Driving in Italy

August is peak holiday time in Europe so expect roads, especially those to and from holiday destinations ie hills/montains and coastal areas, to be very busy/congested.

Cathy,

Welcome to the group! A few thoughts on your questions......

To begin with, there's a good overview of the pros & cons of driving in Europe in the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door. Possibly your local Bookstores or Library would would have the book?

There are a few difficulties with the scenario you mentioned. My first suggestion would be NOT to drive in Rome! The traffic is horrendous and parking is expensive and in some cases hard to find. Buying the full CDW is a really good idea!

You shouldn't have any trouble renting a car for touring in Italy and Switzerland, however many rental firms have restrictions on taking vehicles into eastern Europe (Budapest & Prague). It's almost certain there will be an exorbitant drop-off charge if you leave the car in a different country at the end of the trip.

A few other points to note: An International Driver's Permit is mandatory in Italy and I believe Austria, petrol is expensive and many motorways are toll roads. Many towns in Italy now have "Limited Traffic Zones" using automated Cameras, so if you pass through those you can expect one (or more) €100+ tickets in the mail a few months after you return home. Do a search here, as there's been quite a discussion on the "Zona Traffico Limitato" tickets.

I normally prefer travel by rail, as I find it much more enjoyable and relaxing. The rail networks in Europe are fantastic and travel is generally much faster than by Car, especially with the TGV and other "fast" trains.

The method I've adopted lately is to use car rentals "strategically". If there's a particular area I want to explore at a leisurely pace or an area that's not well served by public transit, I rent a car just for that portion of the trip. I always pack along a GPS unit as well as good Maps if I expect to be driving.

These are my thoughts on the subject. I'm sure the group will have lots more suggestions for you.

Cheers!

Ken is correct and, as always, quite thorough. I would only add that Europe is quite driveable with the exception of the biggest cities and the smallest town centers.

As Ken points out, rail is easiest and most relaxing for the major destinations. Cars let you get out into the country and be more impromptu.

However, renting in one country and dropping in another usually involves significant charges (the rental companies often have to send someone to pick up the car). Also, there are restrictions on driving in Eastern Europe. Autoeurope is a great company to work with and they have humans in Maine who can answer your questions 24/7.

There was a post in this section called "Traffic Tickets in Italy" posted by Lea on 5/4/09 at 3:04PM. I didn't participate in the messages but reading them it would lead one to not ever drive in Italy. There are areas of towns and cities that are restricted to non locals driving (at least that's how it sounds) called ZTL. There are posts from people that have received tickets months after returning home, their vehicles were photographed going through these areas. And the tickets are not cheap and to add to that the drivers were ticketed more than once for what could be considered the same infraction because they were caught on different cameras at different locations within the restricted zone.

Barry is correct, although the limited traffic zones are "ZTL"s. Zona Traffico Limitado.

They are meant to restrict vehicle traffic in the historic centers of Italian cities. They are not tourist traps. When you stroll through a medieval town center free of traffic, thank the ZTL signs.

ETBD has GENERAL info about driving in Europe, but I want to emphasize that is NOT sufficient.

Driving, traffic laws, insurance needs, car rental is different in each country, so ETBD info will not apply to your a specific trip or itinerary. You need to research traffic laws, ticket/fines/enforcement pitfalls for each country, and sometimes supplemental info for each city in each country. So, the advice Ken & Barry provides to you about driving in Italy and Rome will NOT be found in ETBD. Be forewarned!

You should consider driving in Italy if you want to take your time and explore very small towns, get off the beaten path visiting places not well served by rail or public transit. Do not drive if you will be in cities. Do not drive if you will be in towns served by buses/trains. Do not drive if you "will be in Europe for two weeks and will visit four countries." (blitz itineraries.)

Use a car to explore, not to get to point A to B. Not in cities.

Have a great trip.

For two people train travel is probably the better deal. I lease when I bring my family because five train tickets isn't cheap. With four or more, driving is probably cheaper. For one or two, trains are cheaper. The nice thing about trains is you can relax and study your next destination or nap.

Although some places in Italy are much better by car, you could do a few days of renting to cover those.

If you rent/lease, a GPS is more than a little useful. My TomTom 920 has North American and European maps pre-installed. You would probably need to buy one you can use down under and add European maps, which might make renting one in Europe the better deal.

Many rentals/leases frown on taking a car to former Eastern block countries. Be sure you clear it with them, normally they will only rent/lease vehicles that are less likely to be stolen.

If you drive, drive on the right (wrong) side of the road. I know I put the fear of God into my passengers my first few minutes of driving in Australia.

Diesel is the way to go in Europe. They run great, get excellent mileage and diesel is a little cheaper per liter than regular gas.