Joe18

What's driving like in Italy? Specifically, we're thinking of going from Florence to San Gimignano or perhaps Arezzo or Assisi. We've rented cars in England, Ireland, and Provence without trauma, but an Americo-Italian friend has warned us about driving in Tuscany. I'd like to hear from folks who have had experience.

Joe

sundriedtopepo

What exactly is it that is so scary about Tuscany? The really big pain is the ZTL in Florence. You can drive in if your hotel is there, and gives your license number to the police, so you can proceed to their parking garage. But it's just so nerve wracking it's not worth the hassle, as you will get fined if you take too long or get lost and go in the wrong direction, easy to do in Florence.

We usually train into Florence, stay a few days, then rent a car and go stay in the country for a few more nights to do day trips.

Most towns have ZTL's but you can park outside of town and walk in.

Other than the ZTL's -limited traffic zones- if you have driven in Europe, then you should be fine in Tuscany.

If you're 35, and tech savvy, then research ZTL's and go for it.

sundriedtopepo

I must qualify that last statement because I see from your other post that you are staying in Florence.

michelhuebeli

There are differences in the driving cultures among countries, and it takes a moment to suss out what the deal is when in a new place.

At the risk of generalizing, Italy's drivers tend to go quickly but also with an uncanny sense of flexibility and reaction to what's coming. You rarely see someone insisting on "their" lane like Americans do - an Italian is more likely to speed up or take the foot off the brake when faced with a lane-changer, rather than leaning on the horn and not letting the other drive in.

But not for long - make your move speedily or you've missed your chance, so be on top of your game and react assertively, it is expected of you. The one word that sums it up best is "fluid".

That said, there's no reason why you can't drive there, as long as you keep in mind the narrow and often confusing streets in historic city centers and the dreaded ZTL.

michelhuebeli

That should have ben, of course, "foot off the gas"... But you knew that.

ANUJ

We rented a car in Italy in September, and spent a week driving around Tuscany. No reason to be worried about it - the country roads can be narrow but you want to be driving leisurely and soaking in the glorious views anyway. For most towns, you will find parking lots outside the city / ZTL area - in Florence we rented only when leaving and from the airport to avoid the pitfalls of driving in the town.

greg

To get an idea of ZTL, more than just one liner treatments like "just park outside ZTL", "you can easily avoid ZTL", etc. here is a common way a tourist get snagged.

Look at this photo:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7766...2!8i6656?hl=en

You have been driving around trying to find a parking space. You see a Parking sign and a car in front of you is turning. You might think it is safe to follow this car towards the parking lot. But alas, you need to recognize, within a fraction of second that this is a ZTL. Do you see a ZTL sign? Do you see that the Parking has a qualifiers, "with ZTL access?" Unless you are a speed reader of Italian, you would probably missed the wording.

If you miss the hints, you proceed and see this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7765...2!8i6656?hl=en

There are two indications of ZTL here. But if you are paying attention to the speed limit and the pedestrians, or following a bus or a truck blocking these signs you might have missed both ZTL warnings.

If you look closely at one of the ZTL warning, you see a little size kick box above with video coax cables going into them. What do you do with coax cables? Of course, to take picture of registration plates for those entering the ZTL barriers.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7765...2!8i6656?hl=en

Dukey1

I've driven in Italy several times. I've rented cars in Florence and never had any problems with these "zones" as described above. I've driven all over Tuscany and I'm here posting. You figure it out.

dfourh

Fluid is a good description. In smaller, tighter spots, whoever gets the nose in first tends to have the right of way, so it might feel a bit 'pushy' but people are respectful and it is not at all aggressive.

I rented a bike and rode around central Rome and drivers were very courteous. Although it can seem hectic, Italians drive efficiently, drive well, and it all works out.

bvlenci

I've lived in Italy for almost 20 years, and drive all over the rural areas. Driving is not difficult here. The main problems are people who cut curves (very dangerous), people who tailgate, and (yes, I'm not joking) very slow drivers who totally ignore stop and yield signs. Italy has a very elderly population, especially in the rural areas, and a lot of people got their licenses 60 years ago, when the tests were ridiculously easy. Then there are the farmers who slow down at every field to take a good look at the crop. And people who stop right in the middle of a carriageway to have a chat with a friend. (They think that if they put on their four-way blinkers they can stop everywhere.)

To sum it up, the description of flexibility and speedy reactions doesn't exactly meet my experience.

Another thing is that my husband and I do not drive in any larger cities unless we know them very well, and even then we sometimes get afoul of the ZTLs. Once in Bologna, we followed a bus into a ZTL; the sign was obscured by the bus, a situation mentioned by Greg above. Fortunately, the bus probably obscured our license plate number from the camera, because we never got the ticket.

Another time, we strayed into a new ZTL in Ancona, a city we know very well. Fortunately there were no cameras yet, but a policeman stopped us, and had pity on us because the ZTL was very new.

Finally, this is not us, but a story we saw in the newspaper. A nurse, I think in Rimini, got a new job, and drove through a ZTL twice a day, for several months before the first ticket arrived.

The larger cities in Italy are very well connected by train. There are direct trains from Florence to both Assisi and Arezzo. You can get to San Gimignano by bus, changing in Poggibonsi. (You can also get to Poggibonsi by train.) If those are the only places you might visit, a car wouldn't be necessary, and might even be a nuisance.

If you do rent a car, and are staying in Florence, I would stay outside any of the ZTL zones, in a hotel that has its own parking, and in an area where there is easy access to the road out of town, and no chance of passing through a ZTL. We go to Florence fairly often, but wouldn't dream of going with our own car.

rbciao47

We just spent time in Tuscany this past October with a car and the driving habits were not too different than driving here in the USA. As mentioned above, the Italian drivers do not own the passing lane like American drivers. They use it to pass the move to the right. When they do pass you the drive close to you, then go into the passing lane, and then immediately pull in front of you once their right rear fender inches past your left front fender, but this would be on the Autostrada.

However, I've driven the Amalfi Coast 3 times and they were "white knuckle death grip on the steering wheel adventures." Also, my family is from Calabria and the farther south you go driving laws become only suggestions.

it's been our experience that the driving habits depend on what part of Italy you are driving in.

Buon viaggio,

vincenzo32951

I've driven all over Italy, and it's not a big deal. The only place I won't drive is the Amalfi Coast. It's not just that it's scary; it's that it so requires your full attention and concentration that it's simply not enjoyable.

If you're a confident driver, you'll be fine.

Joe18

Thanks for the responses. I may have missed this, but what is a ZTL?

sundriedtopepo

Joe18 it's the Limited Access Zone in the historical district of Italian cities and towns. You are not allowed to drive in the ZTL except in certain circumstances.

It is possible to get a map of the ZTL zone for example in Florence, online, which is what we did in order to drive into the city to return our rental car. I mapped out the exact path ahead of time, and we went into the city early so as to avoid the traffic.

IN all our driving around Italy, we have never yet got a ticket.

sundriedtopepo

Auto Europe car rental provides some info regarding ztl

http://www.autoeurope.ca/go/italy-ztl-zones/

carolsc

If you can drive in Ireland, Italy will be a piece of cake!! Really.

carolsc

dfourh

One other technicality: if you don't have a drivers license from an EU country, Italy requires that you have an international driver's license or certified translation of your domestic drivers license.

I've rented and driven without one, but the rental agency at Rome FCO airport never asked for one, and I was never stopped by police, and didn't know any better. Apparently you can get a fat fine without one.

http://www.adcidl.com/drivers-licens...-highways.html

bvlenci

<i> If you can drive in Ireland, Italy will be a piece of cake!! Really. </i>

I don't understand this. I've driven in both countries and don't see a big difference. Do you mean because they drive on the left in Ireland?

carolsc

Bvlenci....both because of driving on the left side and the incredibly narrow roads. As mostly a passenger, I didn't feel the stress in Italy like I did in Ireland. ��

carolsc

Alec

Another thing about ZTL is that it's easy to encroach it just by following a car in front. What we don't know is that the car in front may be locally registered and is allowed to drive in to access their premises, garage etc, or a municipal car with special permit. Also the hours of operation can vary according to days of the week - all in tiny letters in Italian. I have seen out-of-town Italian drivers stopping their car and reading the sign, then driving on or making a U-turn. Another thing to remember is having parking spaces with ticket machine doesn't mean it's outside ZTL, as they may be meant for service vehicles and others with permission (to drive into ZTL, not to park free).