Its excellent road conditions and highway network makes Italy an ideal country to discover by car. Here is a brief guide we have prepared to help you ease your trip.
Driving in Italy is on the right-hand side of the road and you should overtake from the left. Horns must be used in moderation, and honking is prohibited in built-up areas unless there is an emergency. Dipped headlights must be used on two-lane motorways at all times.
Speed LimitSpeed limits for cars and motorbikes (vehicles with engine size over 150 cc) depend on the types of roads, and are of:
- 50 km/h (31 mph) in urban areas
- 90 km/h (56 mph) on minor out-of-town roads
- 110 km/h (68 mph) on major out-of-town roads
- 130 km/h (81 mph) on motorways.
In the event of rain on snow, the limit is lowered to 110 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on trunk roads.
Traffic SignsTraffic signs in Italy follow the general European conventions and can be basically sorted into four types: regulatory signs, warning signs, information signs and direction signs.
Regulatory Signs
Italian regulatory signs mostly feature a circular shape, with some exceptions.
 Give Way |  Stop and Give Way |  Stop, Pay Toll |  Stop, Police Roadblock |  No U-turn |  No Overtaking |  Maximum Speed 30 km/h |
Warning signs
In Italy, warning signs are in regular triangular shape with red border and white background.
 Uneven Road |  Pedestrian Crossing Ahead |  Wild Animals |  Level Crossing With Barriers or Gates Ahead |  Level Crossing Without Barriers or Gates Ahead |
Information Signs
Italian information signs are usually rectangular with blue or brown background.
 Tunnel |  Hospital |  First Aid |  Youth Hostel |
Direction Signs
Direction signs in Italy feature a rectangular shape with different background colors to indicate the type of road that is being directed to, which is: green for motorways, white for urban roads and blue for the others.
 Motorway Direction |  Primary or Secondary Road Direction |  Urban Area Direction |
Seatbelt LawsAll passengers both in front and rear seats are required to wear a seat belt in Italy. Failure to do will result in a fine from €40 to €70.
Booster Seat LawsRegardless of the weight or age of the children, all children under 150cm must use a UN R44/R129 approved child car seat.
Parking· Permitted Parking
Parking spots in large cities in Italy can be difficult to find. Try to look for paid parking signs and parking metres to pay and park properly.
White lines on the parking lots mean free parking. In many towns, free parking is allowed in certain time frames and is indicated by a parking sign nearby. You will need to display a parking disc behind the windshield. However, in big cities like Florence, free parking spots are for residents only. In Rome and Milan, such parking lots may be free and open to both residents and tourists as long as you follow the instructions of the parking signs.
Parking in yellow zones is only permitted for taxis, official vehicles or disabled people who have a disabled permit or a European Blue Card.
Parking places with pink lines or a pink parking sign are used to serve expectant mothers and women with infants for both residents and short-term visitors. Although local police cannot really check whether these parking spots are taken by particular drivers, most Italians still respect the rules and will not take up these spots unless there is an emergency.
· Paid Parking
In most Italian cities and towns, blue lines indicate paid street parking. Follow the parking signs to pay and park within the permitted time frame. If no dispenser machines can be found near the parking areas, try asking the tobacco shop or news stands nearby.
· Forbidden Parking
In Italy, parking signs feature some words telling you when and where to park.
Accompanied Italian wordings -- “Passo Carrabile” means you are not allowed to park at all times.
Otherwise, certain time frames will be provided together with the “No Parking” and parking signs to indicate prohibited and permitted parking time.
Parking illegally in Italy will result in a car clamping or towing away as well as a fine.
Fuel PricesThe average price for gasoline price in Italy was 1.57 Euros per litre in January 2018, while diesel was 1.44.
TollTolls are only required when driving on most of the highways. Highways in Italy are marked with the letter A followed by a number in a green octagon.
When entering a toll road, you will receive a ticket from a machine with a sign “Bigliette” standing nearby. Keep this ticket carefully when you are on the highway.
When you reach the exit, lanes marked by different colours mean that there are different ways to pay, namely: Telepass, credit card or cash.
Telepass is an electronic toll device connected to your Italian bank account, allowing you to pass through without stopping and serving very much alike with the Electronic Tolling System you may find in other countries. It most suits the local drivers.
To pay by credit card, you should provide the ticket you have collected at the entrance and insert it into the auto-collecting machine and then pay with your credit card.
Have a look at this local highway site to calculate the toll fees you may be charged with in Italy.
Note that if you fail to pay the toll in Italy while driving a rented car, the authorities will pass on the infringement information to the car hire company, which will usually add some management fees. However, as not every car hire company can pay your unpaid tolls on your behalf, you are sometimes required to pay for it on your own on the local highway website by entering the notice number. And you are always welcomed to contact QEEQ’ 24/7 customer support team to assist you with this matter.
DUI LawsIn Italy, drink driving will be treated as severe infringement. The BAC for regular drivers is 0.05% (50mg per 100ml). Breaching 50mg and to 80mg per 100ml will result in a fine between €500 and €2,000 as well as a 3 to 6 months' licence suspension. From 80mg to 150mg, the fine will goes up and from €800 to €3,200, with 6 to 12 months’ licence suspension, or even up to 6 months imprisonment in extreme circumstances.
Traffic FinesReceiving a speeding ticket can be quite often especially for international travellers or short-term visiting drivers. Speed cameras are set up in many places, in big cities as well as small towns, and it is very easy to miss the notice that you have entered into a 50km per hour zone.
Speeding fines in Italy depend on the amount you are over the speed limit, ranging from €41 up for 10km/h to €828 for more than 60km/h. Paying within 5 days after the citation is issued can result in a 30 percent discount.
Note that if you are renting a vehicle in Italy, the unpaid speeding infringement information will be passed onto the car hire company by the authority. In this case, the car hire company will charge you for an additional administrative fee if it is eligible to collect on behalf of the authority.
· The Limited Traffic Zones
Most of the central areas in major Italian cities and towns have Limited Traffic Zones (called Zona Traffico Limitato or ZTL in Italian) for which entrances are usually marked with no vehicle traffic signs and supplementary signs explaining the times of the ban and which categories are excluded. The entrances of the ZTLs are mostly located at crossings, traffic lights or roundabouts and monitored by cameras that register the transiting vehicles.
Use the above sign as an instance. This sign indicates you are not allowed to drive into this area between 7:30 to 19:30 from Monday to Saturday. The crossed hammers on the sign mean these restrictions do not apply on Sunday and holidays. Driving and acting on a safe side is always recommended if you are sure about what exactly the sign indicates.
Fines will be incurred when failing to follow the regulations of the ZTLs and the amount of fine can range from 50 to 150 Euros, varying by city.
To avoid ticketing from the ZTLs, we would recommend the following measures:
- Park your car outside the historical centre of Italian cities and use the public transportation to get there.
- Get a passing certificate from a grocery store and send your plate number and identification number of the passing certificate to the Provincial Office of Motor Vehicles (Ufficio Provinciale della Motorizzazione Civile, UMC) via mobile messages. Each passing certificate costs €5 and is valid for one day.
- Find the “ZTL Parking” lot after entering the ZTL within 20 minutes and your plate number will be taken off the record automatically or manually (note the parking fee is costly).
- Go to the hotel’s front desk and ask them to help to take off your record from the policy if you are staying in a hotel within a ZTL.
- Or just simply avoid the ZTLs by using Google Map or any other navigation soft wares.
Q1.What is an insurance excess？
Q2. How can I add an addtional driver?
Q3.What if I want to pick up or drop off my rental car out of office hours?
Q4. Can I take the hired car to another country or cross border?
Q5. Can I pick up my car at one location and return it at different location?
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Customer Service
April 10, 2025
Destination: Milan
All was good, They have many vans shuttling to the terminal, clearly noticed with the logo
View moreApril 9, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very efficient and friendly service. Guys very helpful. Very fast and good choice of cars.
View moreApril 9, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very professional staff, very helpful and timely service.
View moreApril 8, 2025
Destination: Florence
Very good.
View moreApril 8, 2025
Destination: Milan
I was an hour late, but had no issues picking up the car. The staff explained that additional insurance coverage was not necessary, and there were no other sales pitches. Any existing damage to the vehicle was clearly marked on the pickup form.
View moreApril 8, 2025
Destination: Rome
The insurance purchased on the ZUZUCHE platform is not visible at overseas counters. As a result, the counter considers there to be no insurance, forcing the purchase of local insurance and other fees, totaling over 400 euros.
View moreApril 7, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very satisfied! Super friendly staff.
View moreApril 7, 2025
Destination: Milan
It's good, pretty decent.
View moreApril 7, 2025
Destination: Palermo
Satisfied
View moreApril 7, 2025
Destination: Florence
Very good
View moreApril 7, 2025
Destination: Milan
Pretty good.
View moreApril 6, 2025
Destination: Milan
The overall service was great! The staff were friendly and professional.
View moreApril 6, 2025
Destination: Milan
Satisfied
View moreApril 5, 2025
Destination: Palermo
The service was great, but they don't provide rental and return receipts.
View moreApril 5, 2025
Destination: Milan
Very satisfied.
View moreApril 5, 2025
Destination: Milan
Overall satisfied.
View moreApril 4, 2025
Destination: Palermo
The car pickup service was excellent. I purchased basic insurance on the platform and added extra insurance for over 100 Euros at the store. When returning the car, they conducted a very thorough inspection. There were three extremely minor damages that would cost only 200 Yuan to repair in China, or might not even need repair. However, the rental company charged me over 680 Euros for them. I asked what my insurance covered, and the staff told me it would have been over 1,300 Euros without insurance. Unfortunately, there's no option to upload photos here, otherwise, I would definitely upload pictures to show everyone the so-called 'scratches.'
View moreApril 3, 2025
Destination: Catania
A different branch, but same great service. Cannot fault this team
View moreApril 3, 2025
Destination: Treviso
The team here is always good
View moreApril 2, 2025
Destination: Milan
Excellent service, no extra upselling, and very polite attitude.
View moreMarch 31, 2025
Destination: Milan
The service was excellent.
View moreMarch 31, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very easy to find.
View moreMarch 30, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very satisfied.
View moreMarch 30, 2025
Destination: Naples
The procedures were simple, the car was in decent condition, and the gas tank was full. However, one of the tires seemed slightly underinflated. The staff was polite, but there was only one person available, so I had to pick up the car myself.
View moreMarch 30, 2025
Destination: Rome
Excellent service
View moreMarch 30, 2025
Destination: Venice
Very satisfied.
View moreMarch 30, 2025
Destination: Milan
I always choose this company. There are no unnecessary troubles, and they help resolve issues.
View moreMarch 27, 2025
Destination: Palermo
Affordable cost, attentive service, and detailed inspection.
View moreMarch 26, 2025
Destination: Venice
Good
View moreMarch 26, 2025
Destination: Palermo
They promote the comprehensive insurance at the store but it's not mandatory, and the car pickup process was very quick.
View moreMarch 26, 2025
Destination: Milan
Easy car pickup
View moreMarch 25, 2025
Destination: Milan
I originally rented a Lynk & Co, but was given a Volkswagen instead. After driving for less than an hour, the car displayed a tire pressure issue on the highway. I got out to check, found no apparent problem, and continued driving for over an hour, but the front left tire eventually went completely flat. I had no choice but to contact customer service. Later, a tow truck was called, and the costs for vehicle damage, towing, and taxes totaled over 2000 euros. I had no car to use for a day and a half. On the third day, I returned to Milan airport to pick up another car. During this process, I also lost my passport, which was eventually found at the rental counter. It turned out the Indian staff member who assisted me during the rental process had forgotten to return it. It was extremely frustrating. On the third day, when I picked up the car again, I finally retrieved my passport. They offered me a Jeep as a replacement, but the vehicle consumed a lot of fuel.
View moreMarch 25, 2025
Destination: Venice
It was already nighttime when picking up the car, and I didn't notice a small chip on the glass. When returning the car, I was asked to pay nearly 1000 euros. Feels like a scam company.
View moreMarch 24, 2025
Destination: Rome
Hard to explain, it's complicated.
View moreMarch 23, 2025
Destination: Rome
Satisfied
View moreMarch 23, 2025
Destination: Florence
I booked an SUV but was given a Polo. Are these even the same type of vehicle?
View moreMarch 22, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very satisfied.
View moreMarch 22, 2025
Destination: Turin
The service is pretty good.
View moreMarch 22, 2025
Destination: Milan
Satisfactory.
View moreMarch 22, 2025
Destination: Milan
Very satisfied
View moreMarch 21, 2025
Destination: Naples
Satisfied
View moreMarch 21, 2025
Destination: Milan
The car I got was good and with the winter tyres I specifically wanted. I even got tyre socks too.
View moreMarch 20, 2025
Destination: Rome
Very satisfied
View moreMarch 20, 2025
Destination: Rome
Extremely bad. A terrible car rental experience where I was forced to pay for various super insurance fees. I had already paid for basic insurance during the rental, but after returning the car, an additional 13,000 RMB was deducted for various super insurance and miscellaneous charges. This car rental company, AVIS, is highly deceitful. I strongly advise everyone to avoid this company as they are essentially scammers. They exploited our lack of knowledge in Italian, guiding us to sign contracts we couldn’t understand, forcing us to pay for unnecessary super insurance. Very disappointing. The other car rental companies I’ve used before did not charge such fees. Please learn from this painful lesson and avoid renting from this company. Even filing a claim proved nearly impossible to resolve because the rental company made us sign incomprehensible Italian contracts. This left us unable to pursue legal action, leading to a very frustrating and costly experience.
View moreMarch 20, 2025
Destination: Milan
Patient and clear
View moreMarch 20, 2025
Destination: Milan
An extremely terrible experience! The rental car was covered in numerous dents and scratches, but none of them were marked on the pick-up document. What’s even more absurd is that when returning the car, the staff asked me to show the photos I took during pick-up. After reviewing them, they found one area I hadn’t photographed and claimed that damage was caused by me! They immediately charged over 1000 euros directly from my credit card. Absolutely ridiculous!
View moreMarch 19, 2025
Destination: Milan
Very good.
View moreMarch 19, 2025
Destination: Bergamo
Vehicle was clean and in good condition. Winter tires were in the car as promised. Check in was quick and without any unexpected things. Counter staff explained everything to me. It was quick. Paid 1400 eur deposit from credit card. It was released right after drop off. Brought back with less fuel(forgot to put fuel before arrival), and it was ok me to pay the fuel difference. Drop off was quick also, staff was very helpfull. Then they drive us to the airport. It was first time I rented a car in Italy. And I saw too many very bad experience reviews from others for other rent companies. But then I discovered Centauro with good reviews. And now from my own experience I would 100% recommend this company. Reasonable price and good quality car and service.
View moreMarch 18, 2025
Destination: Catania
There was no pre-rental inspection, and they directly charged 1000 euros from my credit card afterward, claiming it was for repair fees. I rented a Toyota Aygo, an exceptionally small car.
View moreMarch 18, 2025
Destination: Milan
Very good.
View more