Highways and Roads Highway
There is an extensive and well maintained road network. Tolls are charged on the autostrade (highways). As in the rest of continental Europe, vehicles travel on the right and overtake on the left. The wearing of seatbelts is compulsory for front and back seat passengers as well as for the driver. The use of portable telephones is prohibited if they require intervention by hand to function.

Highways and Roads Highways are indicated by the letter "A" followed by a number written in white on a green background. They are almost all subject to tolls, except for some brief stretches, especially approaching urban areas. Tolls are paid in cash at highway exit points. It is also possible to pay by Viacard Telepass cards (systems that make automatic payment possible without stopping at the toll booths) or Viacard a highway toll payment card which can be bought, at a value of either 50,000 or 90,000 lire, on the highway, in many banks or in ACI offices.

ACI Services
In addition to the road assistance responding to phone number 116, ACI also provides motorists with a Centro Assistenza Telefonica (CAT Phone Service Center).This center has a multilingual staff that can answer in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch.
The CAT is on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year. By calling 06 4477, one can receive updated information on the road and weather conditions, highway tolls, ferries, tourist itineraries, mileage distances, customs formalities, currency, and automotive procedures. Automobile Club d'Italia has its own offices in each Province, the Head Office is in Via Marsala 8 - 00185 Roma, Tel. 06 49981, Fax 06 49982469.
ACI provides complete car service throughout the country. Calls for assistance can be made 24 hours a day by calling 116 or by using the emergency booths located every 2 km along the roadway, They have buttons with a wrench symbol, to be used in the event of a breakdown, and with a red cross symbol for a first-aid emergency.

Service areas are very frequent along all of the highways. The rest stops are always open, and, in addition to refueling, they also offer other services such as restaurants, bars, information offices, and banking windows.

Gasoline
Gasoline is called "benzina", unleaded gasoline is benzina senza piombo and diesel is gasolio. Almost all the service stations in the country are equipped with pumps for lead-free gasoline (95 octane) and diesel fuel. Service stations are open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. They follow a shift system on weekends and holiday.

Driving License Regulations
Italy recognises driving licenses and other traffic documents that are valid in other countries. U.S. and Canadian driving licenses are valid in Italy but the license must be accompanied by a translation. For motorists not in possession of an International Driving license, the ACI (Automobile Club Italiano) will issue a declaration upon presentation of a U.S. or a Canadian license. The declaration is obtainable at any ACI frontier or Provincial office for a small fee. Seat belts are compulsory in Italy.

Practical Information
ANAS (the state organization responsible for the roads), in cooperation with the police and the Società Autostrade, provide information about traffic conditions on the main roads and highways. In addition, Onda Verde is a daily radio bulletin with information about roadworks, delays and weather conditions. The use af snow tires is allowed between November 15 and March 15. In some regions is obligatory to keep snow chains in the car during winter.

Traffic Tips
Speed limits are fixed at 50 km (31 miles) per hour in urban areas, 90 km (56 miles) per hour on secondary and local roads, 110 km (68 miles) per hour on main roads outside urban areas and 130 km (80 miles) per hour on highways, with penalties for violation in proportion to the amount of the excess.
On highways (autostrade): no U-turns are permitted and stopping is permitted only in emergency parking areas or parking lanes. The Italian Highway Code follows the Geneva Convention and Italy uses international road signs. Driving is on the right, passing on the left. Violators of the highway code are fined; serious violations may also be punished by imprisonment.
Lanes: On three-lane roads, the middle lane is reserved for passing, which must always be signalled in advance with the directional signal which must be kept on while passing.

Motels Along the Road
Italy has an extensive network of motels that provide motorists with modern and comfortable accommodation, parking facilities and delicious regional food. Many motels also have swimming pools, private beaches, tennis courts, small parks and gardens. The main motel chain on the superhighway network is AGIP (some are part of the Forte group).

RULES
There are some people who say Italians do not know how to drive are measuring them by the wrong yardstick. They have a very controlled abandon to their driving. I will comment on eight statements that are common among those Americans who think Italians are crazy drivers.

1. 'I wish they would not get so close.'
2. 'They keep cutting me off.'
3. 'They almost ran me over.'
4. They ignore stop signs and traffic lights.'
5. 'They have itty bitty cars.'
6. 'There is no place to park.'
7. 'They do the strangest things on the highway.'
8. 'I would just get lost.'

1) 'I wish they would not get so close.' Italians drivers are much more comfortable driving much closer than is typical in America. 'An inch is as good as a mile' is easily translated into 'A centimeter is as good as a kilometer,' and they think nothing of getting that close. If you know to expect this and do not panic, you will be fine.

2) 'They keep cutting me off.' When driving in Italy, your responsibility is to those in front of you and those to your side. They rarely use their rear-view mirror. If there is an opening in front of you, it is your obligation to fill it, or someone will fill it for you. (See rule 1 for how little distance in front of you is necessary for this to happen.) You learned in driver's ed. that you should have one car length for every 10 m.p.h.. This will never happen in Italy except on the most deserted roads.

3) 'They almost ran me over.' To which the Italian might respond, "I didn't, did I?" When you, as a driver, encounter pedestrians, they are to walk as straight as possible and you are to avoid them (see rule 1). I call this 'the pigeon in the piazza' effect. Try walking or even running through a flock of pigeons. The pigeons are everywhere and they are close, but they never hit you unless you stop quickly. This is exactly opposite of, for example, New York cabbies, who drive absolutely straight and the pedestrian has the responsibility to avoid the cab.

4) 'They ignore stop signs and traffic lights.' This is a slowly fading myth. As less and less traffic is allowed in the center of the cities (don't even think of driving in Florence: you cannot get closer than a mile from anything historic by car), the Italians are obeying traffic signals more. It is clear why; streets are wider outside of the center, traffic is increased, and only major intersections have lights. No one would zip through an intersection that has a lot of traffic going through it. You may see traffic violations more often than in America, but the last time I was there, I did not see anyone driving in the bus lanes or driving through a red light through traffic. However, it is foolhardy to go through an uncontrolled, blind intersection quickly without at least a look or a small toot on the horn.

5) 'They have itty bitty cars.' Another slowly fading myth. The subcompact is the norm, but you will have to look hard these days to see what I was told was the 'typical Italian car', a 500 cc Fiat. As Italy has gotten more affluent, cars have been getting bigger, and you will be hard pressed to rent a car with less than 750 cc's. The 750 cc Fiat Panda that I drove could make it up to 85 m.p.h. on a straight flat road with three people and luggage. It had trouble up mountains, and it had a bit of sway in the curves, but it was quite serviceable.

6) 'There is no place to park.' This is not a myth. However, it is not as bad as you would think. There are usually large parking areas outside of the center of cities. And within cities, what makes for an acceptable parking place may be called a sidewalk in America. I have been told that the typical evolution of a parking space in Italy goes as follows.

"People are walking in the middle of the street because cars are parked directly next to buildings.
A sidewalk is made.
The cars park on the sidewalk.
A government employee is paid to collect a parking fee from those on the sidewalk.
Go to point #1. "
Still, because of parking and driving restrictions in the Triad, if time does not permit you to visit the smaller cities, towns and the countryside, I would suggest you forgo a car and stick to the train.

7) 'They do the strangest things on the highway.' What we consider strange is a consequence of the wider variety of vehicle powers, and what constitutes courtesy while passing. Some smaller vehicles that would never be allowed on American Interstates are found on the Autostrade at restricted speeds (80 or even 60 km/h; approx. 50 and 38 m.p.h., respectively). For most cars on most of the Autostrade, the speed limit is 100 km/h (61 m.p.h.). This is as widely ignored as our speed limits are. Above what we would consider 'reasonable speeding', Mercedes, BMW's and Alfa Romeo's go as fast as their engines will allow. To deal with this there is a four-step protocol for passing and being passed.

If being passed, you should put the right set of tires on the shoulder, if at all practical. This makes two lanes three. I have been able to pass on two lane roads in Italy with traffic approaching because the approaching car put their right wheel on the shoulder, too. This action is not for the unfamiliar or the faint of heart.
If you are passing, but intend to maintain speed, and return to the right (most of us), you should leave your left turn signal on until you are ready to return to the right when you change to your right turn signal.
If you are traveling in the left lane, and intend to go as fast as your car allows, do not put on your turn signal.
If you are in the left lane, approaching someone from behind who is going slower and you have no turn signal on, flash your lights at them. It is their responsibility to get out of your way. If you are on the receiving end of one of these 'light horns', act quickly or you will get run over. This is particularly frightening when going through a tunnel on a bright day, you cannot see the lines on the road well and someone comes up from behind.
8) 'I would just get lost.' You are right, but this should not overly upset you. You should not keep so tight a schedule that getting lost will harm you too much. Violent crime in Italy is very low, so, as opposed to America, being lost in a city is not a threat to life or limb. Besides, being lost can be scheduled in. A good estimate is that getting lost the first time will cost you about 20 minutes and any more after that will cost about 15 minutes. The more important time is, the more 'losts' you schedule in. Hotel reservations should have a 'three lost' cushion (50 minutes). Getting to a museum when it first opens needs only a 'one lost' cushion (20 minutes). So what if you get there early? Find a gelateria and have a two scoop lemon ice cream, or take a chair and have a Campari and soda or just sit in the piazza and watch children chase pigeons.

Your best defense against getting lost is getting good maps. Maps of Italy and the Triad often can be found in map stores, bookstores or from the AAA. Maps of smaller cities and detailed maps of cities are usually better in a tour book such as Michelin's Green Guide. Obviously, if you can get there, an information station is your best bet for a map of a particular town.

It is best if one person has responsibility for the safety of the car and the other for getting it places. One driver and one navigator at a time, please. Any brief foray into the other's responsibility should be as a suggestion, not a command nor a criticism. If you get lost, or if the map of Assisi clearly designated a staircase as a street, try your best to deal with it gracefully. Couples, if your relationship cannot handle this type of pressure, take a train or bus.

There are things you can do to get un-lost. If in a small town, try going in one direction or downhill. Eventually you will come to the city wall or a dead-end. If at the wall, go one direction until you come to a gate. Gates are always on maps. If instead you come to a dead end, go back to where you started and try to retrace your steps. For example, my wife and I found ourselves in a small piazza with a church in a quadrant of Siena. Even now with maps, I have never unambiguously identified it. We vainly tried to retrace our steps, and by chance at one point we saw the city wall. By the time we got to the wall, we saw the Roman Gate. From there we decided to go around the city, rather than through the city, to get to the parking lot near the Fortezza Belvedere and Saint Catherine's house.

Another way to deal with being lost is to get directions from a native. This provides some problems as the more you need a car to get someplace, the less likely the natives will speak English. To help yourself, learn the words for:

Numbers

1. uno
2. due
3. tre
4. quattro
5. cinque
6. sei
7. sette
8. otto
9. nove
10. dieci

• to the left: a sinistra
• to the right: a destra
• to the north: a nord
• to the south: a sud
• to the east: a est
• to the west: a ovest
  
• The words translated, straight-ahead, "diretto" or "avanti" have little meaning in towns and cities, but are often used. In fact, I was told that I should go "diretto" at a place that turned out to be a Y in the road. Help those who are helping you. Have a map, a small pad of paper and a pencil at the ready.
• Remember: Picture = 1000 words.

Caveats and Helpful Suggestions

It is true that Italian roads are not as safe as American. To give some of you a scale to work from, Italian drivers are a little worse than Boston and Memphis drivers, but I do not think they would be particularly noticeable in those cities. But, just as in any road trip in America, accidents can happen and we can only hope if they do, that they are not too serious.

In good conscience, I must mention that much of this discussion is thrown out the window around Naples. By Italian standards, the Neapolitans are rude and reckless drivers. Two examples. When attempting to pass, not only will they not get out of the way (see rule 7, 1), they will try to block you from passing. Around Naples, there seem to be scams where tires are punctured. While some helpful native is helping you, his buddy is helping himself to your luggage. To get to some places, for example Pompeii, Naples cannot be avoided. Even saying this, you may consider the drive along the Amalfi coast, and a night in Positano or Ravello, to be worth the hassle of Naples.

The A.C.I. (Italian Auto Club) has a nationwide roadside assistance number with English speaking operators. Call 116 on any phone, twenty-four hours a day. For medical emergencies call 113. I have been fortunate enough to not need their assistance, so I can comment neither on the benefit or efficiency of the service.

Gasoline stations are often closed over lunch (1:00-3:00 P.M.). This may be an inconvenience on the road. Closed stations some times have self-serve pumps that you feed money into. Be sure to be correct about how much you need and how much it will cost. A miscalculation can leave a couple of dollars in their tank and not yours. Listen to the voice of experience.

The roads out of major cities to the beach and to the mountains, typically, are overloaded on the weekends in the summer and in all of August. These are the times that driving in major cities (those few places that it is allowed) probably is practical. Also, their holiday are not our holiday. They are 1 Jan, 6 Jan, Easter Monday, 25 Apr, 1 May, 15 Aug, 1 Nov, 8 Dec, 25 Dec and 26 Dec. Avoid driving in cities during holiday if you do not want to be caught on one side of a parade with your hotel on the other side (again, sorry personal experience).

What should you do?

Like so much in life, many things are out of our control this close to your vacation time. You need to ask yourself, seriously:
How much time you have to spend? The longer you have, the more a car makes sense, especially if you want to go out of The Triad of Rome, Florence and Venice.
Can you can drive a manual transmission? If you do not, you will pay a premium for an automatic.
Are you alone, a couple, with children or with a group? The more people you have and the less comfortable they are on trains and busses, the more useful a car is.
How much adventure can you handle? One person's hectic and lost is another person's fun and adventure.
Realize life's limitations. This does not mean you should add other peoples' limitations to your own.

The soil of Italy grew layers of civilization, and still grows marvelous foods and delectable wines. No doubt, some of the best of Italy resides in Rome, Florence and Venice. But the soil that allowed these beauties to arise has many other flowers there for the picking. You need only allow yourself to do it.