Normally a ticket is dispensed at the start and paid for on leaving the motorway.

All passengers are required to wear their seat belts and children under 10 must use the back seats. Roads are named with the prefix A and are numbered from 1: the A1 is the Autostrada 1. Motorways have emergency telephones located approximately every two kilometres. The entrance to a ZTL is marked by signs and cameras, which go easily unnoticed by tourists driving a car. .mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-unesco{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/WorldHeritageBlanc.svg")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-star{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-ftt{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Writing_Circle.svg/25px-Writing_Circle.svg.png")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-dotm{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Yes_Check_Circle.svg/25px-Yes_Check_Circle.svg.png")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-otbp{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Right_turn_icon_blue.svg/25px-Right_turn_icon_blue.svg.png")}. If you don't have an EU driving licence, you need an International Driving Permit in addition to your home driver's licence in order to drive. EU licences are automatically recognized. The actual rules in effect for each country take precedence over any data and information provided on this website. Fuel prices are in line with those in western Europe and considerably more expensive than in North America and Japan. Unfortunately, enforcement, although stronger than before, is still insufficient and drunk driving is still somewhat an issue. Italy has zero tolerance for new drivers. If you are caught doing more than 40km/h over the speed limit, you will be fined in excess of 500 and will receive an immediate driving ban from 1 to 3 months, leaving you on foot that very moment (you may reach the destination of your current journey). Flashing your headlights may be interpreted differently to the way you intend. The parking signage is very visual and is based on different coloured lines. Basically in any large city, you'll be better off parking your vehicle at a park-and-ride facility or somewhere in the outskirts and using public transport, which is reasonably reliable and quite cheap. Moreover, if a car satisfies the "Euro 4" pollution standards, it will be allowed to enter the city despite these restrictions.

All vehicles must use headlights at all times outside urban areas, including motorways. Trucks over 7.5 tonnes are not allowed on Italian roads (including motorways) on Sundays from 07:00-00:00. Do not reverse to move into another lane, even if you might see other locals doing it, unless the personnel or the police clearly instruct you to do so; reversing in toll stations is considered equivalent to reversing on the motorway and very heavily fined if you get caught. Most gas stations in smaller towns and villages close for lunch and all day Sundays. A subscriber is given a sensor to attach to the vehicle. The road signs arewhite with black text, except forstrada statale andstrada provinciale, which are blue with white text. Driving through those lanes (controlled by camera system) without the device will result in a fine and a payment of the toll for the longest distance. Its quite easy to reduce your carbon footprint when you are behind the wheel. The speed limits in Italy are similar to other countries in Europe.

As a foreigner, it will be better to stay on the safe side and respect limits and rules at all times, even when locals driving like crazy might lead you to think a certain speed limit or "no passing" sign was a mere suggestion: every now and then, those locals do encounter the police on their way. The driver will have to instruct the operator on the type of fuel and how much is required: Leaded fuel has not been available in Italy since January 2002. These connect directly to breakdown service supplied by theACI (Automobile Club d'Italia). Most petrol service stations in Italy are manned, meaning a pump operator will fill the car while the driver stays in their seat. Tourists renting a car will end up receiving one or more tickets months later at their homes, including additional fees for the paperwork needed to send the papers abroad. The tolerated limit is 0.50g/L in blood; being above this limit is a crime punishable by heavy fines, license revocation, jail time and even immediate confiscation of one's own vehicle in the most serious cases. TheTelepass is a subscriber toll pass service. It will help you feel better and your wallet will thank you too. The card is sold at banks, tobacconists, service stations and tollbooths. Most motorways are toll roads. Be on the look-out because many Italians seem to ignore this rule and will insist on an non-existent right of way just because they are going straight on or they are travelling on what they think is the main road, even if the intersection is actually completely unmarked. At most stations, only one type of 95-octane gasoline and one sort of diesel is available; some others also have premium gasoline and/or premium diesel types. Motorway (autostrade) directions are written on a green background while general highway signs (including those on the divided-carriageway, grade-separated superstrade) are on a blue background, and urban or local road signs are on a white one. Children under 12 years of age must use either an approved car seat or a seat booster, depending on the age. Fines are generally very expensive. At unmarked intersections, you are supposed to yield to any vehicle coming from your right. The issue of drunk driving has received a great deal of attention in the last years after a series of lethal accidents. The respective pumps are marked accordingly when you enter the gas station, and you are supposed to pull up to the pump according to the type of service you'd like. Tolls depend on the motorways and stretches; as a rough estimate, you should expect a toll between 0.06 and 0.12 for each kilometre. All motor vehicles in Italy must have insurance (assicurazione) for at least third party liability. If you booked an accommodation in a city centre and plan to reach it by car, you should check in advance if it lies within such a limited zone and if you are entitled to an authorization. So entering those zones without authorization might easily add up to a fine over 200. If you stop at an attendant-served pump, just wait and an attendant will pop out within seconds. As the traffic laws are a little different from those in the rest of Europe, be sure to follow them thoroughly. Signposts used in Italy are patterned according to EU recommendations and use mostly pictographs (not text). Lane markings in multi-lane roundabouts are systematically ignored and virtually all motorists will "cut off" while negotiating the roundabout and again when exiting, of course without signalling. The data on the Going abroad section of this website are provided purely for information purposes only and the Commission does not assume any liability for this content or its accuracy. A driver who has held their licence for three years or less must not exceed 100 Km/h on motorways and 90 Km/h on trunk roads and main highways. At times, road signs will remind you of the presence of this system. National authorities in the countries concerned have provided this information according to Article 8(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/413/EU. Many Italians use an electronic pay-toll device, and there are reserved lanes marked in Yellow with the sign "Telepass" or a simply "T". TheViacard toll pass-card provides reduced toll rates and allows holders to pass quickly through designated priority lanes. The pollution in a number of Italian cities, particularly in the North (Turin and Milan), gets so bad that the authorities elect to suspend traffic. Article 8(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/413/EU, 80 km/h for vehicles up to 12 t. 70 km/h for vehicles over 12 t, 100 km/h for vehicles up to 12 t. 80 km/h for vehicles over 12 t. Speeding on the autostrade is nowadays far less common than in the past because of sensibly strengthened control in the last years. Some have toll stations giving you access to a whole section (particularly the tangenziali of Naples, Rome, and Milan, for example), but generally, most have entrance and exit toll stations; on those motorways, you need to collect a ticket upon entrance and your toll amount will be calculated upon exit depending on the distance covered. Many Italians don't take road markings too seriously (a few of them don't even seem to notice there are any road markings), which can be odd if you come from north of the Alps. Unless different limits are posted, general speed limits are: Italian laws allow a 5% (minimum 5km/h) tolerance on speed limits.

Be very careful with Zone a Traffico Limitato or ZTLs (Limited Traffic Zones) [dead link] They are restricted areas in many medium-sized and large Italian cities, mostly but not only in the historical centres, where only authorized vehicles are permitted. Most times, the minor roads at those intersections will have a "give way" sign, but sometimes they don't, which is both confusing, because you never know if the crossing road has a sign or is unmarked, and dangerous because you might expect the vehicle coming from your left to let you pass while it will assume you have a "give way" sign and will carry on travelling like a bullet. At many service stations, there is a considerable price difference between self-service filling (self-service) and having an attendant do it (servito). The minimum driving age in Italy is 18. Motorway service centres remain open. Due to agreement with other countries, if you're foreigner, you'll pay also extra cost for locating you in your country. For other drivers, the maximum blood alcohol level permitted is 0.5 g/l (50 mg/ml). Posted signs inform you of the speed limit. Usually, they alternate odd and even plates (dispari/pari) in the city, so that not everybody is affected: only drivers of cars with an "allowed" plate number for that day will be permitted to drive into the city. Don't lose your entrance ticket, for if you do, it will be assumed you have entered the motorway at the farthest station from your exit and be charged the maximum toll possible. Of course, it must be valid during your trip. Every motorway is identified by an A followed by a number on a green backdrop. A vehicle coming in the opposite direction flashing repeatedly might warn you about a danger or a police car/checkpoint further on the road (although this practice is forbidden).

Most petrol stations will take payment by credit card but in rural areas, small garages will only accept cash. After hours, petrol can be bought and payment can be made in notes or with a European bankcard at specified automatic self-service petrol pumps (although these are rarer in the less-developed south of the country). There are a number of automatic and almost invisible systems to punish speeding and hazardous driving, also Italian Highway Patrol (Polizia Stradale) operates several unmarked cars equipped with very advanced speed radars and camera systems. There is a fixed charge per kilometre (the rate varies depending on the vehicle type). Several sections of the Italian Highways are equipped with an automatic system called Tutor with automatic license plate recognition, which checks the average speed of all vehicles over a road stretch. While chances of getting caught are admittedly not terribly high, you really don't want all of this to happen to you. Tunnels link Italy with France and Switzerland:Tunnel du Frejus and the Mont Blanc Tunnel link Italy and France in the Alps and theTunnel Gran San Bernardino crosses the border to Switzerland. When the car passes through a tollgate, the amount due for the journey is logged and automatically debited from a specified account. your credit card can't be read), press the assistenza button and wait for an operator to help you - be prepared to have to pay your toll in cash if problems persist. Motorway (highway or freeway road network) signs are green with a white text. Anyone driving with the "wrong" plate number for that day is liable to a fine. A national driving licence is sufficient for driving in each country of the European Union, including Italy. Non-resident drivers of vehicles with foreign registration are required either to pay their fines on the spot if they accept it, or to pay a deposit on the spot if they intend to appeal afterwards; either way, you must pay something immediately and the police won't hesitate to escort you to the nearest ATM to withdraw the cash you need. All the blue lanes (marked "Viacard") of toll stations are automatic machines accepting major credit cards as well as pre-paid cards (called Viacard) that are for sale at service stations along the motorway or for instance at several tobacconists' in cities. Traffic in large Italian cities is really heavy and finding a parking spot can vary from a challenging to an impossible enterprise at times, so driving in Italian large cities is not advisable unless you really need to. When on a timetable, use the autostrade - marked in green - where available and avoid using the general highways - marked in blue - for long distances (unless they are the divided-carriageway, grade-separated superstrade). On some special occasions (such as an important soccer game) the restriction might be temporarily suspended. Using a Telepass removes the need to stop at the toll; the car can slow down allowing for a reading to be taken and the barrier will open. Flashing your lights may be understood either as a request to give way or as an invitation to go first, depending on the situation. This especially occurs in large cities at night time, when traffic lights at some intersections are switched off. The limit for drivers under 21 years of age or less than 3 years of driving experience or professional drivers is zero. Many tourists every year report being fined (about 100) for entering a ZTL unknowingly. White lines designate free parking areas, blue lines are for paid parking and yellow lines determine reserved parking. As much as 75 percent of Italy is mountainous; someautostrade have long tunnels and bridges. There is a fair amount of confusion in Italy about the correct behaviour in large roundabouts; you should exercise caution there, expect vehicles entering, turning and exiting at any time without signalling and never travel side by side with other vehicles in a roundabout assuming the other will respect the lane markings. On multi-lane roads, you should always be wary of vehicles on other lanes invading your lane in curves.

If youre planning a trip to Italy soon and you intend to explore the country in a rental car from Europcar, learn the specifics of driving in Italy now. As of December 2016, prices were about 1.65/L for gasoline and 1.53/L for diesel. https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Driving_in_Italy&oldid=4479541, Articles without Wikipedia links (via Wikidata), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 110km/h on divided, grade-separated highways marked with blue motorway signs at the entrances, called. You can ask Italian authorities for a duplicate if it gets lost or stolen. Motorbikes must drive with headlights on at all times everywhere. If you have problems with the machine (e.g. To obtain a formal recognition of your driving licence (adeguamento or tagliando di riconoscimento) you will need to pass a medical examination. 90km/h general speed limit on highways and roads outside urban areas; 50km/h in urban areas - an urban area beginning with a white sign with the town/city name written in black, and ending with a similar sign barred in red. The motorway toll system (pedaggio) charges for each journey. Also, the renting companies may charge 15-50 to give the driver details to the police. These restrictions do not apply to those granted an exception, such as trucks transporting perishable goods and fuel supplies. The coverage of this system is being extended to more and more motorways. Autostradas have a speed limit of 130 Km/h, but drivers who only possess A-category licences may only drive at a maximum speed of 100 Km/h for their first three years. Italy has a well-developed system of motorways (autostrade) in the North, while in the South it's a bit worse for quality and extent. If virtually all vehicles around you seem to behave, scrupulously driving at the speed limit or even a bit below, this is a good hint that some kind of enforcement system is in operation on that road. WebsiteAutostrada.it has information about the length, cost and facilities available for each journey, as well as about traffic conditions and estimated journey times. These coloured lines each have a specific meaning. Thus, the speed limits to follow are 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 130 km/h (80 mph) on motorways. While the toll on the autostrade can be rather expensive, they significantly decrease your travel time, whereas general roads can be annoyingly slow since they are heavily used by local traffic, can be clogged with trucks, can feature lots of roundabouts or traffic lights and will often run through towns and villages without bypasses. Much like a telephone card, the user buys usage by paying a fixed amount which allows for a certain distance to be covered, monitored and deducted each time the card is swiped at a toll gate. On the other side, general roads often offer breath-taking scenery and should be your first choice if you are not in a rush and want to explore the real nature of the country.