Exploring Italy by Renting a Car: A Beginner’s Guide – Parking, Speed Cameras, & ZTL’s

Exploring Italy by Renting a Car: A Beginner’s Guide – Parking, Speed Cameras, & ZTL’s

Buongiorno, Renting a car in Italy. I believe it’s the  best way to actually see the country. In this video   we’re going to cover parking, speed cameras, and ZTL  zones. These are three things that you need to know  

If you’re going to venture out into Central or  Northern Italy. That is if you you don’t want to   get one of these, this is a ticket came from the  Vatican. It was from uh Matera. Followed me back  

To the U.S. exactly one year after I’d visited the  country. Had I watched this video I wouldn’t have   received this. In my last video we traveled all around southern Italy. It’s a little bit different  

Down there I covered getting gas, and paying tolls  and I’ll leave a link to that video at the end of   this one. The most important thing in this video, if  you can drive in the U.S. you can drive in Italy. You  

Shouldn’t feel intimidated. The drivers there  are way more attentive, and it takes a little   adjustment period, but it’s not that difficult to  do. The one thing I recommend you get is is one of   these. This is an international driving permit. You  can pick it up at any AAA. Is it required? That’s  

Debatable but if you get pulled over by the police  it would be, nice to have. All this said I didn’t   drive in the big cities. No Rome, no Florence,  no Milan. I don’t suggest you do either. It’s  

A totally different ball game in those cities.  We did drive in Bologna, Perugia, and made it up   to Verona but we’ll cover that in the video. With  that out of the way, I’d like to bring you along  

On our trip and fill you in on these must know  items along the way. Day one we landed in Rome   and we pick up the rental car at the airport. This  was the second time we have used Europcar as a  

Rental company and it won’t be our last. They are  quick, attentive, and really that’s all you can ask   for. We chose the Fiat 500 for the trip. It’s small,  easy to maneuver, it gets great gas mileage, and it  

Has enough space for the two of us and our luggage.  I told you I didn’t drive in Rome and that’s true.   A majority of the airports in Italy are outside  the cities they serve and Rome’s Fiumicino airport  

Is no exception. It’s a good 20 km outside the  city and we were headed south so the chaotic   traffic that is the center of Rome wasn’t an  issue. Our first stop was Ostia Antica. It’s less  

Than 10 km south of Rome’s airport, and it’s one of  the largest uncovered Antiquity sites in all of   Italy. It’s well worth a visit, takes a few hours to  walk through because of its size. We made our way  

From there to Terracina to visit a friend and it’s  here I want to speak to you about traffic cameras.   Italy uses electronic cameras in order to regulate  speed. These can be overhead, or alongside the road   in blue boxes and they can be difficult to spot  at times. Typically there is signage telling you  

That you are approaching one, but I find it much  easier to use Google Maps to navigate our route   each day, and the cameras are all marked in Google  Maps. Prior to going anywhere for the day I have  

A route devised and every rental I’ve picked up  has Android Auto or Apple Carplay. These cameras   appear on your display long before you’re  going to actually see one. Many of these cameras   are not active but it’s truly hard for you as  a tourist to guess which is which, so I simply  

Slow down when approaching one. Day two of our trip  finds us on the road again this time headed north   to Tivoli. It’s roughly 30 kilometers east of Rome. This  is a location that anyone who is visiting Italy  

Needs to put on their list. Much of the stone used  to construct the Roman Empire called travertine   was quarried from Tivoli. it’s still quarried there to  this day. It’s also the home of Hadrian’s Villa   which is one of the largest Imperial Villas in  the Roman Empire, and many of its ruins can be  

Viewed there today. We visited that site last time  we were here but missed out on seeing Villa d’Este.  It was constructed in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este. The Gardens of Villa d’Este and its fountains are   a magnificent example of Renaissance landscape  architecture. We spend the better part of the day  

There wandering the countless rooms and Gardens  before making our way to the town of Spoleto   for the evening. We covered 258 km of driving  through the countryside. The traffic was light and   we were on the A1 for a good part of the day. This  is one of Italy’s let’s say interstates, so let’s  

Discuss driver etiquette. A good rule of thumb when  passing in Italy is to check your mirrors prior to   passing, make the pass, and get back in the right  lane again quickly. The left lane in Italy is for  

Passing only and they mean it. There will always  be someone going faster than you and well over   the posted speed limits so don’t think about  camping out in the left lane, ever. We awoke in   Spoleto, Italy this town offers a lot, it features  a Roman Theater which is largely rebuilt, a Roman  

Bridge from the 1st Century BC, a restored Roman  house with Mosaic floors, a striking 13th century   Aqueduct, a majestic Forest castle built between  1359 and 1370 and multiple Roman arches. The city   has three underground people movers that you can  use to get to different parts of the city. Now this  

Is a way to climb a hill, and and this is where  we talk about parking and why you need to plan   for it before you head out for the day and visit  any city or town in Italy. Look for the word Parcheggio  

To an American it looks like ???? when planning  your trip. This is the Italian word for parking   lot. This will put you in a lot just outside the  city limits and in Spoleto several of those   lots are located right beside the entrance to the  underground people movers. There you can legally  

Park and make your way to the people mover which  will take you uphill and into the center of the   historic town. As a rule in Italy you can legally  park in white line parking spots for free, blue  

Line spots are to be paid, for and yellow line  spots are reserved for either residents or local   official. Vehicles by finding the Parcheggio lot in any  given City you need not worry about any of this.   Midday we drive and visit Spello built with  stone the town retains its medieval aspects to  

This day. It is enclosed in a circuit of medieval  walls built on Roman foundations including three   Roman antique Gates. It is a beautiful town to  walk through however parking and walking in   are your only choices when visiting this Hilltop  Town. Fortunately the Parcheggio lot in Spello was free.  

We make our way into Assisi for the evening to a  hotel that has free parking. Assisi was the home of   St Francis of Assisi, St Francis founded the Franciscan  order in the town in 1208 and St Clair, who was with  

St Francis, founded the poor sisters which later  became the order of poor Clair’s after her death.   It is a stunningly beautiful city to walk through  and we spend a considerable amount of time they’re   exploring. I do recommend people spend the time to  visit Assisi. It has a lot to offer and the general  

Vibe of the city is unique. There was a wedding  held the day we were in town and yes that is a   1967 Mustang in Italy. Nice. Once again knowing  where to legally park is a huge benefit our  

Hotel for the evening was only a kilometer walk  from the city Gates but there was a parking lot   adjacent to the city walls and not walking the  extra kilometer and spending the time to do so  

Was well worth the minimal cost of parking. From  there we drive the 28 km to Perugia this is the   largest city I’ve driven at in Italy to date and  everything goes very well. I find a hotel that is  

Near a train station that has on-site free parking.  A quick tip many hotels will allow you to utilize   their parking lot even after you check out. You  need only ask. Now the proximity to the train   station is key in Perugia as it has public access  to its underground nearby. We descended slightly  

To an escalator that led us through a level of the  ancient underground World completely hidden from   sight. This was comprised of multiple underground  passageways, ancient towers, massive chambers, vaulted   ceilings, and even the remains of a communal bread  baking oven. We wander through the streets that  

Evening taking in a few amazing museums and pick  up chocolates here. This is something the city is   known for and it delivers on. I would also put this  city on a must see list there are a few things here  

That cannot be seen elsewhere. I think it’s here  we need to discuss Zone traffic limited areas or   ztl zones. Every city in Italy has an area where  you as a tourist are prohibited from driving in.  

Google Maps won’t inform you of this as it doesn’t  understand that you are not a local resident or if   you have permission or not. This is how I received  my ticket from our 2022 trip as I wasn’t aware of  

These zones at the time. ZTL’s were put in place to  reduce congestion in the historic areas of the   Cities. They reduce the likelihood of a vehicle  versus pedestrian incident, and help to slow the   structural decay of the historic City centers.  some ZTL’s are only active at certain times of  

The day, others certain days of the week. But I  found a majority are active 24 hours a day. If   you enter a ZTL without permission cameras at  the entry points will take a photo of your car,   its license plate, and eventually you’ll receive  a fine. Fines for ZTL infractions are typically  

Between 100 and 350 Euros plus administrative fees. The  exact amount of the fine depends on the city. Some   Hotel guests can get permission to enter ZTL zones however you are putting a lot of trust   into the property’s employees if you choose this  route. They need to submit your plate correctly  

To the authorities prior your arrival. If they get  any of this wrong you will pay the fine. I already   told you where we’re located… The fine print  with hours can be just that, very small print  

That is difficult to read. If you enter a ZTL when  it’s okay to do so you can stay in the ZTL as long   as you want as long as you are parked legally and  that’s the rough part as most parking spaces in  

ZTL are marked for residence only, so finding a  parking spot in one can be all but impossible,   and you find yourself driving in circles only to  exit the ZTL and find a lot outside of it anyway.  

There are no ZTL cameras at the exits of the Zone  but if you accidentally drive into another ZTL  you will be fined if it’s active, and there can  be multiple adjacent ztl zones in one city, with   hours differing for each. Additionally the streets  inside these zones tend to be incredibly narrow  

With multiple blind spots and high pedestrian  traffic. I find it easier to simply steer clear   of them this makes the choice of a hotel or  Airbnb location very important. I look for a   property just outside the city’s historic Center  that has free parking. Doing this allows us walking  

Access without the worry that we need to enter a  ZTL in our vehicle. The next few days we’re going   to put some kilometers on the rental. My wife is  a fan of Phoebe judge and her podcast “This is Love”  

And this is where she had learned of a small  town called Piobbico. We take a series of twisty   mountain passes and before we see a sign for  the town, we see a sign that says Club Dei brutti,  

The ugly Club, founded in 1879. The ugly club’s  motto, ugliness is of virtue, beauty is slavery.   Senior members of the club judge and rank the  ugliness of potential members which can range   from unspecified to extraordinarily ugly. The club  is more focused on celebrating one’s inner beauty  

And not worrying about what others think. We walked  to the club’s Meeting House only to find it closed.   My wife was heartbroken as she was hoping to  meet someone from the organization. We visit   the Brancaleoni Castle which is quite interesting in  its own right. Once we complete the tour I asked  

The gentleman running the place about the ugly  club, and his reply was, “Oh yes the ugly Club. If   you’d like to meet the president just stop at the  cafe in town. He owns the place and is always there.”  

Obviously we’re headed in that direction. Once  there we order a coffee and a soda and my wife   makes an inquiry to one of the ladies behind the  counter. She says something in Italian and motions   to a gentleman who is speaking to a couple of the  Cafe’s customers. They all either grin or chuckle  

And the gentleman turns around and says in a  delightful manner, “Oh the Ugly Club do you two   have a member membership cards?” The next thing  you know we’re both being judged and I have   to admit these judgments seem spot on. My wife is  insufficient however, she’s told that in time she  

Could become uglier. Me, I’m Bueno. Good and ugly we  both become official card carrying members of the   Ugly Club. Mission accomplished. From there it’s  a short however twisty drive to Urbino for the   evening. Once again parking is a concern. I find a  small Airbnb apartment just inside the wall City’s  

ZTL zone there is plenty of white line parking  just on the other side of the wall outside the   ztl zone so this will work. We logged 139 km of  beautifully scenic driving for the day. Urbino   is the hometown of Raphael, the Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. That evening we tour Raphael’s home, which  

Is filled with many of his early works among  others whom were influenced by his style. This   is just another small City that retains much  of its picturesque medieval aspect. We spend hours   walking around within the walls of the old city.  If you have a rental car it’s easy to navigate to,  

Not so much by public transport as the train does  not stop here. The following day has only one stop   and it’s car related it’s the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Most Formula 1 fans know it simply as

Imola. [Music] It was used for official Championship  races between 1980 and 2006. Several crashes at the   circuit resulted in fatalities including the death  of Ayrton Senna in 1994. Changes were introduced   at multiple points to reduce cornering speeds and  F1 eventually returned in 2020 with the circuit  

Hosting the Amelia Romana Grand Prix from 2020  to present. We take a tour of the circuit, get a   look at the pits, race command Center, and spent  some time paying our respects at the Ayrton Senna   Memorial. This was a fantastic day for me as  a bonus Formula 3 cars are holding practice  

That day. We have 185 km of mostly highway driving  during the day once again this is easy going with the   Fiat passing mostly larger trucks and ducking back  into the right lane. We make our way to the hotel  

Just south of Bologna for the evening and have  a fantastic meal. Our next stop is Maranello. The   home of the Ferrari factory since 1941. It’s only  a 60 km trip however it requires driving through   Bologna as there are mountains to the south that  I can’t really navigate around. It’s stop and go  

Traffic but nothing like I’ve witnessed in Rome  and once through it we’re a quick 30 km to a   hotel. That’s where Ferrari spotting in all phases  of construction begin in earnest. If you’re not   a car person you can simply skip this section  of the country however, if you are a car person  

Welcome to Italy’s version of Detroit. In the area  area around Modena you will find the factories of   Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara, Pagani  plus Ducati motorcycles. Someday I’ll get to see   all of those but for this trip I was focused on  Ferrari. We take the shuttle bus tour the Ferrari  

Factory, and a visit to the nearby test track but  visitors must remain on the bus at all times and   video and photography is prohibited. The museum  however I was free to film or photograph as much  

As I wanted. There is a paid parking lot right  out front and we used that to our advantage as   our hotel with its free parking lot was 2 km away  from the factory. The following day is the sad one  

At least for me as we’ll be returning the rental  car at the Verona airport. I chose this location   because we wanted to see Verona one, and the airport  is a good 10 km away from the city itself meaning  

The traffic should be light and I shouldn’t  have to drive into Verona at all. The 170 km   trip on the A22 zips by in no time. The Europcar  representative was easy to work with as it took us  

Longer to pack up our belongings than it did for  him to walk around the car and sign off. This meant   we were back to public transport for a final days  in Italy. First by train to Venice for a few days  

And finally by train again back to Rome before  heading to the airport and home. I immediately   feel a bit depressed. The trains in Italy often  run through ditches or tunnels and your view   is obstructed or non-existent more often than it  isn’t. Our train returning to Rome runs an hour and  

5 minutes late, that’s far from unusual. If you made  it this for thanks for coming along our journey. I   hope I convinced a few of you out there to consider  seeing Italy by renting a car. I feel it’s truly  

The most genuine way to see the country and you  get to do so at your own pace. Not only that you   don’t have to worry about luggage, train schedules,  trains running behind, all those things that come   along with mass transit. Most importantly don’t  feel intimidated. The drivers in Italy are the most  

Attentive drivers I’ve ever experienced. There’s no  one texting there, they pay attention to what’s going   on around them, and while you’re there you need to  do that as well. If you missed my first video you   can check that out over here. It’ll talk to you  about getting gas, and paying tolls, and really  

It’s a relatively simple process if you do it the  right way. That’s it for now, thanks for watching ciao

Italy is a large country and IF you are only traveling by train to all the major cities you are missing out on a lot this country has to offer. In this video we discuss Parking, Speed Camera, and Zone Limited Traffic Areas all of which requires a plan before heading out for the day. The thought of driving in another country is intimidating but, this is country that needs, no demands that you drive at least part of it IF you truly want to experience all it has to offer. In this video we discuss Parking, Speed Camera, and Zone Limited Traffic Areas all of which requires a plan before heading out for the day.

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