Driving in Italy

"Outside of Rome itself, driving in Italy is really no different than in the USA."

I think you'll get a difference of opinion on that statement.

Take a GPS.

On the Autostrada, the signage is much different than we are used to. Rather than seeing a sign that says 90 West Seattle, you will see a sign that simply says "Four Lakes, Medical Lake, Cheney, George" with an arrow pointing toward the exit. No compass direction, no road number and no major city to navigate toward. That's fine if you know you want to head toward those towns - but when you're looking for the correct road to Firenze, names of towns you never heard of aren't much help. It's usually only one sign, posted too near the exit to give you time to consult a map.

In towns, street signs are virtually non-existent. The only place I saw street names regularly were on small address tiles over doors along the side of the road (about one in five doors has one). The tiles are much too small to read from your car, and there is nowhere to park so you can stop and take a look.

Take a GPS.

In addition to that, the driving style is different but not impossible. Italian drivers are aggresive and not cautious. Generally on the road, you will get honked at regularly if you drive like an American. Their honk is worse than their bite, it seems to be less about anger and more an expression of exasperation that "you're not doing it right."

The roads are also much narrower and more crowded than you are used to, but again not impossibly so.

If you've never driven in Europe before be prepared that Italy is probably the worst place to get started. Driving on the autostrada is a piece of cake and secondary highways aren't bad either. It's the larger and smaller towns with narrow streets, lack of parking, restricted areas for pedestrians only, unfamiliar signage ... that can drive you crazy. There is a reason that 90% of all Italian cars have one or both outside mirrors missing!

Nevertheless, it can be done and it can be fun with the right attitude and preparation. Here's a good website with some tips and also a list of the most important road signs that you really need to look at:

http://www.initaly.com/travel/itdrive.htm

Ditto to what's already been said. However, there's one type of road sign, used in many European countries, that may confuse you, even if you have a GPS. It looks like an arrow in a horizontal orientatiion. It's on your side of the road, at enough of an angle - - maybe 45 deg. - - that you can see it. It means continue on for whatever town name is on it. For years we interpreted such signs as meaning turn left, right in the UK; and promptly got lost when we did so. If you get a GPS, heed its instructions and resist the urge to turn at such signs.

"Outside of Rome itself, driving in Italy is really no different than in the USA."

Steve, you need to try driving in Naples or Palermo.

I enjoyed driving in Italy but I did avoid driving in Florence and Rome.

To add more emphasis to Brad's suggestion-take a GPS.

Get an International Drivers Permit. You can get one at the local AAA office for 20 to 30 bucks.

Here is a site that will help you with driving in Italy.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/index.htm

GPS's are a big help but not error free. We've had more than one instance in cities over there where the GPS said "turn left" at an intersection marked "no left turn."

There are so many one-way streets in European cities & towns that I guess there's no way (yet) that a GPS can be programmed for all of them.

Get a GPS, but watch those road signs.