Hi
Budget has hit us thrice for admin fee to share our info with 3 cities. We recieved a letter that we have traffic tickets from Rome, Bologna and florence. The admin fee itself did cost approx. 150 euros. We used local gps Michelin and it made us literally drive through tight streets and ZTLs in Rome and Florence, mostly in Florence. We have no idea how many tickets we have been issued as we are yet to hear from the local authorities. Do you guys have had similar experience. I have no idea how much the penalties will cost? Any idea? What if we are detected in all the cameras as we were in ZTL? Or is there one fine once you enter ZTL? And does not count crossing multiple streets. What if your fines are more than $1000 , can any settlement be done? If so, how? I know people say pay tickets upfront and then fight the tickets later. Just worried!!
Posted by
Edinburgh
2639 posts
send the bill to GPS Michelin after all they made you do it.
seriously I think you will just have to pay the bill/bills whatever they may be.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7355 posts
How long ago was your trip? No personal experience - luckily have never had a car in ZTL places, but posts on this forum have mentioned that people can expect to get ticket fines, passed along by their car rental company, many months afterwards. Hope you get a workable result. Really hope you had a good Italy trip, in any event!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7545 posts
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but three cities, at least three tickets, you are looking at close to $1000, if multiple, then possibly a couple thousand.
Without more details, hard to say if there is recourse, sometimes the Hotel that was within a ZTL can intervene, showing evidence of stay...but they also were to have notified authorities when you stayed to prevent the ticket.
Do some searches on this website, many discussions, you can see what others have encountered.
I am afraid this was a hard, expensive, lesson about travel. Had you used this forum before the trip, you would have been fully warned.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
We were there in December 2019. The only thing, we used the car to get to the hotel, which all were in the ZTLs. Our within city tours were without car usage. Like when we got to Florence, we navigated to the hotel and parked the car in a garage nearby and then took out and directly exited the city, with no stop in between as such(other than lights). Couple thousand dollars is brutal and very expensive lesson. We have proof of our stay in hotels though. You think that could help?
Posted by
Vignola, Modena, Italy
501 posts
In Italy ZTL areas and related rules are defined by the city's Government, so in each city is different.
In Bologna the fine to enter in the ZTL is one per each entrance. The standard fine is 80€ (but could be rised up to 335€). So if you enter three times the same day you should expect at least 240€.
More important, the ZTL in Bologna is not the same for the whole day: in the evening there are streets in the historical center where you are allowed to drive without limits. Is possible that on the same street you have been fined in the morning but not in the evening.
In general the guests of hotels and parking lots inside the ZTL are allowed to enter. The hotel (or parking lot) itself have to communicate the plate number to the local police and the day(s) when the person is checked in the hotel. At that point you are authorized to enter without problem (respecting all other rules). Usually the hotel ask you the plate number, some parking lots do it automatically.
This means that is almost impossible forecast how much you will have to pay, but is possible that not every time you have been fined.
My suggestion is always the same: the GPS is reliable to calculate a route, but is very important keep an eye on the traffic signs.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
The responses have been accurate. Budget will charge you for each instance of an authority requesting your information due to an infraction. That is all in your rental agreement.
As to whether you will get actual tickets, that may depend. Some authorities are better than others and some maybe just do not find it worth their efforts. It can take several months, so you may get unpleasant surprises for the next few months.
If you were parking for a hotel, you should have notified them that you were driving and they would report your car plate to the authorities. Otherwise, you must have authorization to drive in ZTLs and each time you cross into a ZTL zone, you will get fined. That can add up as many cities have multiple ZTLs and each time you come or go, you get dinged.
I am sorry that this lesson will be an expensive one. ZTLs are used throughout Italy and are a major restriction to driving.