Car hire in Italy turns a city break into a country. The art of Florence and Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como, the wine roads of Tuscany and the Dolomite passes are all within reach once you have a car, and most of the best of Italy sits exactly where the trains and tour buses do not go. Cheap car hire in Italy starts from a few pounds a day outside the summer peak.
Getcarhire.com compares car hire in Italy across more than 20 trusted suppliers, including Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt and the major local operators, at every major airport and city: Rome, Milan, Pisa, Naples, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Catania and more. Search once, compare every supplier side by side, and book your car hire in Italy with free cancellation on most vehicles and no hidden fees.
Italy is also a country where the unprepared driver gets caught out. The ZTL camera zones in the historic centres, the autostrada tolls, the insurance upsell at the desk and the wildly seasonal pricing all catch people off guard. This guide covers everything you need to know before you book car hire in Italy, so none of it happens to you.
ZTL Zones: The Number One Car Hire Italy Mistake
If you remember one thing about car hire in Italy, make it this. Almost every historic city centre, Florence, Rome, Milan, Bologna, Pisa, Siena and hundreds of smaller towns, is a Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL), a Limited Traffic Zone closed to non-resident vehicles. The boundaries are watched by cameras that photograph your number plate, and a single accidental entry on your car hire in Italy brings a fine of 80 to 350 euros, issued automatically and arriving through your rental company months later with an admin fee added on top. Drive into three different ZTL zones on one trip and you can return home to three separate fines.
The ZTL signs are easy to miss: a plain white circle with a red border, often with the times of operation underneath. Your sat nav will happily route you straight through one. The rule for car hire in Italy is simple: never drive into a historic centre. Park at a car park on the edge of town, marked with a blue P, and walk or take public transport in. Hotels inside a ZTL can sometimes register your plate for temporary access, so always ask your accommodation in advance if you must drive to the door.
Driving in Italy: Rules and Regulations
Renting a car in Italy is more straightforward than its reputation suggests. The roads are well maintained and signposted, and once you are out of the city centres the driving is a pleasure. A few specifics worth knowing before you collect your car hire in Italy:
Documents You Need
You must be over 18 and hold a full, valid driving licence. EU and UK licences are accepted directly; an International Driving Permit is recognised but not required for UK drivers. Bring your passport, your booking voucher and the credit card in the name of the main driver. Your hire car comes with its Italian registration, insurance and the legally required equipment (warning triangle and reflective jackets) already provided, so you do not need to bring any of that yourself.
Speed Limits
50 km/h in urban areas, 90 km/h on secondary roads, 110 km/h on dual carriageways and 130 km/h on motorways. Limits drop in rain and poor weather, and speed cameras (autovelox) and average-speed sections (tutor) are widespread. Follow the posted signs.
Seat Belts and Children
Seat belts are compulsory in front and rear. Children under 12 or below 150cm must use an appropriate child restraint, and children under 4 must not travel in the front unless in a rear-facing seat. Child seats can be added to your car hire in Italy at the time of booking, so there is no need to bring your own.
Mobile Phones and Alcohol
Handheld mobile use while driving is prohibited; a hands-free system is required. The blood alcohol limit is 0.05%, lower than the UK, and for drivers who have held their licence less than three years it is 0.00%. Drink-driving brings heavy fines, licence suspension or imprisonment.
Lights and Winter Tyres
Use dipped headlights on motorways and outside built-up areas at all times, and in tunnels and poor visibility. In many northern regions winter tyres or snow chains are mandatory between mid-November and mid-April, indicated by signs. The Automobile Club d’Italia publishes the current regional rules.
Autostrada Tolls in Italy
Italy’s motorways (autostrade, the green-signed A roads) are mostly toll roads. With your car hire in Italy you collect a ticket on entry and pay on exit by cash or card in the lanes marked white or blue; avoid the yellow Telepass-only lanes, which are for pre-registered electronic accounts. Tolls add up on longer routes, so factor them into your budget. The toll-free state roads (strade statali, the blue-signed SS roads) are slower but often far more scenic, which on an Italian road trip is rarely a bad thing.
The Best Road Trips in Italy by Hire Car
Italy was made for road trips. With scenery this varied, there is a route for every taste, and a hire car is the only way to reach most of it. Italy’s official tourism board has more on each region.
The Amalfi Coast
The SS163 Amalfitana from Sorrento through Positano, Amalfi and Ravello is one of the most famous coastal drives in the world: cliffs, lemon groves and hairpin bends above a turquoise sea. It is narrow and busy in summer, so a small car and an early start pay off. Pick up at Naples Airport and drive down.
Tuscany: The Chianti Wine Roads
From Florence south through the Chianti hills to Siena, the SR222 Chiantigiana winds past vineyards, cypress avenues and hilltop towns like Greve and Castellina. This is the classic Tuscan road trip and the route most people picture when they think of car hire in Italy, and exactly where car hire in Italy earns its cost back, as none of it is reachable by train.
Lake Como and the Italian Lakes
The road around Lake Como, with its villas, gardens and mountain backdrop, is a short drive from Milan and one of the most beautiful lake circuits in Europe. Combine it with Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore for a full northern lakes route.
The Dolomites
The Great Dolomite Road from Bolzano to Cortina d’Ampezzo crosses some of the most dramatic mountain passes in the Alps, with the pale peaks of the Dolomites rising on every side. Best driven from June to September when the high passes are clear.
Sicily
A loop of Sicily from Catania or Palermo takes in Mount Etna, the baroque towns of the southeast, the Valley of the Temples and the coast, a week of driving through layers of history. The island is large and the interior remote, so car hire in Italy is essential here.
Why Use Getcarhire.com for Car Hire in Italy?
Italy is a country best seen at your own pace, and comparison is the step that protects your budget before you travel. Getcarhire.com searches rates from over 500 suppliers across more than 10,000 locations, including every major Italian airport and city. Compare all the major brands and local operators side by side, see the cars for hire in Italy with the excess and insurance shown clearly before you book, and reserve with free cancellation on most vehicles and no hidden fees. For the cheapest car hire in Italy, book at the same time as your flights and avoid the July and August peak.
Heading further around the Mediterranean? Our guides to car hire in Spain, car hire in Malta and car hire in France cover the same no-hidden-fees approach across the region.
Frequently Asked Questions: Car Hire in Italy
What is the minimum age to hire a car in Italy?
The minimum age for car hire in Italy is generally 21, though some suppliers and premium categories require 23 or 25. Drivers under 25 usually pay a young driver surcharge that varies by supplier and vehicle. Always check the rental conditions for your booking.
What is a ZTL and how do I avoid a fine?
A ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) is a camera-enforced Limited Traffic Zone covering most Italian historic centres. Driving in without authorisation brings an automatic fine. Avoid it by parking at a car park on the edge of town (marked with a blue P) and walking or using public transport into the centre. Never follow a sat nav straight into a city centre in Italy.
Do I need an International Driving Permit for Italy?
UK and EU licence holders do not. Drivers from outside the EU, such as the USA, Canada and Australia, should carry an IDP alongside their national licence, obtained before travelling.
Are Italian motorways toll roads?
Most are. The autostrade (green-signed A roads) charge tolls collected by ticket on entry and payment on exit. Use the white or blue payment lanes, not the yellow Telepass-only lanes. The blue-signed state roads are toll-free.
Can I hire a car in Italy with a debit card?
Some suppliers accept debit cards but most require a credit card in the main driver’s name for the security deposit. Without a credit card the deposit requirement is usually higher. Always check the payment conditions before booking your car hire in Italy.
Ready to Find Your Perfect Hire Car in Italy?
Renting a car in Italy rewards the traveller who is prepared. Know your route, steer clear of the ZTL zones, sort your insurance before the desk, and give yourself the freedom that only renting a car in Italy gives you, to stop in the hilltop town that was never on the itinerary. Getcarhire.com compares cheap car hire in Italy from over 500 suppliers across every major airport and city, with free cancellation on most vehicles and no hidden fees. Whether you are bound for the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany or the Dolomites, your hire car in Italy is ready when you are.
