple of days to roam the countryside and small villages of Tuscany, and return the car as soon as you arrive in Rome.

When you approach the toll payment booths, look for the one that displays a hand holding cash, which means a manned booth, easy to get change, versus the sign with cash and no hand. It also needs a green X or open sign. See driving tips at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/driving-europe-tips and related links on the same page.