Driving in Italy

My wife and I drove in Italy a few years ago and felt very safe outside the major cities. The only thing to be concerned about is the Restricted Entry Zones in many towns and cites. Entering these can result in large fines.

Since Florence is north of Naples most people would say "up to Florence'.

Driving in Naples for us was CRAZY…….we always rent a car and do our thing…….we had been in driving in Italy on this trip, all north of Rome, when we headed down to the Amalfi coast and Sorrento……it had been a nice calm fun trip until our GPS put us into the heart of Naples to drive through on our way to Sorrento…..what a nightmare…….would NEVER do that again…….and if your son is driving from Naples to Florence he will be driving north to Florence……again….driving north of Rome, a breeze……..south of Rome, CRAZY

• They would be driving up to Florence. Driving down from Naples they would arrive on the Strait of Messina.
• They won't be allowed to drive inside ZTL areas without a permit by an hotel and there is at least one camera controlled ZTL area in any given Italian settlement
• Many Italians think that the traffic in Naples is too chaotic to be faced during a vacation. Driving in Naples and Rome is the first cause of divorce among couples from Northern Italy.
• To reply about safety you should define unsafe highway driving. Or, in other words, tell what you are actually worried about. Violence? Since the last stagecoach bandits have all been redeployed as cab drivers in Rome, nobody keeps guns in cars anymore: the worst road rage scenario implies more fingers than bullets. Speed? This is not Germany, the speed limit is enforced by cameras that check the average speed between two points: when all locals suddenly start driving slowly as one, tourists should do the same. A tanned guy flashing his lights 20 inches away from your rear bumper? He's just asking: "Sir, did you notice that empty lane on your right?" Local, colorfull "punctuation" doesn't need to be translated.

south of Rome, CRAZY

@ Jane: Even if I admire anyone who drove "in the hearth of Naples", I respectfully disagree: driving in big southern cities is crazy; driving along the Amalfi Coast road is painfully slow in season and crazy in winter... but driving along the southern highways to go from city to city isn't difficult or unsafe. Also because many southern highways are almost deserted when the season is over.

Driving from Naples to Salerno and then to Bari for hundreds of kms? It's a breeze.

Driving From Naples central station to the famous patisserie that's just 5 blocks away from Naples Central station? Never again. No sfogliatella is worth an heart attack + a divorce.

We have driven in Italy and it is safe. Just know the rules of the road re: speed, no entry zones, etc. Some form of GPS is good to have. Parking can be a hassle in cities. If they are mainly traveling between cities, the train is a preferable means of travel. Cars are mainly necessary to see the countryside. They could do a combination of train and car travel.

They won’t need or want a car in either Naples or Florence
Those 2 cities are the top 2 cities I would never drive in or around
A car is going to cost a lot more than a direct fast train from Naples UP to Florence (rental rates are especially high this year, insurance, gas, tolls, parking and the likelihood of a surprise traffic violation arriving in their mail months down the road)

Unless they are planning to visit countryside there would be no need for car

All drivers will need to obtain an IDP - International Driving Permit - get at local AAA office before their trip

Make sure they understand ZTLs and study Italian road signage

What Mary said.
We found that driving in the countryside was an absolute pleasure, and in fact having a car is the only way for an independent traveler to efficiently get around to some of the off the beaten path little villages. Am thinking in particular of rural Tuscany and Umbria.
Driving is best avoided in or near the major cities due to all of the hazards as stated above.
If the intention is to just get from one city to another then the train is the way to go. If wanting to explore the countryside then a car is preferable IMHO.

Two words - cruise control. If you even go a mile or two above the speed limit the cameras will get you, and the cameras are spaced very close together, not 30+ miles down the road. We were driving to Venice and got the first ticket then the second one 10 miles down the road. Hubby was doing 3 miles above the limit, the ticket told us so. Also, the GPS isn’t always the best, see above post, so we always had a paper map too. As co-pilot, I am a very good map reader.

I would advise taking the trains instead - less risky and expensive. Young drivers are often much less experienced and may be overwhelmed by things they've never dealt with before like roundabouts and restricted zones (ZLTs). It depends on the person, of course, and their driving skills and willingness to learn some new road signs (and to prepare mentally for a different driving experience that includes much more compact roads and scooters weaving in and out). A young person today is not likely to know how to drive a manual transmission, so there's also that...(manual transmission cars are more prevalent and cheaper to rent).

Throwing my vote in with Mary, Christine, Robert and Agnes: unless there is a very specific reason they're renting a car - such as planning to spend dedicated time in the countryside - go with the trains, especially the high-speed trains if traveling city-to-city, such as Naples to Florence. You get on them in the middle of one city and get off in the middle of the next: no worries about speed cameras, expensive parking, ZTLs, bus lanes...

People who live in parts of the US where train travel is scarce or virtually unknown can be nervous about using this form of transit abroad. They shouldn't be 'cause Italian trains are pretty easy to use, and allow everyone to enjoy the view out the window instead of watching the road. It's all part of the adventure! 🙂

If they DO insist upon driving, tell them to be SURE and do the homework before getting behind the wheel.

We did not drive in Italy, but we have in other countries. Our strategy has always been to use a rental car when we don't have good public transportation options. Also, we tend to pick up and drop off rental cars in smaller cities. So for Italy I can't think of a reason to rent to drive from Naples to Florence unless they have little villages they'd like to enjoy along the way. If it were me, I'd be inclined to take a train from Naples to Florence and then rent a car on the outskirts of Florence or Siena to drive rural Tuscany/Umbria. If they wanted to overnight in Naples or Florence, having a rental car can really limit options for inns, and increase costs since likely they'd have to pay to park.

Driving in Italy is safe, although driving is Florence is not recommended due to the large restricted traffic zone which encompasses the entire historical center (aka ZTL, or Zona a Traffico Limitato). Only residents with permit, service vehicles, and emergency vehicle can enter the ZTL without facing a fine.

Driving in Naples is not recommended because of the chaotic traffic in the city streets. There are also zones where traffic is restricted in Naples as well.

Driving outside the cities is just as easy as in America, and the drive from Naples up to Florence is all on a 4 to 6 lane freeway not dissimilar to an Interstate freeway in the US, however for the specific trip you mention, the far better option is the high speed train which can take you from Naples to Florence in just 3 hours (instead of at least 5 hours driving plus pit stops). Once you factor in pit stops, the bureaucratic steps necessary to pick up and return a rental car, and the time in traffic to get out of Naples and inside Florence, the drive would take at least twice as long as the train, and it would not be anywhere as comfortable as the train. Tell your son to save the rental car for visiting the Tuscan countryside.