As you drive through Italy, there are some rules of the road you need to know... Their AutoStrada is very similar to our tolls roads here in the States... When entering the Autostrada (Toll Road) you want to go thru a lane marked:
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| just click the pic to enlarge detail |
We strongly suggest you use one of the Michelin maps we suggested earlier to map out a rough route before you head out. We've seen folks who have depended solely on GPS end up far away from where they intended because in Italy there's a lot of towns with the same name.
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| YES you can rent a Ferrari... they start at about $3000 a day and an F1 like in this picture is about $9,000 a day. That's our friend Michael on the left (by the way, it only seats one person) |
Know the lingo on the signs. A uscita is an "exit." A raccordo is a ring road surrounding a city. Strade regionale and strade provinciale (regional and provincial highways, denoted by S, SS, SR, or SP numbers) may be single-lane roads, as are all secondary roads; directions and turnoffs aren't always clearly marked. Don't panic if you break down. Automobile Club Italiano (tel. 803/116) offers 24-hour road service. English-speaking operators are available.
Your rental-car company may also have an emergency tow service with a toll-free call. Be prepared to tell the operator which road you're on, the verso (direction) you're headed, and your targa (license plate number). On the autostrade and superstrade, emergency phones are available. To find the nearest one, look on the pavement for painted arrows and the term "SOS.". By the way, in over 23 years of having hundreds of guests with rental cars, no one has ever broken down... Just like here in the US, the rental cars are newer and very low mileage... We've rarely had a car with more than a few thousand kilometers on it.
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| you'll each have a radio in the car like in this pic, but let someone else handle it... you want to be hands-free |
ASK what fuel your car uses, and find out how to open the fuel door before you leave the rental office.... Don't put regular gas in a diesel car and vice-versa. This sometimes happens by Americans... The car will break down... Gasoline is "benzina". And to make things really confusing, diesel fuel is "gasolio".
Gas stations are located along the main highways. Those on autostrade are open 24 hours. Otherwise, gas stations generally are open Monday through Saturday 7-7, with a break at lunchtime. Self-service gas stations have pumps that usually accept credit cards and accept only bills in denominations of 5, 10, 20, and 50 euros and do not give change. Those with attendants accept cash and credit cards. It's not customary to tip the attendant. Fuel prices in Italy are always priced by the Liter (34 ounces)... Gasoline, (benzina) right now, costs about 1.78 EURO per liter and is available in unleaded (verde) and super unleaded (super). Many rental cars in Italy use diesel (gasolio), which costs about 1.74 Euro per liter. (note that diesel is called gasolio... this is confusing to Americans; don't put the wrong fuel in your car... it will ruin the engine and you'll be held responsible).
Don't tear up a parking ticket. They will find you thru the rental car company and then the rental car company will charge you a huge fee on top of the tix cost! Parking is at a premium in most towns, especially in the Centro Storico (historic centers). Fines for parking violations can be high, and towing is common. Don't think about tearing up a ticket, as car rental companies will use your credit card to be reimbursed for any fines you incur.
Do park smartly. Parking in an area signposted zona disco (disk zone) is allowed for short periods (from 30 minutes to two hours or more -- the time is posted); if you don't have a cardboard/plastic disk (look in the glove box or get one at the tourist office or car rental company) to show what time you parked, you can use a piece of paper. The parcometro, a machine that prints a ticket that you leave on your dashboard, has been introduced in many areas. Put coins into the machine to purchase the amount of time you desire, push the button and print out the ticket... Then put it on your dashboard in a highly visible spot...
Do turn your lights on. Headlights are not compulsory in cities when it rains or snows, but it's a good idea to turn them on. However, you must turn on your headlights outside city limits at all hours. Right turns on red are forbidden in Italy. Driving is on the right. Regulations are largely the same as in Britain and the United States, except that the police have the power to levy on-the-spot fines.
Do turn your lights on. Headlights are not compulsory in cities when it rains or snows, but it's a good idea to turn them on. However, you must turn on your headlights outside city limits at all hours. Right turns on red are forbidden in Italy. Driving is on the right. Regulations are largely the same as in Britain and the United States, except that the police have the power to levy on-the-spot fines.
Using handheld mobile phones while driving is illegal; fines can exceed 100 Euro. You can use handsfree. In most Italian towns the use of the horn is forbidden in many areas; a large sign, zona di silenzio, indicates a no-honking zone. Speed limits are typically 130 kph (80 mph) on autostrade and 110 kph (70 mph) on state and provincial roads, unless otherwise marked.
Don't forget to "buckle-up". All riders must wear seat belts...
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| you'll pass this exact sign many times while you're with us! |
They have speed cameras everywhere on the highways... it clocks your speed and takes your picture... there's usually signs that tell you there's one coming up, and often times your GPS unit will also alert you that there's a camera coming up... It's not uncommon on the highways to see a Ferrari or Lamborghini coming up behind you at very, very high speed and flashing their headlights... This is simple; it means get out of my way! Always use your turn signals to show them your intentions... Passing in Italy is on the left... but be careful, if you're dilly-dallying in the left lane, they will pass you on the right. Many Italians are aggressive drivers.
When you get into the rural areas around Chianti in Tuscany, you'll see lots of bicyclists and motorcyclists... Tuscany is one of the worlds top destinations for bicycle tours and cafe racing motorcyclists, and draws in cyclists from all over the world... be very careful! The roads in Chianti can be very narrow and to say that they are windy would be an understatement... best to go slowly behind them until you have a straight stretch long enough to safely pass them... The motorcyclists will be passing you and often on hairpin turns!
We don't want to scare you, but we've always felt that it's best for us to make you as aware as we can so that you're prepared and nothing shocks you... When you do get into the Chianti area, again the roads are very windy, and we suggest you drive slowly until you get use to them... Many locals will tailgate you... and when we say tailgate, we mean they will literally be right on your bumper... and when they can see 25 ft ahead, they will pass you whether a car is coming or not... just be prepared for this... it's normal for them... they want to get to work and tourists are looking at the views!
In the end, we think you're really going to enjoy driving in Italy.. It will give you a sense of independence, and international confidence! You'll be proud of yourself for doing it, and you'll quickly realize this is part of the Adventure!
