Travel in Italy

I found traffic in Rome absolutely terrifying, and that was riding in a taxi. I loved the trains from city to city; Milan has an excellent and easy metro; and your feet will take you everywhere. So I vote "nay" on the car idea. But that's just me.

It is easy to drive in Italy if you know the Italian traffic laws, and are aware of photo radar, ZTLs, bus lanes, blood alcohol limits. And if you have an International Driver permit for each driver, are aware of the prices of rentals, gas, tolls, parking and insurance; and avoid driving in the cities.

Most independant travellers will opt for the train (or bus) where possible, and restrict driving to more rural areas where public transportation is spotty or absent. For European train travel, it's good to familiarize you with the info on the Man in Seat 61 website.

If you'll be mainly in the cities then public transportation is the way to go - you really don't want to be driving anywhere near any of the major cities.
OTOH, we thought that driving in the countryside was a pleasure - rural Tuscany and Umbria in particular are best seen by car. Most of the hilltop villages aren't serviced by train and trying to make the buses work can be frustrating. There is some homework to be done in advance however, since the Italian rules of the road will initially be unfamiliar and you'll want to review the infamous ZTL's that surround most of the hill towns and learn how to avoid them.

Hi and welcome to the forum -
I'll also say, since you've never been to Italy, welcome to the wonderful world of public transit! Driving a car in Italy isn't quite like the US in that signage can be different, speeding and other violations are caught on camera (fines are delivered to your mail back n the US, sometimes many months after the fact), and many have found trying to drive in the cities to be pretty terrifying. Car rental prices right now are equally as terrifying as are gas prices.

And then there are the ZTLs/limited traffic zones. You are not allowed to drive in those at all. You also can't drive into most historic centers, and parking can be scarce and expensive. Additionally, there have been enough cautions about leaving anything of value in the car while sightseeing that I wouldn't risk it.

The GOOD news is that Italian trains are efficient, reasonably priced, and can easily get you to many, many places. Where they don't go, buses often can, and ALL of the cities have trams, metros, buses or combos of all 3 if distances are too far for your feet. Driving in the countryside can also be enjoyable, so I'm told. So, knowing WHERE you are interested in going will determine the need for a rental vehicle. What can you tell us about your dream trip to The Boot?

On two trips to Italy, we did a combination of trains and car rental. As others have said, going from city to city it’s best to take the train. To explore the countryside such as Tuscany or drive the mountain roads in the Dolomites, we rented a car.

We were on a RS tour of Sicily in March then flew to Bologna at the end of tour. We loved the tour and did our travel to Siena, Padua,Venice and Milan on the excellent Italian train system. Travel between these large cities was on high speed trains often at 184 kilometers per hour. A car can't do that and if there is any distance between the cities you want to see you might consider that. We drove through Tuscany and Umbria(small towns where trains don't go) but though my Italian is quite good it was a little hairy whenever I got lost and they took me for a native and spoke Italian at what I thought was 100 miles per hour. It was then that I realized that I had reached my limits! If you can take the trains, do by all means do so.

Where?
Yes, if you mean in the countryside, which is the only place you would benefit from a car. For cities, the train is far superior.

Valadelphia says it in a nutshell. I would add that since it’s your first time, the “big three;” i.e., Rome, Florence, and Venice, should be on your itinerary. If you have more than 2 weeks, perhaps other places. You can do great day trips on public transport from any of the three. If you let us know how long you have, people will suggest some. Also, if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, look into open-jaw flights, usually called muti-city on air line websites. That way you’ll maximize your sightseeing time.

I have been to Italy several times and did drive there when we lived in Germany from 87-91.

However, based on the number of people that get tickets driving in Italy (from this forum), I would not advise driving in Italy.
You can get around quite well using trains and busses.

Also, private day tours are available.

Further, you don't want a car in cities like Rome, Naples, Florence and Rome.

We will visit Italy Sept-Oct of this year. We will not use a car, but rather busses (Flixbus), trains, and a private tour. Trains are inexpensive, frequent, and pleasant. Busses hit places where trains do not go.

Costs of car rentals are very high right now, gas is expensive, tickets are frequent. What is the point of a car?

The point of a car is to visit small villages and rural places. Not every driving trip in Italy is a problem waiting to happen. Until we know where lorenczb is wanting to go, there is not much point in speculating. Every trip does not have to include Rome, Venice, and Florence, even the first.

Based on my experience here in Italy, I can echo what others have said:

• Do you know where you'll be going? Cars aren't necessary for the larger cities and travel in between them. You will want cars for certain areas though. For example, Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, Piedmont, Sardinia and Sicily are best seen with a car. And some places like the Dolomites can easily be visited with public transport, but having a car gives you flexibility, which is really nice! You can also hire a private driver (NCC - noleggio con conducente - rental with driver) to visit these areas if you don't want to drive.
• If you're traveling with a family or have a lot of luggage, traveling with public transport can be exhausting and a car is easier and often less expensive (even with gas/tolls/parking).

If you do decide to rent a car:

• If you need a large one, book it ASAP (vans and larger cars are selling out for the summer and fall of 2022). Otherwise, don't stress. We're not having a carpocalypse here.
• Make sure you get your International Driving Permit
• Review Italian Road Signs
• Get a GPS with your rental car or have data on your phone and use Google Maps
• Pick up a backup paper map when you arrive
• I recommend staying out of the large cities if possible. It's usually easiest to park on the outskirts and walk or take public transport into the center.
  

I like to describe driving in Italy as organized chaos. It looks a little crazy, but if you are assertive like the Italians are, you'll blend right in. As wild as it sometimes looks, we don't tend to have a ton of traffic accidents (no data to back that up, but living here and driving a ton, I just don't see them often).

A few things to know about Italian driving culture:

• If someone coming towards you flashes their lights at you, they're usually warning you there's a police/traffic stop or obstacle ahead. If someone flashes from behind you, it means 'get over quickly, I'm comin' through!'
• It's illegal to turn right at a red light.
• Stay in the right lane except when passing. I notice that this is one of the hardest things to remember for visitors from the US. I know that in the US we tend to use all lanes but here in Italy you really should only use the left lane for passing. You might see drivers not doing this - I bet if you took a poll, 100% of them are not Italian citizens or residents.
• We use our hazard lights (if traffic slows up ahead or there's an obstacle ahead) to warn drivers behind us.
  

Let us know where you're planning on going and we can give more specific advice.

The OP never came back...yet...so hope we haven't scared him away.
I've been to Italy 12 times and never rented or needed a car.
With careful planning, you can get to most places.
If it's your first visit, then you may want to see the Big Three to get an overview, or maybe just two places .
You can always come back!