Driving in Italy? Here's what to expect.

What to do before you go and what to know for when you are there.

Before going to Italy, I was frightened to drive. I have driven in other countries before and it can be a scary and stressful experience. However, Italy is easier to navigate than you'd think and, in fact, I highly recommend it. Having a car with us made our entire trip better. We were able to go where we wanted to go, when we wanted to go. Not only did we have the convenience of flexibility, but we also had more room for luggage - something Italian sidewalks don't offer. With so many benefits that come from driving in Italy, I want to make sure I help ease any doubt you may have about finding alternate transportation.

As nice as these cars look, choose practical when booking a rental.

Before you go:

First and foremost, you need to obtain your International Driving Permit. There is a good chance that the rental company will not ask to see this, but you will need to show this if you ever get pulled over. For reference, we were pulled for a "routine traffic stop" but never for a violation, so even if you drive perfectly there is still a chance that you will need this. The easiest way to do this is to go to your nearest AAA and fill out the form. It will cost you $20 and will last a year. You MUST do this before going. The option to get this is gone once you are out of the US.

The good news about driving in Italy is that they drive on the same side as the US. However, when you go to book a rental, it is likely that the option defaults to a manual vehicle. Whether you are a skilled manual driver here, I do not recommend driving one there. While I found Italians to actually be better drivers than Americans (sorry), they do not like to leave much space between themselves and the back of your vehicle. With the many narrow roads, curves, and hills, a manual vehicle may cause you more stress. Do make sure that you filter the car options to automatic. I highly recommend choosing an SUV as well, as many roads and parking garages dip down and a lower car may scrape. We were put in a Jeep Compass and it was perfect.

Car/Driving Considerations

It is important to educate yourself on a few things surrounding driving prior to arriving. Here are some tips that I find crucial to know:

• ZTL Zones (Zona Traffico Limitato): Or "Limited Traffic Zone" and these are very important to understand. Some major cities, like Rome for example, have ZTL Zones that are active a majority of the time. These zones mainly surround the center of the city and the purpose is to well...limit traffic. Although there are times where it is inactive, you don't want to risk driving while it is unless you want a hefty fine. Not too mention, that is the area where people drive like there are no rules - so I recommend staying away anyway. If there is a situation where your accommodation is within this zone, there are wonderful 24hr parking garages right on the outside that you can leave the car in and walk to your hotel. You can download the app, Parclick, which will show you available parking garages and the description will tell you if it is outside of the zone.

• Fueling Up: Italians trust their drivers more than we do, because you are able to fill up and pay after. However, most (if not all) gas stations have a few stalls that are more expensive than others because you are paying for an attendant to fill you up. That attendant may be inside doing something so if you pull up to the wrong pump and fill your tank yourself, you may pay more for no reason. The pump may say "serv" or "per servito" and you want the pump that says "self". Your car will most likely take E5 gas, which is labeled as Super. If you are unsure, open the gas tank and it will be labeled. You will see several options on your pump which may let you prepay 5, 10, or 20 Euros. If you want to fill up, simply put the hose in your tank, and crank it just like you normally would. You can go pay inside and they typically already know what pump you came from.

• Traffic Cameras: The speed limit may seem like just a recommendation based on the

way some locals drive, but know that just because you don't see many police, doesn't mean you won't get caught. There are cameras all over cities/local roads to monitor speeding and they will mail that ticket to your rental car company who then sends it to you. What a great surprise months later! Drive the speed limit even when people are riding your behind closely. I promise you, they will go around when they get the opportunity and you will avoid being ticketed. However, and please apply this to driving in the US too, do not ride in the left lane unless you are going fast. Italians do it right and only use that lane to pass. If you want to avoid some not-so-nice hand gestures, stay to the right and mind ya business.

• Tolls: I deem this important to know prior for a few reasons. If you live in a city with tolls, such as myself, and have "avoid tolls" turned on in your gps...you will want to turn that feature off. Unless you want to add hours to your travel time, you'll want to bite the bullet and pay the tolls to travel on the Autostrada. Now, on the subject of those tolls...

  • Have Euros set aside for tolls. It's easier and quicker than card. You'll have more lane options. And I noticed that sometimes the card machine is down - if they bill you, that means they bill the rental company, and they can charge a fee on top of that.

• Occasionally, you will arrive to a toll that isn't asking you to pay, but rather spits you out a ticket or biglietto. Do not throw this away. When you take whatever exit is next for you, there will be a toll booth to collect that ticket. It essentially informs them how far you traveled on that toll road. The most expensive ticket we paid was 30 Euros, but the cheapest was 1 Euro.

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You've Arrived in Italy...Now what?

When you booked your car, you obviously set a pick up and drop off location. For us, and what I recommend, our car was picked up at the Airport. If you are picking up and dropping off at different locations, do note there is typically a fee associated with that. So, you have your keys and you get to your car...what next? Well, before I continue you better make sure you have taken 50+ pictures and videos of the car for any existing scratches/dents/scuffs. But you knew that already.

Immediate Chaos

Let me be honest with you - the immediate moment of pulling off of the lot and starting your navigating is anything but fun. Maybe you have heard or read of how crazy Italians drive. I am not here to say that is incorrect, but I do want you to know it doesn't last long. The most intense and confusing part of your driving journey will be in the cities. You will experience a lot of congestion, merging of lanes that you didn't know were lanes, mopeds/motorcycles speeding around and between you, and people walking right in front of you. You will need to keep an eye out for the traffic lights, pedestrians, and narrow turns. Do not let this intimidate you. The majority of your driving will be on the interstate which feels just like home.

Parking

While I recommend booking as many possible accommodations that include parking as possible, sometimes that is not an option if you are staying in the center of a major city. Like mentioned above, when that is the case, I highly recommend parking in a 24hr garage. If you are leaving anything in your car, always make sure it is hidden. We kept two suitcases in the trunk each time we left the car overnight, but we had a trunk cover so they were completely hidden. We had no issues. If you are driving in to town and parking for other reasons, know that it is easy to identify parking types and it is universal throughout Italy.

White space = FREE

Blue space = PAID

Yellow space = HANDICAP

Pink space = Pregnant

These spaces are typically in a pretty congested area, so if you didn't include the additional liability damage on your vehicle, I don't recommend parking here. You'll see from many Italian's cars that scratches/dents aren't a huge deal to them.

Common Rules

Some rules and tips to consider:

Do not turn right on red. That is not allowed in Italy.

Do not use your phone while driving. You can get fined.

You must wear your seatbelt. As you should, always, but you will again...get fined.

At intersections, yield to the car on your right.

Do not drink AT ALL and drive. The limit in Italy is .05%.

When it is raining, the speed limit decreases by 20km. Your car should already be set to km/h.

Gas is expensive. Drive wisely.

Enjoy the Ride

Having a car will make your trip through Italy exponentially better. We met people who were constantly stressed about bus/train schedules or delays impacting their rides. Not too mention, if you are driving anywhere on the coast or in the mountains, being in a bus or van while navigating constant winding roads could probably cause some car sickness. With that said, it is important to keep your eyes on the road. Italy is surrounded by beautiful views and it's hard not to look, but take your role seriously. With all of the benefits of having transportation in your control, even a minor accident can damper your trip.

While this seems like a ton of information to take in, you'll find that driving in Italy is mainly common sense. Most signs include a picture which makes them understandable even with a language barrier. When in doubt, pull over, and use Google.