Dick

Although this was taken in Montepulciano, there are many similar sighns throughout Italy.

It may be confusing ..but it adds to the whole driving experience.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/296007/signs2.jpg

StCirq

A good example of why people rightly believe signage is superior in many parts of Europe to that in the USA. You certainly could argue they've got just about everything you might be looking for covered!

SeaUrchin

Also a good reason to have a sharp-eyed navigator in the car. When there were four of us driving in Tuscany seeing signs like this led to a good-natured scream fest, everyone shouting at once telling me, the driver, which way to go. Good thing we were all good friends.

HowardR

Dick, that photo brought bakc memories of some all-too-frequent experiences in Italy!
My favorite is still the sign in Assisi at an intersection which directed you in three ways--left, straight ahead and right--to the same duomo!

LeCanard

Ah ah ah , really funny and undoubtly frequent.
Anyway : blue and green (toll highways) are road directions; white are for city services (schools, local police, library etc), brown, tourist points of interest.
Yellow : commercial scams.

maitaitom

Signs like that are why I drive and my wife navigates. She's amazing at picking out our destination from all the clutter and stays calm (which helps the driver...me).

SeaUrchin, your comments about having four people in the car bring back funny memories from our 2001 trip with another couple. My friend's wife was a bit obssesive/compulsive about the maps and became flustered a few times early in the trip. Finally her husband took the map from her and said, "Let Tracy (my wife) handle directions, and you can tell Tom all about the beautiful scenery out your side of the window." It was fortunate we were all close friends.

Dick

My wife was the navigator.

Looking for towns or specific parking lots could be tricky.

Following the green signs to the AUtostrada was "almost easy"

Lewis

We just got back from there and I remember that sign!! I was the navigator and my wife was driving at the time. We both screamed when wqe saw that!! I wish I had taken that picture.

GSteed

USA System is also confusing. Federal parks may have one number and the state or county another. There is often a local name for the road. Given directions may be accurate but they don't match the signs. Polish streets are hard to follow as the name changes every kilometer or so.

grimmy

Here's another one.

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_my_p_i...igns_1nl34.htm

Dick

Lewis,

I don't think you could have taken the picture from a car.

I was on foot....and when there was a break in traffic, I stood in the middle of the street to take the picture while my wife was my "lookout"

Bashaw

A great photo! I have a similar one I took in Wisconsin. What are the brown signs? My guess is attractions...

capo

Thanks for the photo Dick. It sure brings back memories, both amusing and frustrating.

We generally didn't have a difficult time spotting the signs for the autostrada since they're in green.

What we did have trouble with was spotting signs for the various portes around Siena. I would've thought that these would've been important enough destinations to merit signs that would really stand out but that didn't seem to be the case.

Dick

Bashaw,

Yes..the brown signs are for attractions, hotels, restaurants, etc.

I had to drop the resolution on the photo since the original pic file was too large for posting (over 2.5mb.

In the original the signs are very clear.