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Italian road rules for visitors: side of the road, autostrada and city speed limits in km/h and mph, alcohol limits, ZTL zones and IDP rules.
This explainer turns the Italian Codice della Strada into the handful of numbers a visiting driver needs: drive on the right, 50 km/h in town, 90 km/h on ordinary country roads, 110 km/h on blue-sign dual carriageways and 130 km/h on the autostrada, with the top two classes dropping to 90 and 110 in rain or snow. It applies the art. 117 neopatentato caps if the licence is under three years old, works out whether your personal alcohol limit is 0.5 g per litre or the art. 186-bis zero, and flags the ZTL camera zones that generate most tourist fines. Speeds are given in km/h and mph side by side.
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Toggles the rain reduction that takes the autostrada from 130 to 110 km/h, which visitors rarely know about.
Applies the three-year restrictions on speed and alcohol instead of quoting the adult figures to everyone.
Every limit appears in km/h and mph so a UK, US or Irish driver can read the sign and the dial together.
130 km/h, which is about 81 mph, for ordinary cars in dry conditions. It falls to 110 km/h in rain or snow, to 100 km/h for drivers whose licence is less than three years old, and to 80 km/h for a car towing a trailer. Signposted limits and the average-speed tutor sections override the default.
0.5 grams per litre of blood, roughly 0.25 mg per litre of breath, for drivers aged 21 and over who have held a licence for at least three years. Everyone else — under-21s, licences under three years old and professional drivers — has a zero limit under art. 186-bis. Above 0.8 g/l drink-driving becomes a criminal offence rather than an administrative one.
A Zona a Traffico Limitato is a camera-controlled restricted zone covering the historic centre of most Italian cities, open only to residents and permit holders during the posted hours. Every crossing is a separate fine of roughly €80 to €120, so park in a garage outside the zone and walk in, and ask your hotel to register your plate in advance if it sits inside one.
Yes, on every road outside a built-up area and in every tunnel, at all hours. Daytime running lights on a modern car usually satisfy the front requirement but not the rear, so switch on the dipped beams properly when you leave town.