Car Rental in Italy

About the country

Car rental in Italy: what you need to know

Where you rent a car in Italy is a question of geography as much as price: the airport you choose decides what you can realistically reach. From Milan — the lakes and the Dolomites; from Florence — all of Tuscany; from Catania — Etna and eastern Sicily. Below are the routes from each base, the car class that suits them, and what to watch for on the road. You can compare local rental companies on Carenzzo — many cars with little or no deposit, and a clear total price with no surprises at the counter.

One thing before the routes: in Italy you drive on the right. If you’re coming from the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa or elsewhere with left-hand traffic, give yourself the first hour to adjust — roundabouts, junctions and the gear shift on your right all take a moment to feel natural.

Where to start

Your starting point in Italy is nearly always a major city’s airport, and the choice of base determines what you’ll see.

Centre — Florence, Pisa and Rome. The most rental-friendly region in the country. From Florence or Pisa you reach Siena, San Gimignano, the Chianti wine hills and the Val d’Orcia with its cypress rows in an hour or two — the postcard views no direct train serves. The road to Cinque Terre and Lucca runs from here too. Rome holds Lazio and Umbria with its clifftop towns, and drops straight south toward Naples. If you’re unsure where to take your first car in Italy, the centre is the safest choice.

North — Milan and Venice. Milan (Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo) sits closest to lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore and, over the passes, the western Dolomites. Venice (Marco Polo, Treviso) is handier for the eastern Dolomites, Verona and the Prosecco hills. Bologna works as a third base — for Emilia-Romagna and a hop into Tuscany.

South — Naples, Bari and Sicily. Naples is the base for the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Pompeii and Vesuvius. Bari opens up all of Puglia: the trulli of Alberobello, the baroque of Lecce, the cliffs of Polignano. Catania and Palermo are the way into a Sicily loop — Taormina, Etna, Syracuse.

Destinations and routes

North (start: Milan, Venice)

Route	Distance	Drive time	Why it’s worth it
Milan → Lake Como	~50 km	~1 hr	villas, Bellagio, lakeside switchbacks
Milan → Lake Garda	~135 km	~1 hr 50	the largest lake, Sirmione, resort towns
Milan → Dolomites (Val Gardena)	~350 km	4–4.5 hrs	Alpine passes; winter tyres/chains in season
Venice → Verona and Garda	~120–140 km	~1.5 hrs	via the A4, Verona on the way
Venice → Dolomites (Cortina)	~160 km	~2.5 hrs	A27, Lakes Misurina and Braies
Venice → Prosecco hills	~50 km	~1 hr	the Conegliano–Valdobbiadene wine road

Heading north? Detailed routes, parking and current prices are on the Milan and Venice car-hire pages.

Centre (start: Florence, Pisa, Rome)

Route	Distance	Drive time	Why it’s worth it
Florence → Siena	~75 km	~1 hr 15	toll-free superstrada, Chianti along the way
Florence → San Gimignano	~55 km	~1 hr	the “town of towers,” a medieval skyline
Florence → Val d’Orcia (Pienza, Montalcino)	~120–150 km	~2 hrs	cypresses, Brunello wine
Pisa → Cinque Terre (La Spezia)	~90 km	~1.5 hrs	drive to La Spezia, then the train between villages
Rome → Tivoli (Villa d’Este)	~30 km	~45 min	fountains and Renaissance gardens
Rome → Orvieto	~120 km	~1.5 hrs	cathedral and a town on a tuff cliff

More on Tuscany — on the Florence and Pisa car-hire pages, which also cover ZTL zones and city parking.

South (start: Naples, Bari, Catania)

Route	Distance	Drive time	Why it’s worth it
Naples → Sorrento	~50 km	1–1.5 hrs	gateway to the peninsula, gulf views
Naples → Amalfi (SS163)	~60 km	1.5–2.5 hrs	a cliff road of endless bends; slow going
Naples → Pompeii and Vesuvius	~25 km	~40 min	ruins and the climb to the crater
Bari → Polignano a Mare	~40 km	~40 min	sea cliffs, the Lama Monachile cove
Bari → Alberobello	~55 km	~50 min	trulli, a UNESCO site
Bari → Matera	~65 km	~1 hr	the Sassi cave districts
Bari → Lecce (Salento)	~150 km	~1 hr 45	baroque, two seas at Italy’s “heel”
Catania → Taormina	~55 km	~55 min	an ancient theatre facing Etna
Catania → Etna (Rifugio Sapienza)	~45 km	~1 hr 15	the drive up the volcano, cable car
Catania → Syracuse (Ortigia)	~65 km	~1 hr	Greek theatre, island old town

One note on the Amalfitana: the short distance is deceptive. The SS163 is narrow, all hairpins and bus traffic, so 50–60 km easily stretches to two hours. Set off early and drive Sorrento → Salerno — your car stays on the sea side, with the most open views.

Detailed routes, stops and prices by region are on the Naples, Bari and Catania car-hire pages.

Which car class to choose

Class	Who it’s for and what for	Examples	What to keep in mind
Mini / economy (A–B)	City, tight old towns, parking, coasts	Fiat Panda, Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo	cheap and nimble; almost always manual
Compact (C)	All-rounder: motorway + hills, 2–3 people	VW Golf, Opel Astra, Fiat Tipo	the best balance of price and comfort
Mid-size / estate (D)	Long motorway legs, 4 people with luggage	Škoda Octavia, VW Passat	comfort on the road, higher fuel use
Crossover / SUV	Dolomites, Sicilian and Calabrian mountains, agriturismo tracks, winter	Dacia Duster, VW T-Roc, Jeep Renegade	clearance and confidence in the hills, but pricier
Van (7–9 seats)	Family or group, lots of luggage	VW Sharan, Ford Galaxy, Opel Vivaro	harder in narrow centres and when parking
Convertible / premium	Coasts, when the drive is the point	Fiat 500C, Mini Cabrio	seasonal and dearer — “for the experience”

A word on the gearbox: automatics are often scarce in Italy, especially in summer and in the south. Most rental cars are manual. If you need an automatic — and many visitors from the UK, US and Australia do — book early and don’t count on finding one on arrival.

Before you set off

Driving on the right. Keep right, overtake on the left, and give way to traffic already on a roundabout. On multi-lane roads the fast lane is the left one — treat it as for overtaking, not cruising.

Do you need an International Driving Permit? It depends on where your licence was issued:

Licence issued in	IDP needed in Italy?
EU / EEA (incl. UK exchange-format, Ireland)	No — national licence is enough
USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa	Yes — legally required alongside your licence (Art. 135 of the Italian Highway Code)
Any country with a non-Latin-script licence	Yes — IDP or certified translation

The IDP is not a licence in itself — it’s an official translation you carry together with your original. Get it in your home country before you travel; it can’t be issued in Italy.

Deposit and card. Many cars from local rental companies come with little or no deposit, and some are available with none at all — handy if you’d rather not have a large hold placed on your card. Exact terms show when you select the specific vehicle.

Pay in euros. At any card payment in Italy — the rental desk, fuel stations, ATMs, motorway tolls — choose to be charged in euros, not your home currency. The terminal’s offer to convert (DCC) almost always uses a worse rate.

Tolls, not a vignette. Italy has no vignette — motorways are charged by distance: take a ticket on entry, pay on exit by card, cash or Telepass. If you cross into Austria, Switzerland or Slovenia, though, those countries do require a vignette.

On the road

• ZTL — limited-traffic zones in historic centres (Rome, Florence, Bologna, Pisa). Cameras record any entry without a permit, and the fine reaches you through the rental company months later, usually with an admin fee. Park outside the zone and walk in.
• Toll motorways — charged by distance: ticket on entry, pay on exit by card, cash or Telepass. No vignette.
• Parking by line colour — blue lines are paid, white are free, yellow are for residents and services.
• Fuel — “full to full”: you collect and return the car with a full tank.

Seasons

Season	Weather	What to plan
April–June	warm, green	Tuscany, the lakes, coasts before the heat
July–August	hot, busy	coasts and islands; airport fleets go fast — book ahead
September–October	mild, grape harvest	wine regions, cities, Amalfi without the crowds
November–March	cool, snow in the mountains	Dolomites and Apennines — only with winter tyres/chains

Chosen your region and car class? Compare local rental companies and book your car in Italy on Carenzzo — a transparent price, low deposit or no-deposit hire, and pickup at airports and in the cities. All you need to book is your licence and passport.