Top Tips for Driving In Italy

Mummy says… I have just come back from an amazing break in Puglia, Italy with my eldest daughter MiMi, thanks to Bookings for You. We stayed in one of their luxurious villas just outside Ostuni, and I hired a car for our stay. I have driven in France, Menorca and Florida but never Italy, which I found very, er, interesting! Here are my top tips for driving in Italy…

1. There are few car parks, and they may not show up on the Sat Nav. Locals thought I was asking for a recreation park! Street parking is usually available – white lines are free, blue lines are chargeable via a parking meter, yellow are disabled. No lines or markings mean you can park with no limits.
2. The parking meter may have a little flag button which changes the language.
3. Have loose change in coins for meters, or they usually accept a credit card but not notes.
4. The Italians do not seem to indicate. Ever.
5. They also beep a lot – purely to tell you they are there. Not in a rude way, as the Brits do!
6. Speed restriction areas seem to mean very little! So be aware of feeling like locals are trying to nudge you to go faster.
7. A lot of streets in the centre of towns are very narrow. Try and park on the outskirts. You will see a lot more walking around anyway.
8. Senso Unico on a blue sign means One Way.
9. Zebra crossings are not always adhered to by drivers.
10. Italian drivers do not thank you or acknowledge as they do in the UK.

When you park your car, drop a pin and save to your favourites on Google Maps as your parking location. A lot of streets look the same, so this will help you find your car easily.

I hope these top tips for driving in Italy help you if you are planning to drive there soon! Have you driven abroad?

I was invited to Italy as a guest with Bookings for You to review one of their villas.