Car rental in Italy

If there are no limits indicated on the road signs installed on certain sections, then while driving a car hired in Italy you should follow the standard speed limits.

If you park in the city centre, you will be obliged to pay a fine for violating the parking regulations. Penalties apply even if you are unaware of the specific parking rules in force at that time. Even a one-minute delay may result in a fine.
If the blood alcohol content level ranges from 0.5 ‰ to 0.8 ‰, the driver will be fined € 527 - 2,108.

For passenger cars:

• On a motorway - 110 km/h;
• While driving in a built-up area - 50 km/h;
• While driving outside a built-up area - 90 km/h;
• On a trunk highway - 130 km/h.

Remember that in wet weather the following speed limits apply: on trunk highways - 110 km/h, on motorways - 90 km/h. If you travel during the winter, you should take into account that cars equipped with snow chains may not exceed 50 km/h. The same limits apply to cars equipped with studded tyres.

You should follow the parking rules in the city centre very carefully. Many city parking zones have time restrictions. These restrictions vary depending on the day of the week, time of day or date (even or odd calendar days). When parking, it is necessary to check the operating hours applicable during your trip.

Parking zones are marked with different colours, which indicate the parking cost.

There are 3 types of parking zones in Italy:

The blue type means that payment should be made using blue discs (they can be purchased at travel agencies, banks, post offices, tobacco shops and vending machines);

The white type means a free parking area;

The yellow type means a parking area reserved for the owners of delivery vehicles and people with disabilities.

While driving a car in Italy, the permissible blood alcohol content level is 0.5%. If you exceed this limit, you will be subject to a strict system of penalties.

If your driving experience is less than 3 years and you are under the age of 21, then your blood alcohol content level must be 0.00%.

You should strictly observe the blood alcohol content limits, as they tightly regulate the physical condition of the driver.

The traffic regulations require the compulsory use of dipped headlights in bad weather conditions, outside built-up areas and when driving through any tunnel. Fog lights may be used only in case of severe snowfall or rain.

The Italian traffic rules strictly regulate the transportation of children, the use of mobile phones, the use of seat belts and compliance with the rules for entering restricted traffic zones.

If you need to fill up a booked car in Italy, remember that there is no leaded petrol at filling stations. Cars in Italy can be filled with unleaded petrol (95 and 98 octane) or with diesel fuel (Gasolio). It is permitted to transport no more than 10 litres of fuel in a can.

While driving along Italian trunk motorways, you will also come across LPG filling stations offering their services.

When starting your journey in a hired car in Italy, you should consider the cost of using the motorways. The toll charged for the use of Italian roads depends on the distance covered and the vehicle category. Passing through several tunnels may also be subject to a fee.

It is quite simple to calculate the toll yourself. To do this, the number of kilometres should be multiplied by the unit rate. Do not forget to add 20% VAT to the resulting amount. The final figure, obtained after these simple calculations, must be rounded up to 0.10 euros.

• Milan - Naples (A1) - 754 km - 52.20
• Turin - Trieste (A4) - 530 km - 41.00
• Naples - Salerno (A2) - 52 km - 2.00
• Turin - Aosta (A5) - 163 km - 22.50
• Milan - Genoa (A7) - 140 km - 9.70
• Lainate - Como (A9) - 27 km - 2.80
• Florence - Pisa (A11) - 98 km - 6.90
• Genoa - Rome (A12) - 486 km - 38.10
• Padova - Bologna (A13) - 98 km - 6.50
• Bologna - Taranto (A14) - 732 km - 49.30
• Brennero - Modena (A22) - 321 km - 21.90
• Turin - Bardonecchia (A32) - 92 km - 11.90

If you lease a car in Italy, you should remember that there are road sections with special tolls (different for each section).