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Driving in Italy
Driving in Italy is difficult at best, terrifying at worst, but never be fazed, millions of Italians and tourists drive every day, so there is no reason that you cannot master it. The people in their first trip through Italy, they were nervous. The traffic seemed to move very fast, the cars behind you were right on your bumper, the road signs were confusing. By the second trip it was much easier.
The Italian drivers are fast and energetic, but experienced. You will not find those absent-minded drivers as in another countries. You must concentrate on your driving and be alert always. It works best when one person navigates and one concentrates only on driving.
Rules of the road are straightforward: drive on the right; at junctions, where there's any ambiguity, give precedence to vehicles coming from the right; observe the speed limits - 50kph in built-up areas, 110kph on country roads, 130kph on motorways (for camper vans, these limits are reduced to 50kph, 80kph and 100kph respectively); and don't drink and drive. Roundabouts can be tricky until you get the hang of them as cars entering the larger ones have right of way, unlike smaller ones, on which you give way to the right.
Speed limits on Italian roads are being enforced more than before. There are speed cameras set up in many places. If you are speeding, you may get the ticket months later. It will go to your car rental agency and they will pay it from the credit card you used with them. People on the message board have reported receiving tickets that cost over 100 Euro.
Driving in the city is difficult and parking is scarce or expensive, besides most cities in this country possess a good public transportation, so you do not need a car if you are staying in the cities. The train and bus systems are vast in Italy, so you can move between cities easily without a car. If your trip is only to the larger cities, you will not need a car. But if you want to explore the area, maybe you will need a car. Buses and trains to the smaller towns and villages are not frequent. If you rent a place in the countryside, you will need a car to go to the nearby towns and villages for supplies and to explore the place.
If you have an accident with your car, dial 116 at the nearest phone and tell the operator where you are, the type of car and your registration number, the nearest office of the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), the Italian national motoring organization, will be informed and they will send someone to fix your car - although it's not a free service and can work out very expensive if you need a tow. For peace of mind, you might prefer to join the ACI outright, and so qualify for their discounted repairs scheme (alternatively it might be easier to arrange cover with a motoring organization in your home country before you leave). Any ACI office in Italy can tell you where to get spare parts for your particular car.
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