Driving in Italy - tips and advice

Ron, I found this site to be helpful when we went. http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/index.htm

http://www.usag.vicenza.army.mil/sites/local/DT.asp At the bottom of the page theres a blue highlighted Drivers Manual. Gives laws and roadsigns. You won't need to worry about most but just to give you an idea.

Yes, learn the road signs and make sure you stay out of the far left lane unless you are passing! I've never had a problem driving in Italy and that includes Naples.

Ron, Here are some of the usual "issues" for driving in Italy.... It's important to note that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any CAA/AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases are provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information on driving in Italy. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! In some locations, parking tickets or having "The Boot" applied will also be a concern. A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. It's usually compulsory in Italy to accept the CDW offered by the rental firm. Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however this may not be valid in Italy. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. You may wish to download the car rental guide offered by Gemut. Happy travels!

We have been to Italy twice and drove part of the way both times. As previous poster stated get the internatioanl drivers license and bring your regular license. I got pulled over and they wanted to see both. Absolutely use a GPS. I have a garmin and bought the Italy chip directly from them. It is pretty easy to find your way from city to city but once in a city or town you really need it. Don't plan on driving in Florence. There are resticted areas and so many one way streets. Find a place to park the car and just pick it up when you leave. We took a day trip to Milan and just parked the car and used subways. It is easier and you get to see more of the city that way and is less nevre racking. In the smaller towns be prepared to drive on very small roads. My experience is that the first day is a little nerve racking but after a day you kind of get use to it. Have coin euros handy for parking. Even in some small towns they have central meters that charge you and it is a pain if they don't give change so have some handy. Don't forget to put the reciept on you dashboard. If you are picking the car up and droping it off at the vencie airport the rental locations are well marked so no need to worry about finding it.

By all means stop at an Autogrill and try the panini. Some of my favorite food in Italy.

I have a really good GPS from NavMan. Really useful indeed, as you can program it with the Rick Steves' recommended Parking Lots and know in advance of arriving in the city where you are going to park. Our NavMan EZY Advanced also has the speed cameras in it, which means I get a nice heads up of where the speed cameras (sorry, "safety cameras") are BEFORE we drive by them. I've also learnt to program the NavMan EZY Advanced for EASIEST ROUTE when I'm going into cities like Firenze, and that has really helped a lot. We forgot once, and ended up being in the middle of Florence during rush hour. With a change to EASIEST, the GPS unit kept us pretty much out of town on bigger roads to our hotel. For small towns the FASTEST ROUTE often takes you down smaller back roads, which has proved to be very interesting indeed!

Get a good GPS and hold on for dear life!

Get a good GPS and hold on for dear life!