Driving in Italy
 

Greetings and Salutations,

I'm trying to help my family out on a trip in a couple of months. They have the lodging set, but friends have told them that driving is difficult, and they should either train, but or hire a guide to me either makes no sense logistically or is very costly unnecessarily.

What are your thoughts about driving in Italy including warnings about the ZTL areas?

Also are there any special must see places you would visit or dine in these destinations?

Orvieto
Chianti
Sienna
SanGimignano
Assisi
Perugia
Rome
Home

Thank you for any suggestions and thoughts on destinations/transportation/dining

Lookng_Glass

DRIVING IN ITALY & SOUTHERN EUROPE

Q. SHOULD WE DRIVE IN ITALY?
A. Of course you should if your driving skill & confidence would allow you to drive a rental car in Vermont, Colorado or California. But, be advised of these tips:
* Avoid driving in the major cities except for picking up or dropping cars
* Have good maps—study them in advance—and have a GOOD NAVIGATOR.
* Stay in the right lane except when passing and use your rear view mirrors

Q. WHAT CAR SHOULD I GET AND WHERE DO I GET IT?
A. It is best to rent your car before you leave for Europe. The best source we have found is www.autoeurope.com [800-223-5555] who is a broker for several car vendors. They will quote you prices to include the variables that are often omitted by others, such as unlimited mileage, mandatory insurance coverage with some deductibles, and VAT taxes. It is wise to compare prices and coverage with their sister company at www.kemwel.com. Autoeurope will match any comparable quote, and are famous for their customer satisfaction if problems do arise with the vendor. The best model will depend on your needs, but for best value we suggest you select a compact car with manual transmission. Automatics are available but will cost you about 30% more and may limit your model options & pick up locations.

Q. ARE ITALIAN DRIVERS AS CRAZY AS I HAVE HEARD?
A. Yes & no! They are certainly aggressive, but they are also more skilled than many USA drivers—both are a function of necessity. Italy is one of the most crowded countries in the world and the drivers have evolved these characteristics
* They are notorious tailgaters. If that bothers you, pull over and let them past.
* On the AUTOSTRADE they will drive fast, but will stay in the right lane except when passing and will use their blinkers when passing—YOU SHOULD TOO !
* They will often pass on 2-lane roads with traffic coming. Frankly, they expect you, and the oncoming car, to adjust to the shoulder and make 3 lanes of traffic.

OTHER ROAD TIPS FOR YOUR DRIVING SANITY:
1. Learn the meaning of the sign “ SENSO UNICO” and take heed [ONE WAY ].
2. Be sure to get your ticket when you enter the AUTOSTADA system & be prepared to pay the toll when you exit it [ rule of thumb—300 km=15 Euro]. You can use your credit card in the VIA lane at the toll both, or buy a debit VIACARD in advance.
3. Do NOT attempt to follow road numbers—that will frustrate you. But, do pay attention to the directional signs that point to your destination [ TO MONTALCINO]. And, be aware if that road leads eventually to a larger city [ ROMA—SIENA ETC.]
4. Unless you have a diesel car, you will want to fill the tank with benzina from the green pump. Most stations will pump gas for you and will take credit cards.

NOTE: As of 2005, an International Drivers Permit[IDP] is required in Italy.
You can obtain them from your local AAA office. You will need a valid US driver’s license, two passport photos, and $25. The photos can be taken at the AAA office.

Driving in Italy, especially Tuscany and Umbria is a blast and it is `required` to see some of the better towns efficiently.

Other thoughts; do not go anywhere near Florence or Rome with a car. Presuming your itinerary here is in and out of Rome and you are going to travel to Orvieto on your day of arrival to pick up your car all of the cities noted are either drivable or you have to park your car on the edge of town (San G), which is easier. Siena can be a bit of a challenge but, again, it is not too hard to navigate to a just outside the centre parking area and walk the rest of the way in. You have to do that in most places.

One thing you can do is plan your way in to each of Assisi, Perugia, and Siena - know where you want to park and know your route and just navigate straight to it. With a GPS it won`t be that difficult.

Driving is not at all difficult. Since you haven't mentioned what the "difficulty" might be it's hard to give further advice on this. Overall, I found Italians to be good drivers and courteous.

I would not drive in Rome nor in any other major city. In Siena and San Gimignano you park on the outskirts of the walled city/town and then walk in. Chianti is a region. In Assisi you can park on the street near the basilica; Orvieto has parking lots.

Depending on the base location, they could use public transportation but it may take much longer to get to where they're going. An exception would be visiting Siena from Florence - very easy on the bus.

<< are there any special must see places you would visit >>

You wouldn't visit many of these towns unless you have some idea of what there is to see. For instance, in Assisi the main attraction is the basilica and St. Francis's grotto but if they don't know about these things why would they choose to go to Assisi? In Rome there are too many "must see" places to elaborate and, as always, what people see is dependent on their interests.

>>>They have the lodging set, <<<

Where? Much of the list can easily be reached by train or bus, but if they are planning to stay in one place and travel to all these destinations, it's not practical.

We always use the toll free number when arranging Europcar rentals through Autoeurope.

In large cities like Florence and Rome, a car is a liability. Use trains instead.

Dine in Perugia at La Taverna, the guest of the very charming chef Claudio.

In Orvieto, stay at the Hotel Duomo, which has a garage. Try the gelateria to the left of the Cathedral. We've found this to be the most charming town in the area.

Agree that driving in Rome or Florence is not good. Otherwise, it is wonderful and necessary to explore the other areas. Only caveat would be to park outside of walled cities whenever possible, especially Perugia.

Thank you everyone! I am copy and pasting all this valuable information and opinions to convince them to just go for it!!!

Driving was not difficult in Italy but they do tailgate a lot. That's annoying but as long as you are in the right lane don't drive any faster than you feel comfortable, even if they are riding your bumper. They will go around.

GPS was very helpful for our month in Italy.

A great restaurant we loved in San Gim was Le Vecchie Mura, via Piandornella, 15, San Gimignano.

Here is the Trip Advisor review: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...o_Tuscany.html

Ate there both nights and loved it.

Don't plan on buying auto fuel on Sunday!

great headsup Ronz! thanks for the rec michele-d

"Don't plan on buying auto fuel on Sunday!"

I'm not sure that this is technically correct in that the service stations on the Autostrade have mostly been open, and those stations that aren't manned (and this often includes 12-4pm) will usually have prepaid pumps that accept banknotes.

Use GPS if you want - but do NOT even consider getting in a car without detailed road maps. GPS is TOO stupid at times - esp if there is accident, road work etc.

IMHO drivers in Italy are more skilled than in the US and take it more seriously. They expect you to e the same. I love driving there - but you must be confident and capable of driving and parking under the local circumstances. That includes either being comfortable with standard transmission or reserving an automatic and picking it up at an office large enough to have a decent selection of cars.

I agree nytrav - always travel with hard copies in case you lose gps

after searching the forums it seems that the preferred maps are michelin. consensus?

Agree that driving is a blast outside of the big cities. Been doing it since 98. Love the driving. Not the trains.
All good advice here, especially about Sunday fuel. Almost ran out one time. There are pay by card/banknote places, but instructions are in, that 's right, Italian! So can be confusing.
Stay on right except to pass. Don't drive as fast as the Italians. Slow down and enjoy the magnificent countryside.

agree with nytraveler--definitely get a good map. I think we had the Michelin. The one time we relied totally on the GPS, it took us into the walls of Perugia, up a street with a dead end on which we had to back out of and, with protruding walls in the dark, we had a fender bender.

Driving in Italy - the rule of the horn! IME

Be aware that most towns, regardless of size, now have a limited traffic zone, including every town on your list. Don't rely on GPS to direct you around the ZTLs. Most towns' ZTL maps are now available on the internet. Just Google.

In Assisi, visitors do not always walk out to the Eremo di San Francesco (referred to above as Saint Francis's grotto). As mentioned, it is more than worth visiting.

If they are walkers, perhaps they should include a walk out to the Rocca where the views are fantastic. There is a nice ring road for walking that skirts the town, and it is better for visiting the Rocca than climbing up through the steep streets of Assisi. Walking down is cool, walking up is a drag.

The interior of the Duomo in San Gimignano is heavenly; some of the greatest frescoes extant.

Finally, the National Gallery of Umbria, in Perugia, is one of the greatest small art museums in the world.

Neither the Duomo in SG or the NG in Perugia take that long to visit. If there are any art lovers in your family group, they really should not miss those two places.

In Sienna, the Duomo is a must, and inside the Duomo, the Piccolomini Library.