Joelleinitaly04

At first we would wait for an Italian to cross the street and cross with them. Then I watched how they do it and discovered ...if you walk out there, they will stop. You just have to take a leap of faith. It was really quite amazing. I actually trust Italian motorists to stop better for pedestrians in the middle of the street than in Sioux City Iowa.

Joelle

nytraveler

All of the above have given very good advice. If you are still petirifed about major streets you can in fact cross only at the lights. The problem is that they are few and far between - you may have to walk 7/8 blocks out of your way to find a traffic light - and unless you hang out into the street it's hard to know which way the nearest light is.

I can only reiterate - look confident and step right out - no one really wants to hit you - even though it may look like it!

Travelnut

I read a book about Italy where the author said when walking in Rome, he only made "right turns" because he was afraid to cross the street. The other comment was that Roman drivers might hit you by accident, whereas Parisian drivers would "on purpose" (he was being humorous, of course).

WillTravel

I had no difficulties with traffic in Paris, and drivers seemed amazingly accommodating to pedestrians who were running lights. So I'm presuming Rome isn't even in the same category when it comes to pedestrian comfort.

TrendGirl

You presume correct!
Crossing the streets in Rome is much more INTENSE then Paris.
Make sure you keep drinking the expresso and coffee in Rome so you stay alert and move quickly across the streets.Crossing the busy streets in Rome is one of the things you will always remember from your trip.

kismetchimera

I remember once when I was visiting Frankfurt..
I started crossing the street when suddenly the light changed..
The drivers started at high speed coming toward me, without any intentions to slow down..

I never leaped backward so high toward the sidewalk, I felt like a big bird flying high, I knew that probably they would not stop..just because their light turned green..

I grew up in Rome, I know about traffic, but I also know that nobody would run over me..

Shanna

Okay - here are the facts. Drivers will be uterly foreign to you as an American. Do not meander down the road. Do not meander thru the parking lot. Do not meander anywhere. Find the SHORTEST ROUTE: the traffic will avoid you. Do not try to avoid the traffic. Go from A to B, the shortest route, cross at the SHORTEST route; the trafic will avoid you. How much much more can I say about that. Do not try to avoid traffic. You are the PEDESTRIAN; you have the RIGHT OF WAY; the traffic will AVOID YOU if you follow the most simple of rules: Shortest route. A driver can discern the shortest route; they can't discern your meandering.

ozgal

When we were in Rome a taxi driver gave us a good piece of advice "Remember that here in Rome the traffic lights are only a suggestion. Of course in Naples they are just a decoration"

Garfield

Cross with the locals, keep them between you and the vehicles, keep moving.

ira

>We saw a pedestrian step off the curb, evenly and slowly stride across the pavement as cars,... cut in and out, all around him. <

If he had hesitated for an instant, he would have been turned to mush.

degas

ira, thanks - now I know what that funny looking stuff was on the busy streets.

leisa

damn straight ira !

never mind Rome .... it's a walk in the park compared to Naples ! On the first day of our first visit (after LIVING in Rome) we had a small crowd of children in fits, laughing at our attempts to cross at an incredibly busy intersection ... we also ended up in a fit of giggles and gave up !

corbow

If my DH and I ever go to Italy, we'll never get across the street--he practically waits for the cars to come to a complete stop before he steps off the curb.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in having followed a religious figure across the street; more than 30 years ago, my mother and I couldn't get across a street in Naples until a priest came along and we scuttled across in his footsteps.

capo

WillTravel, here's what I discovered, in Rome anyway. While it was intimidating the first few times to cross the street with cars seeming to hurtle at you, the drivers have a clue and basically pace themselves to pass by you as you cross. But if you freak out and freeze, or backtrack, that kind of mucks up their pacing; they'll have to slam on their brakes or swerve and that will affect other cars behind them. I found, on two trips to Rome that, without fail, if I just continued across without pausing cars that looked like they were headed right at me zipped by as I strode forward. The girlfriend I was with, on my first visit to Rome, was even more initimidated by this at first but once she got the hang of it she was fearless and it still brings a smile to my face to think about her courageously crossing even the most busy street.

I'm not suggesting this system is mistake-proof. I'm sure accidents do happen and it is unnerving the first few times. But once I saw how the system works, it gave me confidence. Give me aggressive but heads-up drivers any day over non-aggressive but clueless drivers.

rockhead

Trying to cross the street in Rome at a crosswalk was one of the higlights of our trip. Across from Piazza Venezia, right in front of Vittorio Emmanuele Monument, where the road curves around. Drivers playing chicken with the pedestrians. Whoever flinches first loses. We didn't have the nerve. And I grew up in New York City. Finally we figured it out...always keep a local pedestrian between you and the oncoming traffic. Find a confident looking one starting to stride into traffic, fall in a half step behind and shielded by their body from the oncoming cars, motorcycles, etc. It works every time. Not as bad at intersections with traffic lights...but look out for the last few drivers sneaking through after the light turns red. Also, Florence was a piece of cake after Rome. I think partly because downtown Florence didn't have as many multi-lane streets where the traffic can get up to a good speed.

francophile03

I did what Judy did: cross the street with a local!

Joelleinitaly04

"Also, Florence was a piece of cake after Rome."

See, now my experience was different. After boldly crossing streets without lights in Rome and cars stopping or missing me, my experience in Florence was that drivers were much less likely to stop and if they did, they honked and looked annoyed.

Joelle

jlmurdo1

I was worried before we went to Rome too, but you get the hang of it pretty fast. Like everyone has said, just look confident. There isn't always locals or even a group of tourists to follow behind, so you have to learn to just look for what could possibly pass as a break in traffic (a car is 10 feet behind the one in front of it instead of 2)and go. We thought it was kind of fun. Remember too, that lots of times the scooters don't stop at lights, so even if you're at an actual intersection w/ lights, don't wait for all of the traffic to stop when their light is red. If you don't go they will just keep on going.

l_jackson95814

At home I am a chronic jaywalker. In Florence, my boyfriend is always gasping when I walk into an intersection, he is sure that I will end up in the hospital from getting hit by a car. The bottom line is be assertive and do not hesitate. Some intersections are better than others.

platzman

This is a great thread.
You won't find this kind of practical advice in guidebooks (none that I know of). And having been there many times, the advice is right on.