Driving in Italy - Which Side of the Road?
 

Do Italians drive on the right side or the left side of the road?

On the right, the same as the rest of continental Europe, the US and Canada.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

And there are no speed limits on the major highways, so you can make very good time!<BR>Actually, now that I reflect on it, they actually drive on BOTH sides of the road, whichever is most convenient, in areas like the Amalfi Coast!!

Yes, Susan, we should drive on the right side and, really, often it happens so. Anyway, two sides allowed is better than one so that, in several places like Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula, we drive on both sides of the road. It is a good way to meet a friend, to shake a word, to ask an information, . . . to escape from the routine and the rules !<BR>Don't worry: keep the right side.<BR>Ciao e buon viaggio.

What a relief! Thank you for your answers.

Susan and Vincenzo--i think you would both enjoy the "Rules for Driving the Amalfi Coast" and responses that were posted last year. i will top them for you if i can find them.<BR>look in particular at Christina's third rule, which pretty much sums up driving in Italy. i'll bet Vincenzo agrees! <BR>Have a great time.

to the top<BR>

Susan: it is the right side but please be careful the italians are crazy drivers. I couldn't wait to leave.

It was our experience, at least in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, that Italians drive in the middle of the road until they see a car coming in the opposite direction and then they move over. I'm not kidding--it's a different mind-set than we Americans are used to. Passing is very different also. If you are on a two-lane road and attempt to pass, the cars around you will sort of look out for you and give you room to maneuver successfully. Takes a little getting used to, but once you understand it it makes driving easier.

And the road signs are in Italian, of course? Does that mean the names of towns like Lucca, Siena, Florence, etc, are spelled differently than we are expecting to see them? Is it difficult to drive if you don't know Italian?

The road signs are definitely in Italian, but the town names are the same as what you're expecting except for the larger cities whose names we English speaking people have taken into our language and Anglicized. Siena will be called Siena, Volterra will be Volterra, Lucca will be Lucca. If you just know the Italian names for the big cities like Florence, Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples, etc. (Firenze, Roma, Venezia, Milano, Napoli, etc.) the rest will be what you're expecting.<BR><BR>You might also want to see the reply I posted to the "Driving in Chianti" question. My reply there might frighten you a little, but, really, if I can do it, anyone can do it.