Driving Italy

[Wayne Bevis]

Hi all .....been speaking with some friends who have had experience driving in Italy and they bought up a couple of points...1. Driving in Rome is a nightmare and 2. Gypsies and African Gangs seem to be very prominent both in ciy and country areas. Anybody had any experiences in relation to these please.

 

[Alpinista]

Driving in any city in Italy is a nightmare, but the ZTL zones are going to keep you out of city centers anyway, so wouldn't worry about it. I've been going to Italy with my wife for over 30 years. She has been going since she was a teenager (will not do any math on line, but will just say that that was more than 30 years ago). Between us, we've covered the entire breadth and length of the country on everything from Vespas to cars to buses and trains and have never seen a "gang". There are pickpockets on the Metro and in other places where crowds of tourists offer opportunities, but common sense attention to your surroundings and your possessions will suffice. The same applies to leaving valuables in sight in your car when you stop at eateries along the autostrada (or in other places). The biggest issues you will have with immigrants will occur around the pay parking kiosks and the entrances/exits to supermarkets (if you go shopping). In both cases, there will be some nuisance factor in offers to help you with the machines or with your groceries. A polite, but firm, "No" is fine ("Non oggi, grazie" works) and life goes on.

 

[joe]

I agree about driving in the city - but any foreign city : best to keep it to the bare minimum. Find a parking ground as close as possible to where you want to be, and forget about the car until you depart and pay the fee. IMO cities have become too hectic, and you have to be a local to have the proper wits.

Today you can use navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps to help you quite a bit - but they're still not enough if you don't know a city well, not to mention if it's a first time. It's not the navigation part that is a problem, it's just that almost everything is a bit different : the traffic lights, the signs, the roundabouts, the turns, the driving nuances, and the stress involved in having sometimes to make a quick decision in unfamiliar surroundings. I use Street View ahead of time to get an idea of what's waiting for me - and hope for the best.

Driving outside the cities and in the countryside : from my experience (in the northern parts of the country) the complaints are completely exaggerated, and there's nothing to be stressed about. The most you can say is that you might see some drivers take what I call "calculated risks" when driving - but if you use common sense and obey the speed limits and signs, you'll have no problem. I'd even say that drivers are courteous and rely on eye contact if a problem arises while driving. Having a rented car while traveling has a lot of advantages, Italy no exception, and if you consider yourself a capable driver, then don't let stories deter you.

 

[Jabez]

Agree that city driving can be crazy. However, the autostrada and other country roads are fine.Be careful of some roads along the water (like Lake Como), or the higher hills (like Lucca). Buses and trucks often share lanes barely able to allow two small cars safe travel. Lot's of backing up.

 

[Pauline]

I use Street View ahead of time to get an idea of what's waiting for me - and hope for the best.

I do that too. It helps me get a feel for the road and to find things to navigate by.

Be careful of some roads along the water (like Lake Como), or the higher hills (like Lucca).

I agree, when you get close to the coast, the driving gets more intense.

The Autostrada was difficult to drive when we started driving in Italy over 20 years ago. Cars drove very fast in the passing lane - they came out of nowhere and zoomed past at what must have been very high speeds. But that has changed and people don't drive as fast any more.

As for gangs, we've driven all over Italy for years and only once had an experience of this - a young girl tried to get into our car (probably to take my purse) while we were in heavy traffic outside a town. We had our doors locked. But that is just one incident in 20 years of visits.

 

[Jabez]

As far as gypsies-We especially are careful in the bigger cities. My wife almost had her wallet lifted on a Rome bus. They can be very tricky and resourceful. More than once one tried to grab one of my bags as they exited the metro in Rome.

 

[Matt D]

@Wayne Bevis - To add to what others have said: I would avoid driving in Rome at all cost, particularly if you are not accustomed to driving in Italy. Also it is very important to keep an eye out for speed traps in addition to the ZTLs. Radar cameras are everywhere these days, even along the side of the road in many smaller towns. Some stretches of Autostrade are timed between toll booths as well. I used to love driving in Italy, before the government learned how lucrative traffic violations can be. Even so, it's still a pleasure compared to the US. As a rule, Italian drivers pay attention, use their signals, and keep right except to pass. Truck and bus drivers are still courteous. Do the same and you'll be alright.

 

[Sunflower]

I also heard driving in Italy is a nightmare. Was thinking of a road trip there but apparently not a good idea

 

[Alpinista]

I also heard driving in Italy is a nightmare. Was thinking of a road trip there but apparently not a good idea

Quite the contrary. The total experience is heavily positive.

Driving in the cities is not fun -- lots of congestion; poorly marked streets; ZTL fines if you wander off course. However, driving on the Autostrada is a pleasure.

As noted above, people stay in their lanes, except to pass; drive at highway speed; use turn signals; make way. On the secondary roads, people drive very sensibly -- which is not the same as calmly, necessarily, but it gets the job done. They make two lane roads into 3 lanes to get around slower cars, but everyone moves over and the cars move along. Traffic circles are everywhere and keep you moving without stops for lights at every intersection.

I mentioned before that my wife and I have been doing this together for over 30 years. In that time, we've gotten one speeding ticket; one ZTL fine; two parking tickets. All of them were deserved, but still a nuisance to deal with. However, in those 30 years, we have spent about 45 months (oops, let me correct a bad typing mistake) in Italy and have covered so many thousands of miles that the few violations are really a minimal part of the experience. It gives us great enjoyment to see the country as we drive and to have the freedom to stop wherever serendipity takes us.

 

[Marlene]

As with most things in life, it depends.... on what you're used to and where you're driving. As others have said big cities should be avoided (you WILL enter the unmarked ZLTs and get an expensive ticket months later). I found the A1 between Florence and Bologna a challenge (very slow trucks, fast cars, tunnels and bridges), and I prefer to let someone else drive the very narrow roads through towns and in the mountains (honk on the curves, or you can meet a fast car coming toward you around a curve in your lane). If you're not used to a shift, get an automatic even though it costs more.

 

[Pauline]

I also heard driving in Italy is a nightmare. Was thinking of a road trip there but apparently not a good idea

Chiming in to say - not true! We always rent a car in Italy and have been doing so for 20 years of traveling there.

My rules are:
- If going into a city, figure out ahead of time where there is a good parking lot on the outskirts and park there.
- If going to a small, historic town, park outside the town walls. You may be able to drive inside, but it is never worth it. There are always well signed parking lots outside the town centers.

 

[Marlene]

Chiming in to say - not true!

There are definite advantages to driving. You can go to more out-of-the way places and take your own time exploring (intentionally or by getting lost ). And you can take a lot of "stuff" with you.

OTOH, if you're mainly interested in the big cities with a few side trips, take the train or bus. Some (but not all) small towns also have good access via public transportation.

 

[Sharon J]

One hint I will give while driving in the countryside, is trying to figure out the signs at intersections. The nearest town in the direction of the arrow will be at the top. Another tip in Italy, is that they will not give you another sign, until you need to change direction or make a turn. That took us a while to figure that out.

 

[Marlene]

signs at intersections

One picture on the old slow travelers site was a classic. Intersection at the end of a narrow road with both signs pointing to "Roma".

 

[Valerie]

Pauline gives good advice.

Chiming in to say - not true! We always rent a car in Italy and have been doing so for 20 years of traveling there.

My rules are:
- If going into a city, figure out ahead of time where there is a good parking lot on the outskirts and park there.
- If going to a small, historic town, park outside the town walls. You may be able to drive inside, but it is never worth it. There are always well signed parking lots outside the town centers.

I wouldn't say it's a nightmare to drive here; I was recently in Atlanta and have to say it was crazier there than what I experience as a norm here. But I tend to avoid driving in the larger cities; Rome has park and ride options at the metro stops so no reason to drive in.

There are so many places that are difficult to get to without a car but depends on the itinerary. We always did the city portions at the beginning and end of our trips so we wouldn't have to deal with a car for that part, picking it up for the more rural portion.

Gypsies and gangs of immigrants on the roads, I've never seen. In Rome around the buses and metros, we've encountered gypsies. And at the toll gates near Naples there are usually some guys roaming among the cars in line to pay their tolls, trying to sell junk, but that's about the extent of it (in my experience).

ZTL and traffic tickets -We actually have had more tickets from our travels in France than all the years here in Italy!

 

[Fedina]

We've been driving in Italy every trip for over 20 years and I would advise you not to feel stressed or scared. Lots of good advice already given above. Learn the basic rules before you go. Stay right except to pass. Learn where you can park, where to pay at a parking garage, how to pump and pay for your gas, etc. and stay calm! Yes, they'll probably be a couple of "moments" from time to time, but it truly can make your trip by allowing you to see and explore so much more.

We have also never seen a gang, but you do have to be aware of your surroundings especially in cities, even when walking or riding buses. But you have to do that in the US too. The biggest negatives are ZTL, as others have said, the bus lanes etc. in cities because they are often very poorly marked. As someone else said, prepare ahead and park and walk or don't drive in cities. Often your hotel staff can give you good advice about driving and parking in cities. We love driving the winding roads along the coasts, lakes and mountains. Have fun.

 

[Valerie]

Learn the basic rules before you go

True! If you go to this page and scroll down, there's a helpful Rules of the Road section to give you the basics!
http://www.summerinitaly.com/traveltips/