Driving in Italy

Bill,

The Autostradas (Freeways) are usually toll roads, but I'm not sure about "cash lanes" or credit cards. Some Superstradas are apparently toll free. Check This website for further details (unfortunately I believe it's only in Italian).

Note that to drive in Italy you'll require the compulsory International Driver's Permit which must be used in conjunction with your home driver's license. Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot!

Also, be VERY careful of the Zona Traffico Limitato zones that are increasingly being applied in many cities, as significant fines can result! Check other posts here on the HelpLine for further information on those. Also, be careful with parking so that you don't have to deal with The Boot.

Happy travels!

In addition to Ken's good advice you may want to study the following link. It will answer some of your questions. Go to the section on the autostrada for the toll booth information you are seeking.

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

As I recall, the cash lines are readily identifiable. Credit cards are accepted on the toll roads; however, I wouldn't risk trying an American chipless card at an unmanned booth without having cash as a back-up. If you don't know what I'm referring to, read the many postings about the difference between U.S. and European cc's.

Bill,

Rosalyn raised a good point. The Europeans are very quickly moving to "chip" card technology, so if you're not using a credit card of that type, the "credit card lanes" may not be of any use to you.

I know that France has started to switch to "chip" cards in automated ticket facilities, but I don't have any specific information on Italy at this point. I suspect their timetable will be similar to other E.U. countries.

One example is the automated ticket machines at Paris / CDG which will only accept "chip" credit cards (fortunately I had one, or I'd still be waiting in the queue at the ticket office).

Cheers!

We drove around Tuscany for a week - picking up our car in Florence and dropping it off in Pisa - and never once ended up on a toll road. Not really on purpose, just that there was always another way to get where we wanted to go and we weren't in any hurry. Point being - it's good you will have the information about toll roads but you may not have to travel on one.

We travel often on the autostrada in Italy, The cash/credit card/Telepass lanes are clearly marked. We often use our USA credit cards (no chip) or my wife's Italian bancomat card (local bank). So you can use your credit card.

It doesn't hurt to have plenty of coin when you get on the autostrada - or even when driving in Italy as you'll often come to a small bridge or road that may cost 1.50 to access. Especially as you drive around cities... No different than some parts of the US (I still remember feeding the machines around Orlando each time we visit my wife's folks!).

Just make sure you get in the right lane (and you'll have plenty of time to decide) as Italians are UNFORGIVING if you drive into the cash lane hoping to use your credit card! After you do it once or twice, it will be no different than driving around NJ or NY!

The autostradas charge tolls at intervals. We carried a supply of cash for the toll booths.

Our GPS (TomTom 920) always asks when calculating a route whether you want to avoid tolls. If so, it will plan a route that doesn't use the autostrada. If you have time, using smaller country roads is probably more enjoyable than staying on the main highway. We traded time for money and paid the tolls.

I can't remember having any difficulty picking which lane to drive through but I didn't use a card.