Getting to Rome by Car
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There are over 300,000km (185,000 miles) of roads in Italy, including over 6000km (3700 miles) of motorway, linking all parts of the country. Motorways (autostrada) are prefixed by the letter 'A'; European roads by the letter 'E' and other roads are indicated by numbers only. Many motorways have tolls.
Road signs are international and traffic drives on the right. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. 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. Undipped headlights are prohibited in towns and cities, but are compulsory when passing through tunnels. Many petrol stations close between 1200 and 1500. All vehicles must carry a red warning triangle, available at border posts. A green card and motor insurance certificate are strongly recommended. UK driving licences and EU pink-format licences are valid in Italy but UK green licences must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit. National stickers are compulsory. A driving licence or a motorcycle driving licence is required for motorcycles over 49cc and the wearing of crash helmets is compulsory. Passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. The legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.08%.
The AA or RAC in Britain and AAA in America have reciprocal agreements with the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), Via Marsala 8 (tel: (06) 49981 or 4477), who provide a useful advisory service as well as dealing with breakdowns.
Emergency breakdown service:
ACI 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).
Driving times to Rome: from Florence - 2 hours 30 minutes; from Milan - 6 hours; and from Venice - 6 hours.
Coach services: Eurolines Italia (tel: (06) 440 4009; website: www.eurolines.it) run international coaches, with connections to cities throughout Europe. There is no central coach station in Rome so coaches depart and terminate in front of Tiburtina Train Station.
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.
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