17 Things to Know About Driving In Italy

Are you one of those people that loves to get behind the wheel of a car and go places? Does the thought of hours in a car excite you? And you look forward to practicing your Zen breathing while in traffic? Or are you someone who would rather leave the driving to someone else and not have to hassle with gridlock, directions and rude drivers? These are considerations if you choose to rent a car and drive in Italy.

I often have clients traveling to Italy who want to rent a car and drive themselves. And it’s typically in places that are easy to drive…not much traffic, decent roads and they like the freedom of exploring that driving affords them. Other clients say no thanks and enjoy the train or a private driver. It’s all personal preference.

Below is my list of things to know if you choose to drive in Italy. All based on personal experience and opinion of course.

1. Drive on the right side of the road.
2. You can’t drive in Venice.
3. Know the international road signs.
4. Italy also has its own signs.
5. There are roundabouts aka rotaries everywhere. You’ll never get lost if you keep going around.
6. Entries and exits on the highway are much shorter than in the US.
7. Most cars have a manual transmission. Rental car agencies have automatics but they are significantly more expensive. Make sure to reserve an automatic far enough in advance.
8. Obtain an International Driver’s Permit. You get it at AAA and it costs $20 for one year. I have never been asked for it by a rental car agency, but they have every right to request it. You will absolutely need it if you get pulled over by the police, which I hope never happens. You are spending a lot of money on your trip…pay the $20.
9. Don’t rely solely on your GPS. Have a paper map. If you need to stop for directions and don’t speak Italian, someone can point it out on the map. Side Story – A few years ago we were driving to Alba in the Piedmont region for the sole purpose of having tagliatelle with truffles for lunch. When the GPS said the friendly “you have arrived”, we were in the middle of nowhere. Who knew there are three towns in Northern Italy named Alba?
10. Don’t enter a ZTL zone which you will find throughout many cities. This is a Limited Traffic Zone and there are steep fines. GPS systems don’t know about ZTL…see #9.
11. Italians and many other Europeans drive fast. Don’t let it freak you out. Case in point – I drive in the right hand lane and decide to pass the guy in front of me. Being the safe driver that I am, I check my mirrors and seeing no one for miles, turn on my left signal and move over one lane. Before I know it, out of nowhere, there is a car behind me, so close to my rear bumper I can practically see their nose hairs. This is normal.
12. When going through the toll booth, make sure to stop and take the ticket. Don’t go through the Telepass lane. Have change or a credit card handy to pay the toll when due.
13. Right turn on red isn’t a thing. It’s illegal.
14. In addition to police on the lookout for speeders, there are speed cameras in many places. If you are speeding and are caught on camera, the ticket will go to the rental car company and they will notify you. Usually by the time this happens, the fine has doubled. Or tripled. Don’t speed.
15. Everything is in kilometers. A quick calculation is multiply by .6. For example if the speed is 130 kph, it is approximately 78 mph. See #14.
16. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. EVER. If you have a blood alcohol level of .05% or more, you are legally drunk. In the US, it’s .08%.
17. Remember – it’s all part of the adventure!