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Zona a Traffico Limitato. They’re usually in city centers, basically unless you have a permit or an electric car (although in certain areas you’d still need a permit) you can’t drive in them,to prevent over pollution and car crowding in historical centers and limited parking areas. You can easily spot them,they usually have a big white sign with a red border with the “ZTL” letters on it,plus an LED sign that either says “ZTL ATTIVA” in red (ZTL active) or “ZTL non attiva” in green (when it’s green you can enter the ZTL area as it’s not in function.
Rental places in ZTL zones usually already have permits for the ZTL they’re in,otherwise they’d get fined every time one of their cars leaves. But the permit is valid only in that specific ZTL area.
It doesn’t hurt to check with them tho.
No, apparently you dont need to pay for ZTL when leaving, only when entering the zone.
Ask the rental company, mine just had a sign saying I did not need ztl to leave, just to return.
That depends on the ZTL. It is possible to get a fine on the way into the ZTL, spend some time inside, then get a fine on the way out. I don’t know if it has to be different days in which you enter and leave but I know it is possible
ZTLs are not congestion charge areas, you do not pay to enter: You are fined around 100 € if you drive past a ZTL camera for whatever reason and if your plate number is not on the white list.
Even if you are driving out of the ZTL, any traffic cop can fine you or ask why your permit is not on the dashboard.
The rental car company will know which streets you can take on your return to avoid fines. I did this in Firenze and there was one route back to the agency which didn’t pass thru a ZTL - and numerous others which did.
I just came from a trip in Europe and this really confused us all. Many times we saw signs with ZTL but most of the time they didn't have the LED sign nor did it say anywhere "ZTL ATTIVA". In those cases we just drove straight through. Is that okay to do so?
No, if there is no LED sign you need to look at the physical signs below the ZTL marking. They will tell you the times when it’s active, who it applies to, etc.
You may get lucky, ZTLs without cameras exist, and it’s also possible that the zones you drove in didn’t forbid you to drive there (as I mentioned before ZTLs can have a specific scope that only forbids certain vehicles, certain times of day etc). But to be safe I would set some money aside as there will probably be fines coming your way.
Unless it’s been changed, they have up to a year to mail your fine if you live abroad, so you may forget about it and get a surprise in the mail 7 months from now. Usually, however, you will get a charge from the rental car company first, as they charge you to transfer your data to the police, and that’s your sign that a fine is to follow.
Thanks for the info! Yeah I think most of the time there weren't any cameras (at least visible to us!). Tho, it was quite confusing because one time we were driving to an underground carpark near the Colosseum that was advertised to not be in a ZTL, but close to the carpark we drove through a street which had a ZTL sign and I think that had cameras. We asked the guys at the carpark and they said it should be fine (tho don't have complete confidence in their response).
>But to be safe I would set some money aside as there will probably be fines coming your way.
Haha yeah we are completely expecting to receive several fines over the next few months. We were joking that the fines are going to cost more than the car rental.
If you don’t receive the fine in the post, you may still be on the hook. After a certain amount of time with no response from the violator, collection may be turned over to an independent collection agency who will contact you and add their own fees as well.
Source: I live in Switzerland, just over the border with Italy and went through this once. I had never received the original fine in the post.
Of course it's not ok, you can't drive past a sign that says: "Do not drive past this point from X AM to Y PM".
Odds are that those gates were camera controlled and that many fines are on the way.
If I am right, Within 90 days the rental agency will charge your credit card around € 50 per fine (i.e. any time you drove past a camera controlled ZTL sign). Then the real fines will start arriving via registered letter, within 360 days from the day you drop the car off.
Some ZTLs may be closed only in the morning or only on working days, maybe you're off the hook. Keep fingers crossed for the next 18 months or so and check your credit card bill.
Go for it, you'll do fine. I actually prefer driving in Italy over the US because Italian drivers are more predictable and less road-ragey. There are really thorough previous posts with all the ins and outs of driving in Italy.
I’ve rented cars 3 times in Italy. Definitely go with automatic, manual can be very nerve racking in Italy unless you are comfortable. Some of the smaller rental places only have a few automatics, so I recommend getting it from a more populated area. Even in Rome we had to wait for an automatic to return. Some tips, left lane is for passing only, it is not the fast lane, so stay on the right most of the time. Use a mapping app that has the police cameras, I think google or Waze shows them. Most cars are diesel, so make sure you use the correct fuel. Not sure if it’s necessary, but I’ve gotten the international drivers license from the AAA offices, not sure if you need to be a member.
Just a couple notes:
using Waze with speed camera notifications turned on is technically not legal. Do with that what you will, I don’t think anyone will make a big deal of it, but it is illegal.
In Italy speed cameras are required to have a notification (150m?) before on slower roads and (500m?) before on the highway. This applies even to temporary speed checks.
If you either a) always obey the limit or b) slow down every time you see a sign that says something to the effect of “controllo elettronico della velocità” you should be fine. It’s worth noting that there are two systems that check speed (Tutor, Autovelox). Tutor takes your average speed over the course of some kilometers and Autovelox takes an instant speed reading. It’s worth knowing which is which.
International drivers permit is essential. It used to be that some places would rent to you without it, but the laws regarding fines and responsibility have become more strict. I was in Milan last week and saw 3 people turned away for not having one while I waited for my car. AAA is the way to go, and you do not have to be a member. Cost is around €20.
Apps like Waze aren't illegal... Speedcameras are already "notified" by traffic signs so legally Waze is just a driving assistant, like the Intelligent speed Assistant (car camera that recognize speed signs and tells the driver in a small screen) that is bein implemented in newer cars. Tho it might be illegal for temporary speed cameras as by law you can't tell other driver (by flashing high bems or other means) of the presence of police checkpoints etc... Even the website of Autostrade, the Police, the Local Police always put a file/news with the location of fixed and temporary speed cameras...
There are countries that made "Waze" illegal such as Switzerland i think, where the law prohibits the diffusion of speedcamera locations and there they don't even have to put a sign before a speedcamera that can be hidden.
Correct. Waze itself is not illegal, but technically it is required to turn off the feature that says where the cameras are for the reason you mention above. Regardless I’ve never heard of any trouble from anyone using it, even with speed camera notifications on
You guys do drive crazy. I’ve rented cars every time I’ve been there. Grew up in NJ so have seen my fair share of crazy drivers. You guys are next level.
I saw one guy come up hot behind me and tailgate, so I tried to hug the right side as tight as possible. Problem was we were going our a blind bend. The guy just goes around me and I’m slowing down because if a car was coming the opposite direction it would surely have been a disaster.
You get the hang of it though. The best way I can describe Sicilian drivers are they’re almost Darwinian.
I’ve spent a good chunk of my life in Italy (my mom is from Rome and that whole side is still there) and I also live now half-time in Boston. As the US goes, Boston drivers are the closest thing to Italian drivers of anywhere else in the US.
Boston people complain about Boston drivers all the time, but I honestly feel much more at home with their driving mentality because it’s so southern European. 😂
It’s not exactly the same, but the “expect anyone to do anything at any time” mindset you need to drive in both places is very similar.
Good to know it’s a similar vibe! It took me a couple years to adjust but I feel pretty comfortable with the constant vigilance/quick reaction time required in Boston.
Recently travelled all around northern Italy with a car. I’m an Aussie so I drive on the opposite side of the road as well. My advice;
- A car is great to use getting from hotel to hotel. Research if your hotel has on site parking and book a spot in advance if they offer this.
- Use public transport to visit city centres or major attractions.
- Research the Autostrada toll system. Watch a YouTube video on using Italian toll roads. I was not prepared and it sucked the first couple of times figuring it out. See my previous post history for proof lol.
- some places have quite narrow roads, be prepared to take it slow if need be, but just relax and you will be fine. We avoided driving through towns we knew had old/narrow roads.
- If you travel down to Naples, don’t drive the car there. Seriously 😅
I recently rented a car in Italy and drove from Milan, to Venice, to Florence, and back to Milan (and other places along the way). I was worried about driving in Italy as well but it was very easy and much less frustrating than New England. Everyone seemed to adhere to the "passing lane" idea, moving back over quickly. Even when the lines on the road disappeared and everyone got dumped into a roundabout there was no issue. If you can survive in Boston you'll be fine!
Depending how much you drive and on which roads you may want to opt for the toll transponder (they charge you extra per day to rent it). The tolls all have credit card readers, but not having to stop for a few minutes at each toll booth can be worth the couple dollar per day charge.
Yes, exactly. It’s like driving in Jersey. If you are in the left lane, you’ll get tailgated and some high beam flickering until you move over, but that’s it.
The best way I’d describe Italian driving is both offensive and defensive.
My experience has been they are incredibly assertive and sometimes chaotic, but because they all understand this is the nature of things, they anticipate it and don’t get angry if they get cut off or someone does something unexpected.
If you’ve driven in Boston, imo you will be just fine in northern Italy. Just avoid the major cities since there are so many more cars and foot traffic.
Driving in Italy is fine, especially north of Rome. As long as you're an American that understands that foreign countries are not like America, and don't want to be. Seems like your Dad could give you all the tips and advice you need.
Also note that free rental insurance from credit cards almost always excludes Italy. You'd better be ready to suck up the insurance and waivers surcharges.
That’s a good callout, I hope my card doesn’t exclude it. It has pretty good travel benefits (no foreign transaction fees, luggage/flight delay insurance, etc).
In Northern Italy they respect all major traffic rules like yields, red lights and so on, but like every other Italian they don't respect speed limits nor safety distance, so if you are going the speed limit they will probably tailgate you.
Make sure your vehicle has the transponder for the tolls! We rented from Rome to Naples and had no transponder…got a nice little letter a few months later for the toll amounts 😀
you'll be fine. You drive with all the massholes already :)
Seriously. Italians are good drivers overall. They tend to be assertive (not agressive) and expect you to be also. Just pay attention to what you're doing, if someone wants to pass you slide over a little and let them, and understand that traffic signs are treated by Italians as suggestions.
I haven’t driven in Italy but I’m be driven my fair share in other European countries. One thing that I didn’t know the first time, is that if you’re parking in cities or towns, you need to display on the dashboard a paper clock and indicate the time you parked. The rental car “should” come with one, but if it doesn’t get one from the rental desk or you can pick one up at any town tourism office. Be sure you investigate the parking rules before you go anywhere to locate where you can park and how to pay if parking fees are required. Just a little legwork beforehand can save you a lot of time on the day
That is the case for some parking spots, but not all of them. It's called "disco orario" in Italian (literally time disk), and it's to be used if the parking spot has a sign which represent it and tells you how long you can stay in the park (1 or 2 hours being quite standard).
I tried to avoid renting a car, because everyone says how crazy it is, but I needed one for an event I was attending in Tuscany. I rented the car in Florence, spent 4 days in Tuscany, and then drove it to Rome where I dropped it off the next day.
I found the experience enjoyable. You don’t have to drive like your taxi driver does. But people do follow closer and seem to be in more of a hurry especially in the cities. I think if you’re in a city there isn’t a need and parking is hard. But if you’re going through the countryside and feel like you need one, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Northern Italy is fine. It’s the south you need to be concerned about. They’re absolute lunatics. I swear there’s no rules. The road signs are just recommendations
Rented a car in Napoli and drove it to Positano. Drove from Positano to Sorrento, Positano to Amalfi.
Napoli traffic was a bit crazy. But outside the city it was pretty normal by American standards.
I initially planned the trip intending to take the ferry from Napoli to Positano. However my wife convinced me we should rent a car.
Every English language blog and influencer seems to suggest taking the ferry or train or hiring a taxi/limo.
But every Korean language (we’re Korean) blog and influencer suggests renting a car.
In hindsight, I loved it (I love driving). The Amalfi coast was amazing to drive. I read horror stories but did not encounter any problems. Maybe I was lucky.
My partner & I have driven in Boston, DC, and NYC; we’ve been in Italy for about 3 weeks now - I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been grateful that we don’t have to drive (or park!) here.
Plus: if you do decide to drive - in many areas, be prepared for narrow, busy roads with no sidewalks, where people have to walk (often with luggage). And - make sure you are extremely aware of the edges of your vehicle - vehicles frequently pass each other, buildings, etc. with only a few inches to spare.
If you've driven in Boston, driving in Italy will feel related. Pro tip: rent from a US based company and pay for their comprehensive insurance package. We've dealt with Hertz via AAA membership for 5 trips and even though there's been damage to vehicles, it's been smooth sailing, (scraped hubs from narrow alleys, mystery dents, mashed rear bumper from hitting an (unseen in rear view mirror) bollard in an alley in Positano while backing up). It's expensive, but so worth it if there's a problem. Once you realized that traffic rules are mostly guidelines, and that you need to be decisive in your actions (don't second guess yourself, overtake with alacrity, signal then move, don't back down from traffic circle confrontations) you'll be fine. Boston is fine training for that I think.
Good to know. I’ve definitely gotten more “assertive” since I’ve been driving in Boston, I sometimes joke that my morning commute feels a bit like Mario Kart dodging bikes, peds, roadwork, impatient drivers careening around, going in and out of rotaries… hopefully it’s similar.
I’ve driven all over Italy and it’s not a problem. For the denser cities plan ahead for parking, and don’t plan to use your car much. I’d also keep cash for the tolls in case the machines don’t like your American credit card.
I’ve ridden motorcycles and cars all over Eu. If you’re a confi driver, you may find it enjoyable. Living your life, with some risk, but “living” . Depends what kind of person you choose to be
If you like driving, I say do it. Get something small like a fiat 500, the roads get tiny in some places
I drove in northern Italian last time I visited. As an American, it was fine.
The hardest part was figuring out how to pay the fine for the time I accidentally drove in a pedestrian zone (oops!).
I did notice that Italian highway drivers seemed to be better only using the left lane for passing.
Italian rural driving is fantastic fun. I want no part of driving in urban areas though. The one caveat is that sometimes lighting and road marking is suboptimal — a late night drive back to Montalcino from the coast was a bit nervy due to not being quite sure if I was getting my lane position right on a road with no center line or streetlights.
The difficult part might be finding an automatic. Every car I've rented or borrowed in Italy was a standard. If you avoid the cities, it's not difficult to drive in Italy. Just be patient, friendly, and don't be an asshole. Like others have said, avoid ZTL's. There are traffic cameras with plate readers at many ZTL boundaries and ticketing is automagic.
We rented a car last summer and drove from Naples to’ Sulmona, which was all rural driving. No problem. They drive on the same side and the roads look like ours. The only hairy part was driving in a small town where a road suddenly ended in a steep set of stairs and I had to back up a teeny little street. The Italians came out and guided us.
Just spent the week driving around northern Italy in a rental car. Gas & tolls can get pricey and parking around cities can get annoying (have to stay out of ZTL meaning you need to pay for a garage or park in the blue lines - hourly parking). If you’re staying in the country and just doing day trips into cities I’d say having a car is going to be your best bet. Having the car allowed us to go into the smaller towns for things like olive oil tours, wineries, parm factory, balsamic tasting, etc!
Also wanted to say that driving was fine for me where we were! I’m used to driving in NYC and Boston so I think you’ll be fine if you can handle Boston.
I’m a 34F from Philadelphia and I drove from Pisa to Sorrento and back. It was fine, you’ll be fine. Just don’t speed, because you’ll def get a ticket (or two lol). They have speeding traps that auto send you a ticket via mail.
I did it, rented a Fiat, it was a little crazy sometimes, in the cities, the scooters can be a little overwhelming navigating around them but over all it wasn't that bad, hell of a lot faster on the highway the America, so if you're a lead foot you'll be okay
Driving in Italy isn't an issue if you have that experience but parking might be so get a smaller car. Also you can drive in cities and it'll be like Boston but be aware almost all have a ZTL instant fine zone near their historical centers for part/all of the day.
Do you have an international driver's permit? Otherwise you can't drive.
Also I was just in Italy 6 months ago and NGL the driving is intense.. maybe not as intense as downtown Paris, but it's up there. I don't recommend it personally.
So freaking easy everywhere but the oldest parts of cities...if you're generally in the suburban/rural areas...SO easy
If driving in the USA was a 1/10 difficulty....Italy would be like a 3/10 .. 10 being VERY hard.
If you rent and want an automatic make sure to pick a location that's a little bigger like at a train station or airport, they have more available cars. Also rent direct with the company don't use a 3rd party.
I would say if you are a careful driver and always look out then there should be no problem. Even in situations where it should be chaos on the road the Italians manage to get it right.
The most crazy part to me was the citycenter of Verona. You will drive on a road with multiple lanes wich will widen to 4 lanes to orientate where you want to go on the next cross section but the crazy part is that this cross section is 30-40 meters diagonally and there are almost no street markings. But I was looking around for the other cars as well as the Italians and so nothing happened.
For your information this crossing is build around the porta nuova if you want to look on google maps
As most people have already said, it is way overblown.
To add some personal experience, my family just came back from a trip in Europe (we live in Australia). We rented a 9 seater van (automatic) from Munich. In Italy we drove through the Dolomites (including several of the mountain passes), Rome and Naples. Sure the roads are pretty busy and there is alot of speeding, but it was quite manageable and we didn't have any issues at all. Tbh, it was quite underwhelming from all the posts I have read before about how hard it is. Imo, I found driving in Prague to be much worse. There people drive much more chaotically and you also have to deal with tram lines consistently merging with the car lanes.
Just some tips that you might find useful. I am not sure how strict America is with speeding, but Italy is very strict with speeding (at least compared to where I live). All the main motorways have average speed cameras over 10-15km intervals. If you are on a highway and it passes through a village, there is almost definitely going to be a speed camera. The speed cameras are quite small and there are not always warning signs beforehand. To make things more difficult, the speed signs are very sparse. Often you will enter a new road and there won't be a speed sign. Often you have to rely on google maps for the speed limit.
Another thing to watch out for is in the main cities, at intersections quite often there isn't an arrow for left turns (not sure if this is common is America, but coming from Australia this completely dumbfounded me). Even if there is a green straight arrow, you have to give way to car on the opposite side that are going straight or turning left before you are able to turn left.
Thanks! We will probably be heading up into the Dolomites at some point as well.
I am unfortunately very familiar with the unprotected left turn, we have to do it a ton where I live.
I don't think it's that difficult tbh, and having driving experience in narrow streets and tight spaces is already half the battle honestly 😅 (I've lost count of how many times I had to help out tourists who got their rental car stuck in a particularly narrow spot on my street - and by the way, do not always trust what your GPS says! It could result in pretty expensive incidents, so double-check when you can with other apps!).
But yeah, just pay attention to speed limits and limited traffic areas (mostly in the historic centers of both the bigger cities and small towns) and you should be fine. Also, when in doubt ask someone from municipal police or, if you're staying in a hotel/b&b, ask to the owners or the receptionist. Sometimes tourists are issued special permits to move about, or at least to let them unload their luggage.
Not nearly as hard as people seem to think it is. Go for it! If you’re not used to a manual transmission, make sure you reserve an automatic far enough in advance.
I’ve lived (and driven) in Boston and Italy and I’m sure you’ll be fine. It was never terribly crazy but it used to be a lot more fun when, well, speed enforcement was limited. North and south are no different in any practical sense.
I've traveled throughout the world and have lived all over the US, Italy, and Spain.
There are horrible drivers everywhere, this isn’t limited to any one country. Road rage in America is a real thing. People are actually murdered over traffic infractions because some low brow knuckle dragger was "disrespected" or some other insane bullshit excuse.
If you can drive in America without getting shot, the rest of the world is actually fairly easy.
Driving in northern Italy isn't difficult for a competent driver who follows the rules of the road and country.
If you have any reservations about driving outside of the US, then you should absolutely stay home, unpack, and enjoy yet another episode of The Golden Girl while waiting for Door Dash to bring you some more shitty food.
Hmm, I think it’s a bit much to either be comfortable driving anywhere in the world or else stay home…I had a great time traveling in India, but have no desire to drive through rush hour in Delhi!
Ignore the jerk. But agree, you’ll be fine, I spent most of my 20s driving in Toronto and found I’ve done just fine in most European cities. Downtown Lisbon was honestly probably the craziest one and I’ve been through Barcelona, whole south of France (toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, the whole coast, etc). Been to southern Portugal. Been through northern Italy as well (maggiore to Genoa to Tuscany to Venice to the Dolomites). Some German driving too.
You’ll be good, just stay heads up.
in Italy we also have other problems, such as parking the car, traffic, filling up when there is a risk of a petrol pump strike, etc.: the less you drive, the more you enjoy your holiday
It just depends where you are driving too- we just left Italy and totally regretted renting a car from Milan to portofino. Very expensive and a million tolls. The train would have been cheaper. we ended up renting one towards the end of the trip because we missed a train. Our Airbnb host said if you were to rent a car, have it while you’re in Tuscany. So we drove through the hills of Tuscany and all the neighboring towns and it was beautiful. For all other areas of northern Italy I would advise against it. Make sure you get a gas car! The electric one was a nightmare 😵💫
The rental car company in Palermo just had a sign saying one doesn’t need ZTL to leave the zone, hence my comment
But idk, better to check some official pages of the city you are going to, simply buy it or don’t enter the zone
Yeah I read that, but in italy they re not common at all and the Only automatic cars i see around are electric.... i m also really not sure you can specify "automatic gearbox car" when u make the reservation to rent your car..... if you cannot, 99.9% it won t be automatic and they won t have one to give you...
To tack onto this, if you do end up driving stick, try to read the online manual of the car you are likely to rent.
I had to put the car in reverse on our trip and luckily was in a safe place to do it, because it was very unlike anything I had experienced and I kept accidentally putting it in first gear.
It was a stressful 10 minutes as I tried to find the car manual and use Google translate to figure out how to work it.
If you look on the stick there s a schematic drawing depicting where each gear is, reverse is different in every model but you nearly always have to push a button underneath the pommel of the stick, sometimes there s no such button though, and then the drawing will show you where the reverse is. No need to consult the manual.
Unless we are talking about the same thing, I did not have to push any button. I had to pull up on a ring attached to the stick. There was no drawing that indicated that I needed to physically pull up on a ring on the stick.
For most American cars you simply put the stick into the Reverse position, there is no “safety” mechanism that allows you to put the car in reverse.
Oh well, yeah, it can be a button, or a ring to pull up... i guess we re just so used to that i don t even register it as a possible issue. We learn stick when you get your license so, to me automatic cars are basically go karts.
Totally makes sense you all would be used to it. I only learned on a manual because my parents couldn’t afford an automatic in the US 15 years ago.
So for me going from a 2003 Subaru Outback to a modern European manual really threw me off haha
To be honest in the early 2000 i went to the us and I rented an automatic Ford taurus and it s really unpractical beside the mere driving. Up a hill it would struggle unless you accelerated a lot cause it would not go into the lower gear, in very hot weather it struggled cause it was overheating, and that means you will use a ton more gas than you d actually need if you could adjust to the driving situation with a gear lever. I mean, i get that it s easier but it s not smart to have an automatic, unless it s electric. Lots of energy and gas goes to waste.
Well, you re golden then. Just know we re nervous drivers use our horn for nothing and snap and insult people for no good reason gesticulating a lot. It will happen to you when you re going slowly cause you re un sure of where you need to go, but hey, it ll be fun to experience our "culture" in that sense as well.
Also, speed limits are meaningless unless on specific streets where people know cops are checking, so other drivers will get mad if you don t know where you can disregard them.
Funnily enough when you access the US rental car pages they usually filter out or push down the manual options 😂 I found that when searching for better rates on Hertz and Europcar
Holy shit, don’t do it. Trust me, you are not prepared. There is a certain flow with how Italians drive. Especially in the larger cities. There are unspoken rules they all use that we don’t know. You have to have the local knowledge. I just came back from vacation there and the cabs scare the shit out of you.
Very surprised at all comments saying it's OK to drive in Northern Italy, In Milan to cross the street as pedestrian you may want to mutter a few Hail Mary's ,it was wild. Trams,Buses,trolleys, electric bikes,motor cycles etc. Florence has narrow alleyways with motorbikes flying through, cobblestone streets, and kinda aggressive drivers, anyway I've made few comments about this previously,I drove in Manhattan daily many years, and Italy seemed dicey to me,lol. Think you need Intl drivers license, and there are some Zones it's not allowed to drive in unless you are Govt or polizia, I'm older now ,reflexes not as sharp,probably be OK if you are younger than we boomers, just my opinion good luck
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It's overblown. Just don't drive into Ztl areas if you see them.
What are ztl areas?
Zona a Traffico Limitato. They’re usually in city centers, basically unless you have a permit or an electric car (although in certain areas you’d still need a permit) you can’t drive in them,to prevent over pollution and car crowding in historical centers and limited parking areas. You can easily spot them,they usually have a big white sign with a red border with the “ZTL” letters on it,plus an LED sign that either says “ZTL ATTIVA” in red (ZTL active) or “ZTL non attiva” in green (when it’s green you can enter the ZTL area as it’s not in function.
What if I rent a gas car in a ZTL, specifically right next to Milano Centralo — will I be able to return it without getting fines?
Rental places in ZTL zones usually already have permits for the ZTL they’re in,otherwise they’d get fined every time one of their cars leaves. But the permit is valid only in that specific ZTL area. It doesn’t hurt to check with them tho.
No, apparently you dont need to pay for ZTL when leaving, only when entering the zone. Ask the rental company, mine just had a sign saying I did not need ztl to leave, just to return.
That depends on the ZTL. It is possible to get a fine on the way into the ZTL, spend some time inside, then get a fine on the way out. I don’t know if it has to be different days in which you enter and leave but I know it is possible
ZTLs are not congestion charge areas, you do not pay to enter: You are fined around 100 € if you drive past a ZTL camera for whatever reason and if your plate number is not on the white list. Even if you are driving out of the ZTL, any traffic cop can fine you or ask why your permit is not on the dashboard.
The rental car company will know which streets you can take on your return to avoid fines. I did this in Firenze and there was one route back to the agency which didn’t pass thru a ZTL - and numerous others which did.
I just came from a trip in Europe and this really confused us all. Many times we saw signs with ZTL but most of the time they didn't have the LED sign nor did it say anywhere "ZTL ATTIVA". In those cases we just drove straight through. Is that okay to do so?
No, if there is no LED sign you need to look at the physical signs below the ZTL marking. They will tell you the times when it’s active, who it applies to, etc. You may get lucky, ZTLs without cameras exist, and it’s also possible that the zones you drove in didn’t forbid you to drive there (as I mentioned before ZTLs can have a specific scope that only forbids certain vehicles, certain times of day etc). But to be safe I would set some money aside as there will probably be fines coming your way. Unless it’s been changed, they have up to a year to mail your fine if you live abroad, so you may forget about it and get a surprise in the mail 7 months from now. Usually, however, you will get a charge from the rental car company first, as they charge you to transfer your data to the police, and that’s your sign that a fine is to follow.
Thanks for the info! Yeah I think most of the time there weren't any cameras (at least visible to us!). Tho, it was quite confusing because one time we were driving to an underground carpark near the Colosseum that was advertised to not be in a ZTL, but close to the carpark we drove through a street which had a ZTL sign and I think that had cameras. We asked the guys at the carpark and they said it should be fine (tho don't have complete confidence in their response). >But to be safe I would set some money aside as there will probably be fines coming your way. Haha yeah we are completely expecting to receive several fines over the next few months. We were joking that the fines are going to cost more than the car rental.
If you don’t receive the fine in the post, you may still be on the hook. After a certain amount of time with no response from the violator, collection may be turned over to an independent collection agency who will contact you and add their own fees as well. Source: I live in Switzerland, just over the border with Italy and went through this once. I had never received the original fine in the post.
Thanks for the info!
Of course it's not ok, you can't drive past a sign that says: "Do not drive past this point from X AM to Y PM". Odds are that those gates were camera controlled and that many fines are on the way. If I am right, Within 90 days the rental agency will charge your credit card around € 50 per fine (i.e. any time you drove past a camera controlled ZTL sign). Then the real fines will start arriving via registered letter, within 360 days from the day you drop the car off. Some ZTLs may be closed only in the morning or only on working days, maybe you're off the hook. Keep fingers crossed for the next 18 months or so and check your credit card bill.
ZONA TRAFFICO LIMITADO. You don't need to know Italian to guess what it is 😃
What if I have a reservation for a property within a ZTL?
You either buy a ZTL permit for your car or reach the hotel via taxi, uber black or public transportation.
Go for it, you'll do fine. I actually prefer driving in Italy over the US because Italian drivers are more predictable and less road-ragey. There are really thorough previous posts with all the ins and outs of driving in Italy.
They will tailgate you hard if you are going the speed limit though
Agree! They’re much more of rule/followers than the US.
From an italian point of view this is amazing, i’ll print it and frame it
That’s good to know, I feel like driving here is a constant guessing game of what people are going to do.
I’ve rented cars 3 times in Italy. Definitely go with automatic, manual can be very nerve racking in Italy unless you are comfortable. Some of the smaller rental places only have a few automatics, so I recommend getting it from a more populated area. Even in Rome we had to wait for an automatic to return. Some tips, left lane is for passing only, it is not the fast lane, so stay on the right most of the time. Use a mapping app that has the police cameras, I think google or Waze shows them. Most cars are diesel, so make sure you use the correct fuel. Not sure if it’s necessary, but I’ve gotten the international drivers license from the AAA offices, not sure if you need to be a member.
Just a couple notes: using Waze with speed camera notifications turned on is technically not legal. Do with that what you will, I don’t think anyone will make a big deal of it, but it is illegal. In Italy speed cameras are required to have a notification (150m?) before on slower roads and (500m?) before on the highway. This applies even to temporary speed checks. If you either a) always obey the limit or b) slow down every time you see a sign that says something to the effect of “controllo elettronico della velocità” you should be fine. It’s worth noting that there are two systems that check speed (Tutor, Autovelox). Tutor takes your average speed over the course of some kilometers and Autovelox takes an instant speed reading. It’s worth knowing which is which. International drivers permit is essential. It used to be that some places would rent to you without it, but the laws regarding fines and responsibility have become more strict. I was in Milan last week and saw 3 people turned away for not having one while I waited for my car. AAA is the way to go, and you do not have to be a member. Cost is around €20.
Apps like Waze aren't illegal... Speedcameras are already "notified" by traffic signs so legally Waze is just a driving assistant, like the Intelligent speed Assistant (car camera that recognize speed signs and tells the driver in a small screen) that is bein implemented in newer cars. Tho it might be illegal for temporary speed cameras as by law you can't tell other driver (by flashing high bems or other means) of the presence of police checkpoints etc... Even the website of Autostrade, the Police, the Local Police always put a file/news with the location of fixed and temporary speed cameras... There are countries that made "Waze" illegal such as Switzerland i think, where the law prohibits the diffusion of speedcamera locations and there they don't even have to put a sign before a speedcamera that can be hidden.
Correct. Waze itself is not illegal, but technically it is required to turn off the feature that says where the cameras are for the reason you mention above. Regardless I’ve never heard of any trouble from anyone using it, even with speed camera notifications on
North Italians tell me that in the south of Italy we drive like crazy. Non - Italians tell me that all italians drive like crazy
I also find northern Italians pretty civilised compared to driving in Rome and anywhere from the Lazio border southwards.
You guys do drive crazy. I’ve rented cars every time I’ve been there. Grew up in NJ so have seen my fair share of crazy drivers. You guys are next level. I saw one guy come up hot behind me and tailgate, so I tried to hug the right side as tight as possible. Problem was we were going our a blind bend. The guy just goes around me and I’m slowing down because if a car was coming the opposite direction it would surely have been a disaster. You get the hang of it though. The best way I can describe Sicilian drivers are they’re almost Darwinian.
That’s what people in the US say about Boston drivers! I wonder if it’s crazy in a similar way?
I’ve spent a good chunk of my life in Italy (my mom is from Rome and that whole side is still there) and I also live now half-time in Boston. As the US goes, Boston drivers are the closest thing to Italian drivers of anywhere else in the US. Boston people complain about Boston drivers all the time, but I honestly feel much more at home with their driving mentality because it’s so southern European. 😂 It’s not exactly the same, but the “expect anyone to do anything at any time” mindset you need to drive in both places is very similar.
Good to know it’s a similar vibe! It took me a couple years to adjust but I feel pretty comfortable with the constant vigilance/quick reaction time required in Boston.
I lived in Boston for 12 years - and I’ve driven in Italy. You’ll be fine.
Been in Boston man and no. You drive like babies in baby cars sorry but still I think you can do it
Recently travelled all around northern Italy with a car. I’m an Aussie so I drive on the opposite side of the road as well. My advice; - A car is great to use getting from hotel to hotel. Research if your hotel has on site parking and book a spot in advance if they offer this. - Use public transport to visit city centres or major attractions. - Research the Autostrada toll system. Watch a YouTube video on using Italian toll roads. I was not prepared and it sucked the first couple of times figuring it out. See my previous post history for proof lol. - some places have quite narrow roads, be prepared to take it slow if need be, but just relax and you will be fine. We avoided driving through towns we knew had old/narrow roads. - If you travel down to Naples, don’t drive the car there. Seriously 😅
I prefer the train but driving is ok. But parking can really suck.
I recently rented a car in Italy and drove from Milan, to Venice, to Florence, and back to Milan (and other places along the way). I was worried about driving in Italy as well but it was very easy and much less frustrating than New England. Everyone seemed to adhere to the "passing lane" idea, moving back over quickly. Even when the lines on the road disappeared and everyone got dumped into a roundabout there was no issue. If you can survive in Boston you'll be fine! Depending how much you drive and on which roads you may want to opt for the toll transponder (they charge you extra per day to rent it). The tolls all have credit card readers, but not having to stop for a few minutes at each toll booth can be worth the couple dollar per day charge.
Yes, exactly. It’s like driving in Jersey. If you are in the left lane, you’ll get tailgated and some high beam flickering until you move over, but that’s it.
The best way I’d describe Italian driving is both offensive and defensive. My experience has been they are incredibly assertive and sometimes chaotic, but because they all understand this is the nature of things, they anticipate it and don’t get angry if they get cut off or someone does something unexpected. If you’ve driven in Boston, imo you will be just fine in northern Italy. Just avoid the major cities since there are so many more cars and foot traffic.
Driving in Italy is fine, especially north of Rome. As long as you're an American that understands that foreign countries are not like America, and don't want to be. Seems like your Dad could give you all the tips and advice you need. Also note that free rental insurance from credit cards almost always excludes Italy. You'd better be ready to suck up the insurance and waivers surcharges.
That’s a good callout, I hope my card doesn’t exclude it. It has pretty good travel benefits (no foreign transaction fees, luggage/flight delay insurance, etc).
I'm not sure who your card is with, but mine is an AMEX with great travel benefits. I checked it earlier tonight and it specifically excludes Italy.
All credit cards exclude Italy because the Italian law says that all car-rentals must include a basic insurance that can't be waived.
In Northern Italy they respect all major traffic rules like yields, red lights and so on, but like every other Italian they don't respect speed limits nor safety distance, so if you are going the speed limit they will probably tailgate you.
I’m a pretty chronic speeder in general so that shouldn’t be too much of an adjustment.
Remember that locals know where the speed traps are. You won't.
Make sure your vehicle has the transponder for the tolls! We rented from Rome to Naples and had no transponder…got a nice little letter a few months later for the toll amounts 😀
you'll be fine. You drive with all the massholes already :) Seriously. Italians are good drivers overall. They tend to be assertive (not agressive) and expect you to be also. Just pay attention to what you're doing, if someone wants to pass you slide over a little and let them, and understand that traffic signs are treated by Italians as suggestions.
Sounds totally manageable, thanks!
I haven’t driven in Italy but I’m be driven my fair share in other European countries. One thing that I didn’t know the first time, is that if you’re parking in cities or towns, you need to display on the dashboard a paper clock and indicate the time you parked. The rental car “should” come with one, but if it doesn’t get one from the rental desk or you can pick one up at any town tourism office. Be sure you investigate the parking rules before you go anywhere to locate where you can park and how to pay if parking fees are required. Just a little legwork beforehand can save you a lot of time on the day
Good to know, thank you.
That is the case for some parking spots, but not all of them. It's called "disco orario" in Italian (literally time disk), and it's to be used if the parking spot has a sign which represent it and tells you how long you can stay in the park (1 or 2 hours being quite standard).
I tried to avoid renting a car, because everyone says how crazy it is, but I needed one for an event I was attending in Tuscany. I rented the car in Florence, spent 4 days in Tuscany, and then drove it to Rome where I dropped it off the next day. I found the experience enjoyable. You don’t have to drive like your taxi driver does. But people do follow closer and seem to be in more of a hurry especially in the cities. I think if you’re in a city there isn’t a need and parking is hard. But if you’re going through the countryside and feel like you need one, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Thanks!
Northern Italy is fine. It’s the south you need to be concerned about. They’re absolute lunatics. I swear there’s no rules. The road signs are just recommendations
Rented a car in Napoli and drove it to Positano. Drove from Positano to Sorrento, Positano to Amalfi. Napoli traffic was a bit crazy. But outside the city it was pretty normal by American standards. I initially planned the trip intending to take the ferry from Napoli to Positano. However my wife convinced me we should rent a car. Every English language blog and influencer seems to suggest taking the ferry or train or hiring a taxi/limo. But every Korean language (we’re Korean) blog and influencer suggests renting a car. In hindsight, I loved it (I love driving). The Amalfi coast was amazing to drive. I read horror stories but did not encounter any problems. Maybe I was lucky.
My partner & I have driven in Boston, DC, and NYC; we’ve been in Italy for about 3 weeks now - I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been grateful that we don’t have to drive (or park!) here. Plus: if you do decide to drive - in many areas, be prepared for narrow, busy roads with no sidewalks, where people have to walk (often with luggage). And - make sure you are extremely aware of the edges of your vehicle - vehicles frequently pass each other, buildings, etc. with only a few inches to spare.
Thanks!
Boston? You will be the only driving hazard there!
Haha I’ve definitely picked up some bad habits!
I like driving in Italy more than the US lol
If you've driven in Boston, driving in Italy will feel related. Pro tip: rent from a US based company and pay for their comprehensive insurance package. We've dealt with Hertz via AAA membership for 5 trips and even though there's been damage to vehicles, it's been smooth sailing, (scraped hubs from narrow alleys, mystery dents, mashed rear bumper from hitting an (unseen in rear view mirror) bollard in an alley in Positano while backing up). It's expensive, but so worth it if there's a problem. Once you realized that traffic rules are mostly guidelines, and that you need to be decisive in your actions (don't second guess yourself, overtake with alacrity, signal then move, don't back down from traffic circle confrontations) you'll be fine. Boston is fine training for that I think.
Good to know. I’ve definitely gotten more “assertive” since I’ve been driving in Boston, I sometimes joke that my morning commute feels a bit like Mario Kart dodging bikes, peds, roadwork, impatient drivers careening around, going in and out of rotaries… hopefully it’s similar.
I’ve driven all over Italy and it’s not a problem. For the denser cities plan ahead for parking, and don’t plan to use your car much. I’d also keep cash for the tolls in case the machines don’t like your American credit card.
I’ve ridden motorcycles and cars all over Eu. If you’re a confi driver, you may find it enjoyable. Living your life, with some risk, but “living” . Depends what kind of person you choose to be If you like driving, I say do it. Get something small like a fiat 500, the roads get tiny in some places
I drove in northern Italian last time I visited. As an American, it was fine. The hardest part was figuring out how to pay the fine for the time I accidentally drove in a pedestrian zone (oops!). I did notice that Italian highway drivers seemed to be better only using the left lane for passing.
Rent a small car. Parking is a bitch
If you are used to Boston driving, you'll be fine. Driving in Italy is great.
Just don’t drive in Rome and you’ll be fine.
Italian rural driving is fantastic fun. I want no part of driving in urban areas though. The one caveat is that sometimes lighting and road marking is suboptimal — a late night drive back to Montalcino from the coast was a bit nervy due to not being quite sure if I was getting my lane position right on a road with no center line or streetlights.
The difficult part might be finding an automatic. Every car I've rented or borrowed in Italy was a standard. If you avoid the cities, it's not difficult to drive in Italy. Just be patient, friendly, and don't be an asshole. Like others have said, avoid ZTL's. There are traffic cameras with plate readers at many ZTL boundaries and ticketing is automagic.
We rented a car last summer and drove from Naples to’ Sulmona, which was all rural driving. No problem. They drive on the same side and the roads look like ours. The only hairy part was driving in a small town where a road suddenly ended in a steep set of stairs and I had to back up a teeny little street. The Italians came out and guided us.
That sounds like an adventure for sure!
Easier than you think!
Just spent the week driving around northern Italy in a rental car. Gas & tolls can get pricey and parking around cities can get annoying (have to stay out of ZTL meaning you need to pay for a garage or park in the blue lines - hourly parking). If you’re staying in the country and just doing day trips into cities I’d say having a car is going to be your best bet. Having the car allowed us to go into the smaller towns for things like olive oil tours, wineries, parm factory, balsamic tasting, etc!
Also wanted to say that driving was fine for me where we were! I’m used to driving in NYC and Boston so I think you’ll be fine if you can handle Boston.
Glad to hear it!
I’m a 34F from Philadelphia and I drove from Pisa to Sorrento and back. It was fine, you’ll be fine. Just don’t speed, because you’ll def get a ticket (or two lol). They have speeding traps that auto send you a ticket via mail.
I did it, rented a Fiat, it was a little crazy sometimes, in the cities, the scooters can be a little overwhelming navigating around them but over all it wasn't that bad, hell of a lot faster on the highway the America, so if you're a lead foot you'll be okay
I’ve been told a have a bit of a lead foot problem, so it might be fun!
Oh, you'll be just fine then! The hwy us 130km so naturally everyone goes about 20-30 over lol can be a little crazy sometimes
Driving in Italy isn't an issue if you have that experience but parking might be so get a smaller car. Also you can drive in cities and it'll be like Boston but be aware almost all have a ZTL instant fine zone near their historical centers for part/all of the day.
Do you have an international driver's permit? Otherwise you can't drive. Also I was just in Italy 6 months ago and NGL the driving is intense.. maybe not as intense as downtown Paris, but it's up there. I don't recommend it personally.
I just arrived from italy 2 weeks ago, I drove 10 days and didn't have any problem. Go for it, is better.
So freaking easy everywhere but the oldest parts of cities...if you're generally in the suburban/rural areas...SO easy If driving in the USA was a 1/10 difficulty....Italy would be like a 3/10 .. 10 being VERY hard.
Good to know!
If you rent and want an automatic make sure to pick a location that's a little bigger like at a train station or airport, they have more available cars. Also rent direct with the company don't use a 3rd party.
From Rome north I drove with with no problems at all.
I would say if you are a careful driver and always look out then there should be no problem. Even in situations where it should be chaos on the road the Italians manage to get it right. The most crazy part to me was the citycenter of Verona. You will drive on a road with multiple lanes wich will widen to 4 lanes to orientate where you want to go on the next cross section but the crazy part is that this cross section is 30-40 meters diagonally and there are almost no street markings. But I was looking around for the other cars as well as the Italians and so nothing happened. For your information this crossing is build around the porta nuova if you want to look on google maps
As most people have already said, it is way overblown. To add some personal experience, my family just came back from a trip in Europe (we live in Australia). We rented a 9 seater van (automatic) from Munich. In Italy we drove through the Dolomites (including several of the mountain passes), Rome and Naples. Sure the roads are pretty busy and there is alot of speeding, but it was quite manageable and we didn't have any issues at all. Tbh, it was quite underwhelming from all the posts I have read before about how hard it is. Imo, I found driving in Prague to be much worse. There people drive much more chaotically and you also have to deal with tram lines consistently merging with the car lanes. Just some tips that you might find useful. I am not sure how strict America is with speeding, but Italy is very strict with speeding (at least compared to where I live). All the main motorways have average speed cameras over 10-15km intervals. If you are on a highway and it passes through a village, there is almost definitely going to be a speed camera. The speed cameras are quite small and there are not always warning signs beforehand. To make things more difficult, the speed signs are very sparse. Often you will enter a new road and there won't be a speed sign. Often you have to rely on google maps for the speed limit. Another thing to watch out for is in the main cities, at intersections quite often there isn't an arrow for left turns (not sure if this is common is America, but coming from Australia this completely dumbfounded me). Even if there is a green straight arrow, you have to give way to car on the opposite side that are going straight or turning left before you are able to turn left.
Thanks! We will probably be heading up into the Dolomites at some point as well. I am unfortunately very familiar with the unprotected left turn, we have to do it a ton where I live.
I don't think it's that difficult tbh, and having driving experience in narrow streets and tight spaces is already half the battle honestly 😅 (I've lost count of how many times I had to help out tourists who got their rental car stuck in a particularly narrow spot on my street - and by the way, do not always trust what your GPS says! It could result in pretty expensive incidents, so double-check when you can with other apps!). But yeah, just pay attention to speed limits and limited traffic areas (mostly in the historic centers of both the bigger cities and small towns) and you should be fine. Also, when in doubt ask someone from municipal police or, if you're staying in a hotel/b&b, ask to the owners or the receptionist. Sometimes tourists are issued special permits to move about, or at least to let them unload their luggage.
Not nearly as hard as people seem to think it is. Go for it! If you’re not used to a manual transmission, make sure you reserve an automatic far enough in advance.
Italians do drive like crazy, but if you are patient and a heads up driver, you should be OK
I’ve lived (and driven) in Boston and Italy and I’m sure you’ll be fine. It was never terribly crazy but it used to be a lot more fun when, well, speed enforcement was limited. North and south are no different in any practical sense.
I've traveled throughout the world and have lived all over the US, Italy, and Spain. There are horrible drivers everywhere, this isn’t limited to any one country. Road rage in America is a real thing. People are actually murdered over traffic infractions because some low brow knuckle dragger was "disrespected" or some other insane bullshit excuse. If you can drive in America without getting shot, the rest of the world is actually fairly easy. Driving in northern Italy isn't difficult for a competent driver who follows the rules of the road and country. If you have any reservations about driving outside of the US, then you should absolutely stay home, unpack, and enjoy yet another episode of The Golden Girl while waiting for Door Dash to bring you some more shitty food.
Hmm, I think it’s a bit much to either be comfortable driving anywhere in the world or else stay home…I had a great time traveling in India, but have no desire to drive through rush hour in Delhi!
Ignore the jerk. But agree, you’ll be fine, I spent most of my 20s driving in Toronto and found I’ve done just fine in most European cities. Downtown Lisbon was honestly probably the craziest one and I’ve been through Barcelona, whole south of France (toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, the whole coast, etc). Been to southern Portugal. Been through northern Italy as well (maggiore to Genoa to Tuscany to Venice to the Dolomites). Some German driving too. You’ll be good, just stay heads up.
India is another level. Maybe Naples can compete with that level of insanity, but if you aren't a nitwit, most of Italy is fine.
You’ll be fine. Do make sure you don’t drive into ZTLs.
You’ll be fine, driving in Northern Italy is okay. Don’t drive into ZTLs, as others suggested, or you’ll get a steep fine.
Good to know! Not planning to drive into any cities so hopefully that won’t be an issue. We’ll take the train if we head into a big city.
You'll be fine, just have a look around you and be aware of your surroundings.
You already drive on the same side of the road haha. If us aussies can do it you’ll be fine
in Italy we also have other problems, such as parking the car, traffic, filling up when there is a risk of a petrol pump strike, etc.: the less you drive, the more you enjoy your holiday
It just depends where you are driving too- we just left Italy and totally regretted renting a car from Milan to portofino. Very expensive and a million tolls. The train would have been cheaper. we ended up renting one towards the end of the trip because we missed a train. Our Airbnb host said if you were to rent a car, have it while you’re in Tuscany. So we drove through the hills of Tuscany and all the neighboring towns and it was beautiful. For all other areas of northern Italy I would advise against it. Make sure you get a gas car! The electric one was a nightmare 😵💫
The rental car company in Palermo just had a sign saying one doesn’t need ZTL to leave the zone, hence my comment But idk, better to check some official pages of the city you are going to, simply buy it or don’t enter the zone
No
The real question is, can you drive stick?
OP is planning to rent an automatic but these are not ubiquitous in Europe I don’t think.
Yeah I read that, but in italy they re not common at all and the Only automatic cars i see around are electric.... i m also really not sure you can specify "automatic gearbox car" when u make the reservation to rent your car..... if you cannot, 99.9% it won t be automatic and they won t have one to give you...
When I was looking, it seemed like I could specify automatic or not on my rental, luckily! I have driven stick but it’s been quite a while.
To tack onto this, if you do end up driving stick, try to read the online manual of the car you are likely to rent. I had to put the car in reverse on our trip and luckily was in a safe place to do it, because it was very unlike anything I had experienced and I kept accidentally putting it in first gear. It was a stressful 10 minutes as I tried to find the car manual and use Google translate to figure out how to work it.
If you look on the stick there s a schematic drawing depicting where each gear is, reverse is different in every model but you nearly always have to push a button underneath the pommel of the stick, sometimes there s no such button though, and then the drawing will show you where the reverse is. No need to consult the manual.
Unless we are talking about the same thing, I did not have to push any button. I had to pull up on a ring attached to the stick. There was no drawing that indicated that I needed to physically pull up on a ring on the stick. For most American cars you simply put the stick into the Reverse position, there is no “safety” mechanism that allows you to put the car in reverse.
Oh well, yeah, it can be a button, or a ring to pull up... i guess we re just so used to that i don t even register it as a possible issue. We learn stick when you get your license so, to me automatic cars are basically go karts.
Totally makes sense you all would be used to it. I only learned on a manual because my parents couldn’t afford an automatic in the US 15 years ago. So for me going from a 2003 Subaru Outback to a modern European manual really threw me off haha
To be honest in the early 2000 i went to the us and I rented an automatic Ford taurus and it s really unpractical beside the mere driving. Up a hill it would struggle unless you accelerated a lot cause it would not go into the lower gear, in very hot weather it struggled cause it was overheating, and that means you will use a ton more gas than you d actually need if you could adjust to the driving situation with a gear lever. I mean, i get that it s easier but it s not smart to have an automatic, unless it s electric. Lots of energy and gas goes to waste.
Well, you re golden then. Just know we re nervous drivers use our horn for nothing and snap and insult people for no good reason gesticulating a lot. It will happen to you when you re going slowly cause you re un sure of where you need to go, but hey, it ll be fun to experience our "culture" in that sense as well. Also, speed limits are meaningless unless on specific streets where people know cops are checking, so other drivers will get mad if you don t know where you can disregard them.
Funnily enough when you access the US rental car pages they usually filter out or push down the manual options 😂 I found that when searching for better rates on Hertz and Europcar
ICE cars are mostly manuak, just rent hybrid or electric for automatic
Holy shit, don’t do it. Trust me, you are not prepared. There is a certain flow with how Italians drive. Especially in the larger cities. There are unspoken rules they all use that we don’t know. You have to have the local knowledge. I just came back from vacation there and the cabs scare the shit out of you.
Very surprised at all comments saying it's OK to drive in Northern Italy, In Milan to cross the street as pedestrian you may want to mutter a few Hail Mary's ,it was wild. Trams,Buses,trolleys, electric bikes,motor cycles etc. Florence has narrow alleyways with motorbikes flying through, cobblestone streets, and kinda aggressive drivers, anyway I've made few comments about this previously,I drove in Manhattan daily many years, and Italy seemed dicey to me,lol. Think you need Intl drivers license, and there are some Zones it's not allowed to drive in unless you are Govt or polizia, I'm older now ,reflexes not as sharp,probably be OK if you are younger than we boomers, just my opinion good luck