World City Guide

Getting There By Road

There are 173,000km (107,500 miles) of roads in Italy, including 6,500km (4,038 miles) of motorway, linking all parts of the country. Motorways (autostrada) are prefixed by the letter ‘A’; European roads by the letter ‘E’ and state roads are prefixed by the letters ‘SS’. Over 85% of motorways have tolls. Road signs are international and traffic drives on the right. Undimmed headlights are prohibited in towns and cities but are compulsory when passing through tunnels and, since autumn 2002, headlights are required to be turned on whenever driving on motorways or any state roads. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Passengers are required by law to wear seatbelts. The legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 90/110kph (56/68mph) on country roads, and 50kph (31mph) in urban areas. Fines for speeding and other driving offences are on-the-spot and particularly heavy. All vehicles must carry a red warning triangle, available at border posts, and a yellow or orange reflective jacket which must be worn at night or in bad visibility by motorists whose car breaks down. The latter is available at the AA shop in Dover. There is an on-the-spot fine of up to ¬138 for failing to wear it.

UK driving licences and EU pink-format licences are valid in Italy (UK green licences must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit) and a Green Card and motor insurance certificate are strongly recommended. A driving licence or a motorcycle driving licence is required for motorcycles over 49cc and the wearing of crash helmets is compulsory. Visitors should note that many petrol stations in town close between 1300 and 1500, though some now offer the self-service option payable by credit card.

The AA or RAC in Britain and the AAA in America have reciprocal agreements with the Automobile Club d’Italia – ACI, Via Marsala 8 (tel: (06) 49981; website: www.aci.it), who provide a useful advisory service as well as dealing with breakdowns.

Emergency breakdown service:
ACI 803 116

Routes to the city: Rome is encircled by a network of motorways. The A12 leads into Rome from the west and the A24 from the east. Ciampino Airport is connected to the city by Via Appia Nuova (SS7). The A1 runs between Rome, Florence and Milan, while to reach Venice, drivers should turn off the A1 at Bologna and take the A13.

Driving times to Rome: From Florence – 2 hours 30 minutes; from Milan – 6 hours; and from Venice – 6 hours.

Coach services: Eurolines Italia (tel: (199) 184 616; website: www.eurolines.it) runs international coaches, with connections to cities throughout Europe, such as London (via Paris). There is no central coach station in Rome, so coaches depart and terminate in front of Tiburtina train station, Via Tiburtina (metro stop Tiburtina). Domestic coach services covering northbound routes terminate outside the metro stations of Lepanto, Ponte Mammolo and Tiburtina, while those covering southbound routes terminate outside the metro stations of Anagnina and EUR Fermi.