Italy is a southern European country that comprises a long narrow peninsular leading from the Alps in the north down into the Mediterranean Sea. It also comprises many islands too, including Sardinia and Sicily. Within Italy’s borders are the tiny city states of the Vatican and San Marino. If you hire a car in Italy you’ll find it’s an attractive largely rural country with a unique heritage of landmarks and monuments, particularly from the Roman and Renaissance eras. It has the highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world. The capital is Rome, roughly in the middle of the peninsular.
Italy is a very popular visitor destination thanks to its legacy of ancient sights - but it has natural wonders too: to the north are the picturesque Italian Lakes nestled among mountains while further south are volcanoes like Vesuvius and Etna. The long coastline includes many resorts and beaches. The historic cities remain the major attractions though: Rome, Florence and Venice are among the most popular destinations in Europe. If you hire a car in Italy you can explore some of the country’s other highlights too, including the spectacular drives around the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera around Portofino.
Driving in Italy is much the same as the rest of continental Europe. You’ll find traffic drives on the right and overtaking is on the left. Most of the driving rules are unsurprising: seat belts are compulsory and the maximum speed limit is 130kpm (81mph) on motorways and 50kph (31mph) in towns. Note that the limits are reduced in bad weather conditions. A flashing amber traffic light means ‘proceed – but with caution’.
