There are many interesting ways to travel the world. One of them, perhaps, is the most striking on the impressions, traveling by own or rented car. Today we will share with you all the important information on how to properly rent a car in Italy for a trip, and what difficulties you may face by choosing this path for yourself.
How to rent a car in Italy
The first thing that makes travelers think about renting a car and exploring Italy on their own is the ability to choose any route and the absence of any restrictions. You go wherever you want, choose only interesting cities and sights.
It is quite easy to rent a car here. There are enough firms that offer rental services both for a day and for a longer period, up to a month, so that you can find exactly the car that suits you. It is possible to rent a car right at the airport, however, it is best to order a car in advance, even before arrival.
It is worth noting that if you book a car on the website of the airline, whose services you use during the flight, you can seriously save money - most air carriers cooperate with local rental companies.
Most often, the rental conditions imply the delivery of the car in the same city where you took it, but if you look carefully, you can find more convenient options.
The cost of renting a car in Italy, when it comes to economy class, varies from sixty to eighty euros per day.
The most popular car rental service is RentalCars.com. You can choose a car, book and pay for it directly on the website, and when you arrive, it will be waiting for you right at the airport! Here are just some of the current proposals:
What you need to know about traveling in Italy with your rental car
There are several important points that should not be missed if you decide to travel in your rental car.
Firstly, there are speed cameras on all highways, which monitor the excess by drivers. You can drive on motorways no faster than 130 km / h. It is very important to understand that each camera captures the violation regardless of the others. That is, if you drive faster than the norm through four surveillance cameras, all four will record a violation, and you will be required to pay four speeding tickets at once.
Secondly, an extremely important point is the registration of insurance. Do not skimp - it is best to take full insurance, as it will almost certainly not be possible to return the car safe and sound to the company. The antenna will surely break off somewhere, or a scratch will appear on the side door from nowhere. So, it's best to think about it in advance and take out full insurance.
As with any other trip, you should draw up a clear schedule taking into account a couple of days "in reserve" in order to be sure to have time to hand over the car on time. Unforeseen things often happen, for example, repair work on highways or even blocking any paths.
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Major Italian fines and violations
Apart from cameras constantly monitoring speeding, there are a few other important points you should be aware of.
Blood alcohol content should not exceed half (0.5) ppm. If you are not yet 21 years old, then there is no alcohol in your blood at all.
For exceeding the speed of no more than ten kilometers per hour from the norm, you will have to pay 40 euros. If the excess is more serious, that is, more than sixty kilometers per hour, then the fine can reach three and a half thousand euros.
For incorrect parking, fines of up to 90 euros are issued, and for talking while driving on a mobile phone, the local police can issue you a fine of six hundred euros. By the way, you can talk while driving, but only with the help of a mobile headset.
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How much does fuel cost in Italy
An important issue is the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel. At the moment, gasoline prices range from one and a half to two euros per liter. Cheap petrol in Sicily and in the southern part of the country. In this case, it is best to focus on gas stations in cities, and not on highways, since gasoline is much more expensive outside cities at gas stations. We are talking about several tens of cents, up to half a euro.
However, the most economical way to travel will be by car with a diesel engine. Diesel fuel is 20-30 cents cheaper than gasoline.
At the same time, the prices for gasoline and diesel are, on average, more expensive than in the rest of Europe. So, for example, in Germany the average cost of gasoline is only 1.5 euros per liter.
Among other things, there are two types of gas stations in Italy: Self and SerV. The first ones work in self-service mode. You can find out the cost of fuel by looking at a special board at the entrance. The refueling process itself is quite simple - you insert the desired bill into the machine, insert the gun with the hose into the car's tank, and then refuel for exactly the amount that you paid.
The second type of refueling is distinguished by the presence of a refueller. Payment can be made in a variety of ways, including cash and credit cards. True, at such filling stations, gasoline is often more expensive than at Self dispensers.
So, wishing to save money, plan your trip by car taking into account the location of Self filling stations.
And the Kiwi online booking service will help you to plan in advance a transfer from any airport to the hotel or other place you need. What it is? This is a comfortable car, the driver of which meets you with a sign right at the exit from the airport and takes you carefully and carefully to your destination. There is no need to look for a car and waste your nerves negotiating a price, the whole process takes a couple of minutes, and you can pay for the trip immediately on the website.
Toll highways in Italy
As well as throughout the European Union, there are a fairly large number of toll roads, which are distinguished by increased comfort. In total, if you have the desire to ride around the country using exclusively toll highways, then the western part of the country from top to bottom will cost you about sixty euros, and the eastern part about seventy.
The process of entering the toll road is, in principle, fairly standard. First of all, you need to drive up to a special machine with a button. Press the button, after which the machine will give you a ticket, which you need to pay in the window. Both cash and bank cards are accepted as payment.
Some vending machines literally work in automatic mode - payment is made immediately, as when buying a drink in a regular city coffee machine. So, prepare small bills and change in advance.
In the southern part there are practically no toll roads, but when crossing to Sicily, you will find both toll and free highways - you can literally travel there as your heart desires. The only obligatory toll road is in the north - the fare is only 10 euros.
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Parking spaces in Italian
When traveling in Italy with your rental car, it is important to always remember about parking spaces. So, checking into a hotel, even for one night, be sure to indicate that you need a free parking space for your car.
Just staying in the city, it is worth knowing where you can park your car. Parking spaces are divided into three types. Marked in white - free, blue and yellow - paid, with special tickets. There are parking lots where only residents of a certain house or employees of an institution located nearby can stop. There are special signs next to them. However, during the high tourist season, many cities also make blue parking spaces free. However, what is the situation in the city where you are staying, you need to clarify.
Paid parking is quite expensive. So, in just one hour of downtime, you will have to pay about three euros. A day will cost you twenty-five euros. There are no parking attendants (only scammers and migrants from African countries periodically try to profit from unknowing tourists), all parking tickets should be obtained through the machines installed nearby.
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Why choose a car for traveling in Italy
In general, traveling around the country in a rented car is pleasant and comfortable. You can create a completely unique schedule for visiting various places, resorts and attractions of the "Italian boot". At any time there is an opportunity to simply turn off somewhere and go in search of adventure. You do not have to burden yourself with just one place of residence, which will also significantly reduce expenses during your vacation.
So if you want to really get to know Italy better, car travel is a good way to do it.
