Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are tolls on most motorways, payable by cash or credit card as you exit. For information on traffic conditions,
tolls and driving distances, see www.autostrade.it .
There are several additional road categories, listed below in descending order of importance.
Strade statali (state highways) Represented on maps by 'S' or 'SS'. They vary from toll-free, four-lane highways to
two-lane main roads. The latter can be extremely slow, especially in mountainous regions.
Strade regionali (regional highways connecting small villages) Coded SR or R.
Strade provinciali (provincial highways) Coded SP or P.
Strade locali (local roads) Often not even paved or mapped.
Automobile Associations
The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI; from non-Italian phone account 800 116800, roadside assistance 803116;
www.aci.it ) is a driver's best resource in Italy. For 24-hour roadside emergency service, dial 80 31 16 (or 800
116800 if calling with a non-Italian mobile phone number). Foreigners do not have to join but instead pay a per-incident
fee.
Driving Licence
All driving licences from EU member states are fully recognised throughout Europe. In practice, many non-EU licences
(such as Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US licences) are also accepted by car-hire outfits in Italy. Travellers
from other countries will need to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) through their national automobile associ-
ation.
Fuel & Spare Parts
Italy's petrol prices are among the highest in Europe and vary from one service station (benzinaio, stazione di servizio)
to another. At the time of research, lead-free gasoline ( senza piombo; 95 octane) was averaging €1.79 per litre, with
diesel (gasolio) costing €1.69 per litre.
Spare parts are available at many garages or via the 24-hour ACI motorist assistance number
80 31 16.
Hire
CARS
» Pre-booking a car via the internet often costs less than hiring a car in Italy. Online booking agency Rentalcars.com
( www.rentalcars.com ) compares the rates of numerous car-rental companies.
» Renters must generally be aged 25 or over, with a credit card and home country driving licence or an International
Driving Permit.
» Consider hiring a small car, which will reduce your fuel expense and help you negotiate narrow city lanes and tight
parking spaces.
» Check with your credit-card company to see if it offers a Collision Damage Waiver, which covers you for additional
damage if you use that card to pay for the car.
» All the major car-hire outlets have offices at the airports. Multinational car rental agencies include the following:
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