First time driving in Italy and need some advice

Clem,

There are some potentially expensive "caveats" when driving in Italy. Here's a short summary.....

It's important to note that for driving in Italy, each driver listed on the rental form 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 may be provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at https://it.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/transportation-driving/ for more information on I.D.P's and driving in Italy.

You may also want to have a look at some of the other posts here concerning the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many Italian towns & cities especially Florence, which is almost saturated with automated ZTL cameras. EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket, which you won't know about until several months after you return home! This website provides more information - http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/traffic_cameras_speeding.htm

There's also the issue of parking tickets, high fuel costs, tolls and automated speed cameras including the devious Traffic Tutor system which measures not only instantaneous speed but also average between two points. Violate either or both parameter and expensive tickets will follow.

A GPS along with a good Map would also be prudent. Be sure to give some thought to the question of CDW and theft insurance. In Italy, buying CDW from the rental firm is usually compulsory, so coverage provided by credit cards may not apply. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. You could also download the "Car Rental" PDF Guide from http://www.gemut.com/ (they have a toll free number if you have any questions).

There are also some "caveats" to be aware of when using trains and other public transit, but those are easy to manage once you know the rules.

We are renting a car in Chiusi after catching the train from Florence, thereby avoiding driving in Florence altogether. I hear driving around Tuscany is pretty easy and non threatening! Our car rental through Budget will cost $192 for 7 days. The car rental office is less than a 3 minute walk from the train station.
We will base ourselves in the heart of Tuscany for 7 nights (Agriturismo too) and plan on doing quite a bit of driving to the various towns. We will then will take the train from Chiusi to Venice to finish off the trip.

Best of luck

LC

The drive down to Pienza is pretty easy from Florence. Easiest way is just to take the motorway down to Siena and pickup SR2 going south. You'll turn left on SP146 into Pienza--a somewhat crooked road.
The roads in Tuscany are very well paved and easy to drive. The rental car outfit will give you easy directions on how to get out of Florence and how to get into the rental car return.
Sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying about returning the car and a train.

I think you are very smart to take the car. We always rent a car when leaving a city like Rome or Florence and never in the city. We have driven through the hill towns and Pienza was one of them. Once you get out of Florence driving is very very easy. Taking public transit between hill towns can be a pain, the car it makes it so easy and you get to see the sights so much better. I do appreciate your concerns about car return. Do leave plenty of time it can be confusing especially if you don't speak the language. Ask about rental return before you leave when you get the car. Also, make sure you have a GPS. I always bring my Garmin from home. I have the Europe chip and is fantastic. It makes it so easy. Also alot of the rental locations are on my Garmin GPS so it makes return so much easier.

Laurence: have you thought thru insurance? Your rate is without CDW.

A easy drive through Tuscany . Amazing countryside, and very good roads. No problem at all with that route . Italians will tail-gate you though ..ignore it.

I rented a car when we left Siena, it was perfect. Driving in Tuscany is easy, however parking can sometimes be difficult. Get a small car for sure.
Enjoy as it is the best way to see tuscany imo.

Tom,

That is correct, I have not included CDW!
Just reading up about it thanks to this forum. Guess I have to add a few $$

Thanks,

Wow - thanks to everyone who has responded. I do not have a Garmin or GPS, but have thought about it before. Maybe this will ease my concerns. Many thanks to Ken with the wise words of wisdom - I knew about the CDW, but not about the various other risks involved with driving in Italy.

Clem

Wont google maps work on my phone instead of renting a GPS or buying one?
Verizon will charge me $10 a day for every 24 hours that it is use.

Thanks,

I use a different mapping app (Ulmon's CityMaps2GoPro) which doesn't provide oral instructions, but others have reported that Google does provide that feature. I believe Google, like CityMaps2GoPro, does not use cellular data; it obtains positioning data from GPS satellites. I've never had a data plan on my phone in Europe, and CityMaps2GoPro definitely follows me as I wander around on foot.

You do need to download the appropriate maps themselves in advance, while you are at home or have access to Wi-Fi in Europe. And the maps are not small.

We drove from Roma (picked up the car at the train station) all over Tuscany for several days. We had NO trouble once we figured out how to turn the headlights on. :) One thing I would suggest - either take a car charger with you for your phone or make sure you always have a charged back-up battery pack. If you are relying on your phone for directions (works very well!), it needs to stay charged. We had to make an unexpected stop to charge our phone (a happy stop as it ended up involving a tiny wine tasting while there).

Google Maps will work - you can even plot your course and download an offline map for details. I would still have a paper map but that's just me. Also we found it incredibly helpful that we had used the Street View feature of Google Earth/Maps to virtually "drive" the route we were planning. I almost wept with joy when I knew exactly the lane to get in at the first toll booth we encountered because I recognized it from that virtual exercise. A good navigator -someone not driving that is equally familiar with the route - is a huge help as well.

I generally use RENTAL CAR CONSOLIDATORS:
www.autoeurope.com
and their sister company
www.kemwel.com
They are part of the same group, but check prices with both since the sometimes prices differ a bit and therefore I pick the better deal in either site.
They work with the largest rental companies in Europe, such as Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, etc.

CAR INSURANCE: Italy does not allow you to decline insurance. However one can choose zero deductible or not. I also always select the no deductible insurance option (a.k.a. ‘no insurance excess’) since my US car insurance does not cover me abroad. It’s a bit more expensive, but the deductible can easily amount to €1,000 or more. Also coverage provided by many credit cards excludes Italy (and a handful of other countries), therefore your credit card may not cover your deductible either.

RENTAL RETURN STRATEGY: I’ve rented through both consolidator websites above (generally selecting Europcar or Hertz as the rental provider, as they tend to have cheaper rates). When you return the car make sure you obtain receipt that you filled your tank (I also take a picture of the dashboard showing the full gasoline gauge). I often get charged for fuel charges after the fact when I’m back home and having those records allow me to dispute the extra charge with my credit card.

CAR SIZE: I usually rent economy size when it’s generally for just me and my wife. For 3 people I recommend a compact car as it has a bigger trunk. For 4 people a midsize is probably necessary because of the luggage. For larger groups (up to 9 including driver) I recommend renting multiple vehicles (if there are a couple of people available to drive). Renting a minivan is generally extremely expensive. A minivan rental costs as much as renting 3 economy size cars.

PICK UP LOCATION: Picking up at airports costs more because of airport fees. However if one needs the car right away upon landing, it might still be the way to go, rather than incurring the taxi cost to reach a city rental location. Picking up at airports generally costs $30+ more per week compared to a city pick up.

IDP: Don’t forget that to drive in Europe you need an International Driver’s Permit (obtainable in 10 minutes at any AAA office with $20 and 2 passport photos). The IDP is a translation of your home driver’s license in multiple languages.

GPS: I also recommend to take a GPS unit from home with European maps loaded on it (Maps available on Amazon) and an old fashioned paper map for planning your itinerary and also as a back up since GPS navigators are sometimes inaccurate. You can buy a map locally.

TRAFFIC RULES: Google ‘Road Signs in Italy’ or ‘European Road Signs’ and read the related articles in Wikipedia or other websites. European road signs are straightforward symbols, but it doesn’t hurt to read about it. One thing to remember is that on freeways one cannot cruise in the left lane. The left lane is passing only. You also cannot overtake a vehicle using the right (slow) lanes. You must overtake vehicles only on the left.
Right turn on a red light is NEVER PERMITTED.

ZTL: Many Italian cities, such as Florence, Rome, etc. have so called Limited Traffic Zone within the city center. Inside these areas only residents can enter and park. It is therefore a very bad idea to have a rental car while staying in these cities. A better option is to rent the car AFTER visiting these cities, or return the car just BEFORE visiting these cities. Another option is to stay outside these cities and visit them from outside (basically one would park the car in a parking lot outside the city centers). Many smaller towns have ZTL too. They are limited to the small historical core inside the city wall, a quick walk from the parking lots surrounding it.

Don't be afraid, it's very simple to rent and drive. You will be so happy you are driving, because it's a different view of the country side. I have driven all over Tuscany and really enjoyed it. Much less traffic than in LA. Make your rental reservation before you leave the US. I used Hertz in Florence and found it very convenient and stress free. Have a great time!

If you're going with someone else who can be your navigator, then directions on a smart phone may be all you need, but if you are driving solo, you need more.

Clem, Is there any way to avoid driving the first day? If so, please consider it. Jet lag, lack of sleep, and not being familiar with the local road system can all be a problem. Some people are not bothered by any of those things. Others think they are ok but are really driving somewhat impaired, while others are complete zombies and should never drive the same day. Don't mean to rain on your parade, just something to think about

Driving in Tuscany should not be a problem if you stick to minor roads and small towns. What I found unsettling was driving on the autostrada. The speed limit is about 80 mph and I tend to drive at about that speed. From time to time you will be overtaken by a group of cars doing 150+/- mph. You will be hit by an air blast that will not push you off the road but will surprise you. Other than that most of your driving will be much like it is in the US.

While in Tuscany put San Gimignano on your list of places to visit.