Driving a car in Tuscany

If you choose to travel to Tuscany by car or if you fly to Tuscany and use a rented car to explore Tuscany, some of the following tips are interesting to know.

It is compulsary, also during the day, to drive with your car lights on, even though many other cars don't have their lights on. In Italy, as in many other countries, you need to use your cell phone with a hands free system, even if almost everybody seems to use the cell phone while driving. And most traffic rules in Italy are no different than in most other countries, even if it doesn't seem so. 

Bare in mind that Italians think that only they are allowed to interpret traffic rules as they please (and not foreigners). In traffic foreign number plates have the same effect on some Italians as a red rag to a bull. If you think of it, you are on holiday and the Italians probably aren't. So they may be in a hurry while you are not. Nevertheless most Italians are very friendly and helpful, even if most of them only speak Italian.

ZTL

Watch out for ZTL signs in the city centres. In a ZTL area (Zona Traffico Limitato) there are access restrictions. You are not allowed to enter a ZTL area - even if you see other cars (mostly Italians) entering these areas - unless you have a special permission (eg. a residents permission). If you stay in a hotel inside a ZTL area you can obtain a temporary permission at the hotel reception. When you drive into a ZTL area, eg. In Florence, a camera takes a picture of your number plate and if you didn't have a valid permission, after a few months you receive a spicy bill at home.

And finally, attention for drinking and driving in Italy. As in many other countries driving under the influence (+0,05%) is by law considered a criminal offense.


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