Driving in Italy, France and Switzerland - got questions

Nerves of steel, good driving maps, and a light touch on the throttle. Switzerland in particular is hard on speeders.

You need an International Drivers Permit ( IDP) not a license. You can get one at any American Automobile Association ( AAA) office for about $30. You take your state Driver’s License with you to Europe and the IDP translates it for authorities in the event they ask you for it.
Be sure to look into what type of auto insurance coverages your credit card or Travel Insurance policy offers so you aren’t guessing what you will need the buy at the car rental counter.

Have a great Trip!

Renting a car in Italy comes with mandatory optional comp and collision insurance. The rates are reasonable, however.

You can turn down coverage on personal belonging theft insurance which they try to slip in on you.

Be prepared to pay a bunch of tolls--especially in France. When we're wanting to travel the mountains and the Alps, we usually limit our driving to be in Austria and Northern Italy. The Alps are the Alps.

If on a high speed highway stay in the right lane except to pass.

Take secondary roads if you are not in a hurry.

If you have a diesel car, chose the right fuel.

It will take longer than google suggests.

We have driven extensively in Europe. It is not any harder than North American.

Have a great rip.

Your credit card pin. We needed it to fuel at an unmanned gas station.

Know what kind of fuel goes in your vehicle and how to read it in each language. It gets tricky!

Knowledge of the rules of the road - they differ from country to country. Especially when it comes to yielding and roundabouts.

A good navigator with a phone with data and lots of patience. If you make a wrong turn you could be in for a very long detour.

A crit’air sticker for France if applicable.

A parking disk and knowledge of how to use it. Rental company may provide it, but not always.

Coins for tolls.

A few hundred euros to pay the speeding tickets 6-9 months after you return home. Don’t ask me how I know this.

"Switzerland in particular is hard on speeders."

There is a whole catalog of traffic violations that are considered actual felonies in Switzerland. Excessive speeding is one of those. Being the driver in an accident that causes injury is another. Be involved in a fatal accident and you may actually stand trial for manslaughter. Or in some cases even murder.

France is similar. As a car driver you are always liable for any bodily damage. Even when your car is parked.

So drive safely. Treat every pedestrian as if it was a landmine. Assume that touching a pedestrian or cyclist will instantly kill you.

The Mont Blanc tunnel from Italy to Chamonix is closed from next Monday to 16th December. If your trip is between your dates, to get to Annecy between those dates you will have to use the Fréjus tunnel.

I realize you are not asking for advice and have your reasons for wanting to drive but my unsolicited advice would be to take the trains. After having done both in these areas, the trains are so much easier than the stress of driving in a foreign country, the tolls, the parking and the fines most people end up with. Soap box over, I truly hope you enjoy the beautiful places you plan to visit.

Make sure you read up on ITs ZTL zone laws. A few seconds in a bus lane can set you back by $300. I would hate for you to do this twice.
Does your rental car agency know you are taking their car across borders?

Thank you for all your suggestions and advice. I may be private messaging some of you. Tia