Italy Beyond the Obvious

Driving in Italy? 10 things you should know

 

So you've given some thought on whether to rent a car in Italy, and decided to go for it. You'll have more freedom, but I do think there are a few things you should know (in no particular order), as I shared with a recent coaching client. 

1) Italians have different driving habits than we do so make sure you are aware of them. You can read about Italian driving habits you should know here.  

2) Gas is more expensive. The price of gas is of course published in Euros, but it's also sold by the litre not the gallon. And when it comes to numbers, Italians flip periods and commas. If you want to figure out what Euros per litre works out to in USD per gallon, here's how to calculate the price of gas. Or, you can enter your route on ViaMichelin and it will tell you how much to assume for gas and tolls.

3) Definitely get a GPS with your car rental. But where possible, rather than entering an address, use GPS longitude and latitude coordinates of your destination. Addresses are just not as reliable, particularly when (for example) navigating the hills of Tuscany. You'll frequently see that countryside attractions like vineyards will put their GPS coordinates on their website next to their address.

4) If at all possible, avoid driving in the historic centers of Italian cities. Most cities have "limited traffic zones" (referred to as ZTL zones) monitored with cameras which will snap a photo of your license plate and send you a ticket in the mail (via the car rental company). More information on limited traffic zones here.  Also note that your GPS will not know where the ZTL zones are.

5) Study up on your road signs - many road signs are different, and you also need to know what the color of a sign means. 

6) The law says that foreigners driving in Italy need an international driving permit. You can get one quickly and easily at AAA in the US and Canada.

7) Parking can be expensive and a huge hassle in Italy, so pre-plan where you're going to park beforehand, rather than just thinking you'll figure it out. Parcheggi.it is a good resource for finding public parking lots around the country, and always ask your hotel about parking - don't assume it's free.

8) Here's a great tip on not getting lost while driving in cities (since I know you may not be able to completely avoid it): follow a taxi. If you want to get to your destination without getting lost or stuck in a ZTL zone, keep your eye out for a taxi stand, pull over to the first taxi in line, give the taxi the address of where you're going, and follow the taxi. Trust me, it's well worth the cost.

 

9) This may be common sense, but never ever leave any thing of value visible in your car, and if you're going to park your car on the street overnight, ask the hotel about the area. Car break-ins are extremely common in Italy.

10) To calculate driving times, use www.ViaMichelin.com rather than google maps. ViaMichelin will also give you estimated fuel costs and toll charges.

Update: After reading this post, John Helm, an architect living in Italy, added some of his own excellent suggestions about driving in Italy on his blog. You can read his comments here: http://johnandluisa.blogspot.com/2011/03/tips-for-driving-in-italy.html

Photo by eye of einstein

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

The island of Ponza

 

"We want to visit the Amalfi Coast for many reasons, including spending a few days on a white sandy beach - preferably somewhere with whitewashed houses that cascade down to a fishing village", clients requested recently. There are some pretty beaches on the Amalfi Coast and nearby, but it wouldn't be my first recommendation for what they described. Instead I suggested: definitely visit the Amalfi Coast. But for the beaches, go spend a couple days on the island of Ponza. (And they did.)

Getting There

From Rome, take the train to Anzio or Formia, which are just over an hour ride away (to the south, ie in the direction of Naples) as long as you don't get the slow train. Then take the 1-hour hydrofoil (www.vetor.it) or the 2-3 hour boat (www.caremar.it). Boats also leave directly from Naples in July and August.

Getting Around

Even though it's where the boats come in, staying near the harbor is convenient because you can do a lot on foot. Don't rent a car, or you'll spend your time stuck in traffic. If you're a very confident scooter or motorbike driver, the perfect way to get around the island is by motorbike/vespa/scooter, but I highly recommend not trying to learn to drive one on Ponza. You can also take taxis, water taxis, or the bus - which is somewhat old and dilapidated, but will get you around the island.

Beach-hopping

Many of Ponza's beaches are reached only by water taxi, so grab one in the harbor and either set a time to have them pick you up, or call when you're ready.  Beaches worth visiting include (click on words to see images) Frontone, Cala Felice, Lucia Rosa grotto, Tirreno beach, Cala Feola beach (on the other end of island), the natural pools, Piana bianca. If you've got more than about 2 days, consider a day trip to the nearby island of Palmarola (pictured in the misty photo with Ponza at the top of this post). 

Food

Other than beach-hopping and participating in the Italian dolce far niente on Ponza, I'd recommend a meal at Il Tramonto ("sunset"), which has the best views on the island. 

Photo of Ponza and Palmarola islands by Nicola Since 1972, photo of Ponza by Seba Sofariu, sunset photo by Marite 2007, aerial photo by Hengist Decius

 

 

Do you like these ideas but don't have time to organize the details yourself? Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome: 30 sculptures on Italy's birthday monument

 

Italy's 150th birthday celebrations are being kicked off on March 17th at the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II - aka the Vittoriano- and it will be the seat of the birthday celebrations in Rome this year. But you didn't miss the party if you're reading this after March 17th - there are a few more important birthday dates on the calendar: namely April 25th, Liberation Day; June 2nd, birthday of the Republic; and November 4th, the day of national unity; not to mention events that will be held the rest of the year. But I recommend that travelers visting Rome anytime stop and at look at this monument.

 

It's much more than just a monument

Although the Vittoriano gets over 2 million visitors a year, it isn't usually on the must-see list of foreign tourists - nor is it lovingly spoken about by Italians, who refer to it as the wedding cake or the typewriter, or resent it because if its use as a stage for fascist rhetoric during the Mussolini era. But if you're walking from Piazza Venezia to the Campidoglio or the Roman Forum, the 400+ foot wide structure is hard to miss. It contains some significant unification museums, including several new exhibits in honor of this year's birthday celebrations. And the top of the monument has great views over Rome, accessible by the elevator. All good stuff.  

 

Or, just admire it from the outside

If you aren't interested in adding more museums to your itinerary, and you were completely satisfied with the views over Rome from the top of St. Peter's, just spend a few minutes to look at the monument as you're walking by. The first thing you'll probably notice is that it's in stark contrast to the surrounding architecture. Inaugurated in 1911 for Italy's 50th birthday, the statues and carvings were done by some of the best local artists of the 19th century. I've mocked up the photo above so you know what the statues represent, and if you notice what is juxtaposed on the right and left sides of the monument, it's pretty interesting. (And I didn't put an arrow, but the tomb of the unknown soldier is under Dea Roma).

 

 Photo by Argenberg

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.