So you want to have buon tempo (good times) in Italy with your Debit Card Car Hire car without breaking any of the nation’s rules. There are a few differences to take note of to ensure you have a smooth time. Of course, you’ll need to remember to drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left, and driving in Italy after Brexit requires a UK (not GB) sticker like in many other EU countries.
Each country has its specifics, from the driving rules to the driving style. Therefore, we decided to come into your help in order to make Driving In Italy safe.
Driving Rules & Requirements in Italy – What Must I Carry?
When driving in Italy, make sure to carry these with you at all times:
- Full, valid UK driving licence
- Proof of ID (passport)
- Motor insurance certificate
- V5 registration document
In addition, make sure you adhere to the below:
- Both driver and passengers MUST wear a seat belt at all times.
- Reflective jackets MUST be worn if walking on the road or hard shoulder
- Warning triangle must be kept in car to display in emergencies
- Headlamp beam deflectors
- Don’t get horny with your horn except in an emergency. It’s better to flash your headlights
- Always give way to trains, trams, buses and emergency vehicles
Roads in Italy: All You Need to Know
It’s well known that the Italian motorways are some of the best in Europe. The Italian national system of motorways consists of 6,661 km of motorway connecting all the regions.
- The best and fastest roads in Italy are toll roads (autostrada) which criss-cross the country.
- They usually have two lanes each way and they are managed by companies such as Anas, Societa’ Autostrade and others which charge for their use and maintenance.
- Italian toll roads are marked by green signs with white lettering, which makes them easy to spot and recognize.
- They have an entrance booth and exit booth: you collect an entry ticket as you get onto it and pay when leaving.
Here is a list of autostrada:
A3 Naples – Salerno
A4 Turin – Trieste
A5 Turin – Monte Bianco
A6 Turin – Savona
A7 Milan – Genoa
A8 Varese – Milan
A9 Lainate – Chiasso
A10 Genoa – Ventimiglia
A11 Florence – Pisa Nord
A12 Genoa – Rosignano Marittimo
A91 Roma – Fiumicino
A14 Bologna – Taranto
A15 Parma – La Spezia
A16 Naples – Canosa
A18 Messina – Catania
A19 Palermo – Catania
A20 Messina – Palermo
A21 Turin – Brescia
A22 Modena – Brennero
A23 Palmanova – Tarvisio
A24 Rome – Teramo
A25 Pescara – Torano
A53 Bereguardo-Pavia
A27 Venice – Belluno
A28 Conegliano – Portogruaro
A29 Palermo – Mazara del Vallo
A30 Caserta – Salerno
A31 Piovene – Agugliaro
A32 Turin – Bardonecchia
A33 Asti – Cuneo
A34 Villesse – Gorizia
A35 Brescia – Milano
A36 Cassano Magnago
In the vast majority of cases, Italian toll roads charge you by distance traveled: to calculate this, they have toll booths when you enter the motorway and exit.
So basically you approach the booth, you will need to get in lane: you will have to choose either a Telepass lane or a ‘biglietto’ lane. Most likely, you want the ‘biglietto’ lane. Telepass is for pass holders – unless your car rental company told you specifically that they have the toll box in the car, you are not one of them! Biglietto lanes – biglietto in Italian means ticket and this is the lane you want.
You get in lane, stay in your car, line up. The machine will be on your left (driver’s side). You will see a ticket sticking out: take it, and put it safely away: you will need it when exiting.
Drink Driving Rules in Italy
Italy has drink driving laws only allowing 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood – stricter than the UK where the limit is 0.8. New drivers are effectively forbidden to drink and drive, with a very low 0.1 mg/l limit. As in the UK there is zero tolerance to any class of illegal drug whilst driving.
Speed Limits in Italy
The speed limits in Italy are similar to those in the UK, namely:
- 50km/h (30 mph) in cities and towns
- 90 km/h (55 mph) on single carriageways
- 110 km/h (about 68 mph) on dual carriageways and 1
- 130 km/h (80 mph) on motorways.
Parking in Italy
- Many Italian cities have localised restrictions on times when cars are allowed into the centres and where parking is allowed. These restrictions depend on the day of the week, time of day and whether the date is an odd or even number. There are severe penalties for breaking the rules, even unintentionally. Parking restrictions are available from the local authorities.
- Illegally parked cars may be towed away and the Italian police are able to charge EU drivers for fines incurred in Italy.
PARKING AREAS
- Zona Blue: parking lines are painted in blue denoting either “pay and display” (pay for a ticket from the dispensing machine and display it clearly in the front windscreen) or display a blue parking disc set to the time at parking. Blue discs are available from banks, tourist offices, tobacconists and post offices. Always be aware of the maximum time allowed and confirm if payment is necessary as many blue spaces are free at lunchtime and in the evenings.
- White Lines marking the parking bays indicate that it is free parking.
- Yellow Areas: indicate disabled parking (with a disabled permit/Blue Badge) or delivery zones.
- Most larger towns and cities have underground and multi-storey car parks.
Fuel Costs in Italy
Fuel is currently approximately 1.7 Euros per litre or 6.5 Euro per gallon with almost all accepting credit cards as well as cash or pay as you go. While for electric vehicles there are plenty of charging points for the green option of driving.
Emergency Numbers in Italy
- 12 – Telephone Directory Assistance Number
- 112 – Carabinieri
- 113 – Emergency Police Help Number (also ambulance and fire)
- 115 – Fire Department
- 116 – A.C.I. (Italian Automobile Club) road assistance.
- 118 – Medical Emergencies
So here is your guide to driving in Italy without tears using Debi Card Car Hire. Have a buon tempo! If you’re looking for more inspiration, take a look at some of our Italy road trip guides:
Driving in Italy FAQs
Yes, you can drive in Italy with UK licence as long as it is valid.
Italy has some of the safest roads in Europe. Quality can vary if you go off the beaten track and traffic can get hairy in big cities, so take care in these situations.
If you’re driving using a UK car, you will need to display a UK sticker on the back of your car and not a GB one.
Italy, like much of Europe, uses the metric system for road signs with speed limits and distances displayed in kilometres and metres.
No, turning right on red is not allowed in Italy.