There are a multitude of ways to get around Italy on your next vacation! The country has cheap flights between major cities and a great network of trains and buses. However, for the most freedom and ability to see everything, you’ll want to consider renting a car in Italy. Here’s 12 easy tips to know before setting off on your Italy road trip. So whether you’re renting a car in Rome, Sicily, or the countryside of Tuscany, you’re sure to have the adventure of a lifetime!
12 Tips For Your Italy Road Trip
1. Book Your Rental Car in Advance
The smartest thing to do is to reserve your rental car in Italy as far in advance as possible. This is especially important if you’re traveling in the peak summer months!
The worst thing you could do is wait until last minute. Not only could the cars be sold out in July or August, but you could end up paying way more than you want to for your road trip in Italy.
We always use this website when searching for rental cars in Europe. They show you the lowest rates across all companies to find the best prices.
We also recommend checking the prices at the airports, as they can often be cheaper than the local branches. You may come across weekly deals as well if you’re renting a car in Italy for an entire week instead of just 3 or 4 days.
2. Consider a One Way Route
Another thing to look into when planning your itinerary is the pickup and drop off location. For instance, if you’re renting a car in Italy from the capital city of Rome, you’re likely leaving from there to explore other parts of the country.
It may make sense to drop off in a different city and fly out of there, rather than backtracking all the way. We actually took the Rome to Barcelona ferry with our own vehicle this past summer!
Be sure to check the drop off fee as it might be too expensive for that to be worth it. Yet, a lot of the time it will be your best option.
→ 15 Travel Tips for Rome Italy: How to Save Money & Time
3. Road Trip in Italy Outside the Peak Summer Months
Now this is an Italy road trip tip that can really save you some money! Let’s be honest, traveling in July and August is going to be tough on your wallet. Everything from rental cars to accommodations and tours will cost extra during the peak summer months.
So how do we avoid this? We usually travel in the swing seasons of spring and fall to save money. From April to early June and September & October, you will find cheaper prices (and still very pleasant weather) in most places in Italy. If you’re flexible with your dates, you can definitely find deals!
Don’t get us wrong. We recently spent some time exploring Florence, Italy in August and still had a blast. Just know the prices to travel will be much higher during this time.
→ 10 Best Things to do in Florence Italy on Your First Visit
4. Automatic Cars vs Manual
Do you know how to drive a manual stick? Then you’re already one step ahead of many Americans!
Manual cars are less expensive in Europe and more widely available in popular locations. We’ve honestly seen manual vehicles as cheap as 4 Euros per day in the off-season.
Specifically at the smaller locations, you might find it more difficult to rent automatic cars. Double check when booking that you are reserving an automatic. If you can’t drive a manual, you’ll be in for an unwelcoming surprise to start off your Italy road trip.
5. Watch Out for Toll Roads On Your Road Trip in Italy
Raise your hand if you’ve had an unpleasant experience with toll roads while renting a car abroad! I know we have plenty of times in Europe.
Come to think of it, toll roads may be the worst part of driving in any foreign country. We’ve found it especially annoying when leaving the major cities or near different borders.
This past summer, we even took the Fréjus Road Tunnel, which goes a 8 miles underneath a mountain. While it did save us hours of taking backroads from Annecy, France, to where we were staying in Lugano, Switzerland, the shortcut came at a price of 52 Euros.
Toll roads are typically found along many of the main highways of Italy. At some of them, you will be given a ticket when entering the road. Do not lose it! You will need this to pay when leaving the highway.
Upon exiting, go into the proper lane to pay with cash or card. Avoid the Telepass lane as that is designated for local customers who have it connected directly to their banks.
The one super tricky thing is that for certain highways there is just a sign on the side of the road with a website to visit! You normally have 7 days to pay it until the fine goes up.
6. Check Rules For Historic Centers
One of the best parts about traveling in Italy is all the small historic villages. We encountered many ourselves on a recent trip to Tuscany! Still, you’ll need to be aware that they all have their own rules for driving.
Many of the old streets are too small and tight for multiple cars to go down. To be honest, you may want to avoid them all together and park outside of the villages. There’s no way we were trying to drive up into the tiny alleyways of destinations like Montepulciano, Pitigliano, or Cortona.
If you do decide to take your rental car into the places like this when road tripping in Italy, check the rules first. Many do not allow cars in certain sections at all, while others may only allow parking and driving during certain hours of the day.
→ 10 Tuscany Italy Travel Tips For an Amazing Holiday
7. Pick a Small Rental Car
This brings us to our next point. It is absolutely to your advantage to pick a small vehicle when renting a car in Italy. Really, unless you have a massive group with you, there’s no reason to hire a big car! This will just be a huge pain for parking.
As we’ve mentioned, many of the smaller roads will be super tight to drive down. Now we’re not saying you need to rent a Fiat 500. Just keep in mind that smaller cars are definitely the way to go for your Italy road trip.
8. Skip Driving in the Big Cities
Hopefully, you do get to experience some of the big cities on your upcoming vacation. With that said, this is not the time you will enjoy having a car!
If you’re grabbing one in Milan to head to Bergamo or Varenna on Lake Como afterward, we completely understand. You can easily park your car and walk, or utilize the local public transportation to get around the city first.
We would really only use a car if you’re going on a day trip outside the city or leaving it all together. For example, if you’re renting a car in Rome, be sure to do it on the last day of your stay there. That way you want have to worry about parking and the fees that come along with it.
We’ve also traveled regions such as northern Italy by train and had no issues whatsoever. Keep in mind there are other ways to see the country if you don’t feel comfortable road tripping Italy by car.
9. Don’t Try to See Everything in One Trip
It can be tempting to over-plan and pack your schedule with everything imaginable on a road trip in Italy! Still, you’d be doing yourself a disservice, as you won’t be able to soak in all the best parts.
We recommend picking one region of Italy to fully embrace, the culture, landscape, and food! Whether that’s Tuscany, Lombardy, or the beautiful Amalfi Coast, you’ll have a much better experience focusing on one area.
On our recent trip to Naples, we combined the city with ancient Pompeii and the stunning Ischia Island. Another visit we flew into Milan and visited Venice, Verona, and Bologna from there.
If you have more than just a week or two, more power to you. That’s just more time to see everything around this amazing country.
→ Planning a Trip to Italy: 10 Step Easy To Follow Travel Guide
10. Be Patient Road Tripping Italy
You may notice something once you get outside the towns and cities of Italy. People like to drive fast and furious! I mean, this is the home of Ferarri and Lamborghini after all.
Do yourself a favor and drive as safe as possible. What we mean by that is to stay patient. Don’t hesitate to let the locals pass you on the backroads, or even pull over to the side to let them go.
You’ll enjoy renting a car in Italy much more if you drive at your own pace. Plus, there’s so many incredible sights to see around you, so you shouldn’t be in any rush.
11. Skip the Highway and Cruise Backroads
That brings us to one of our last Italy road trip tips! We mentioned the tolls in Italy, but that’s not the only reason to avoid the main highways. Driving through the gorgeous countryside of Italy is the way to go.
Unless you’re on a serious time crunch, we highly recommend taking the extra time to see the nature and rolling hills of Italy. There are of course plenty of beaches to discover along the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea as well.
Some of our most memorable days were simply cruising at a leisurely pace going through the local villages of the mountains. Check out this dreamy 7 day Tuscany Italy Itinerary we took this past summer.
Another one of our favorite areas is the lake region in the north. The month we spent in the small town of Albogasio-Oria on Lake Lugano and it was straight out of a dream!
The location also allowed us to spend time in Lake Como and Lake Maggiore since they were both under an hour away. We even hit the Luino Market one afternoon, which is known as the largest in Europe!
12. Get Spontaneous on Your Italy Road Trip
Our last tip for renting a car in Italy is to get a little wild! One of the best parts of having a vehicle is the freedom to explore and be spontaneous.
That means stopping at local restaurants to enjoy a slow afternoon lunch. Pull over at random viewpoints, stroll through historic towns, and hike to a castle you’ve never heard of.
Be sure to leave some extra time on your itinerary to be adventurous. You know never know what hidden gems you’ll find when road tripping Italy!
Have any questions on this article or want to share your own Italy road trip tips? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
