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ZTL's in Italy

Everyone talks about ZTL's in Florence and Rome, but are these found in small towns also, like Sienna for example? I am considering renting a car for a few days to explore Tuscany, but don't really want to deal with the headache of maneuvering through the a minefield of ZTL's.

Posted by
86 posts

Guess if I would have waited a few minutes, Philip would have answered my question.

Posted by
4219 posts

Yes they are, but they are signed, and you should always just strategize for parking. Try not to think of it as a minefield and instead as a forcefield--think how much more pleasant a pedestrian zone is versus having to dodge cars and their fumes!
Anyway, Siena is one of the towns best linked to Florence by public transport, so no need to drive there.

Posted by
1674 posts

Yes, small towns have ZTL's also, but fear not. If you familiarize yourself with the traffic signs, it's pretty easy. Most of the towns have large signs and you'd have to be pretty dense to miss them. The large cities are harder because you have so much to look at while surrounded by traffic.

Posted by
32523 posts

Even tiny Varenna on Lake Como has its own teeny tiny ZTL.

Posted by
32173 posts

Kevin,

As the others have mentioned, the answer is "YES", even many smaller towns have ZTL areas. Even Monterosso in the Cinque Terre has one. You'll also have to maneuver through an assortment of minefields such as having an I.D.P., not driving in bus lanes, speed cameras such as the devious Traffic Tutor, parking regulations and costs, etc.

A car is a good way to explore the smaller towns of Tuscany, but be sure that you're clear on all the potential pitfalls.

Posted by
86 posts

Thanks everyone. My primary reason to rent a car is not necessarily to visit Siena, but to visit Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, and then Civita de Bagnoregio prior to dropping it off in Orivieto. One of my days will be a Sunday, and I know some of the public transportation can be spotty.

Posted by
1542 posts

If push came to shove, my favourite part of the world. Unfortunately, my wife does not agree. It is probably hard to get through some of the gates of the smaller hill towns without someone giving you a questioning look.

For Montepulciano, there used to be free parking along the road to San Biagio church ( itself worth a visit) and I doubt it's part of any ZTL zone now but it may be paid parking. A nice uphill walk into town. There is also a paid parking lot on Via Ginestra, near the Conrad supermarket.

You'd have to be very persistant to access inner Pienza, parking used to be free off the main road and well signed.
Parking for Montalcino is also well marked as you approach and was free the time I was there. Similarly with other pleasant little places, like San Quirico, it should be easy enough not to stray through the village walls by accident. Siena has metered parking outside the town walls. Regarding Civita, you have no chance of crossing the bridge, parking just before it - less busy parking at the Belvedere café.

Posted by
16893 posts

Parking for Montalcino was paid when I was there in, I think, October 2015. Meters for on-street parking and a different style of machine for the parking lots, but both took only coins. See a similar machine pictured/linked on this recent thread.

Posted by
7981 posts

The centers of all picturesque hill towns in Tuscany are ZTLs -- how could it be otherwise? They are medieval and not designed for lazy tourists who don't want to walk 6 blocks and don't care if their car makes the place unusable for others. Picturesque small towns have tourist economies and they almost always have clearly marked parking lots for tourists outside the historic centers where the ZTLs are. The enforcement is by camera in cities; in small towns it may or may not be. Many smaller towns enforce it with local police. The entire historic center i.e. within the walls, of Siena is a ZTL.

Posted by
792 posts

Pienza is easy. There is a large free parking lot literally across the street from the town

Posted by
2098 posts

Yes, Siena (which is not really a small town) and small towns have ZTL's. They are not "minefields" despite the way the hysterical posters represent them.

We traveled all through Tuscany visiting Volterra, San Gimignano, Radda, Castellina and several others. ZTL's which make these towns a pedestrian's dream, are ALWAYS well marked and easily avoided. We never had a problem finding parking outside the towns with an easy walk into the ZTL.

Also, speed limits, both in the towns and in the countryside are well marked and easy to follow. Italy is not the free-for-all with crazy Italian speeders as it has been represented in the past. Personally, I didn't want to speed by the gorgeous views and when I wouldn't impede traffic, especially on back roads, we ambled along well under the posted limit. There were a few times that local drivers wanted to exceed the speed limit. I just found the nearest turnoff and let them by with a friendly wave, which was usually met by another friendly wave.

We did opt to not drive in Rome and Florence, just as we opt not to drive in Edinburgh, London and Paris.

There's really no better way to see Tuscany than from a rental car. If you do your homework, are semi-literate or better and remember when you were taught in kindergarten to follow basic rules, you should have no problems. Of course, every day I see clueless American drivers who would go to Italy, ignore all the rules, get the appropriate fines, then come to these forums and post a gripe how they were mistreated by the Italian "minefields".