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Driving in Italy

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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
Hey NS,

I'm going to Italy this summer with some buddies.

We start up in Venice and have to end up in Rome.

We're considering doing a road-trip from Venice to Rome and stopping to see all the stuff along the way, but I've heard that driving in Italy is SKETCH with a capital S-K-E-T-C-H.

Any thoughts, suggestions, comments?
Oct 19 2010 1:22AM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Don't drive there.  SKETCH
Oct 19 2010 1:29AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Yeah, I have heard that the drivers there are quite wild.
Oct 19 2010 1:45AM
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jblaski
Posts: 5566 - Karma: 1,078
Couldn't be any worse than driving in Utah.
Oct 19 2010 1:48AM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
cant be that bad
Oct 19 2010 2:01AM
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jibmastaaa
Posts: 395 - Karma: 13
Well, for one Venice is a FUCKING ISLAND...So how are you going to drive off of it?????? And secondly I drove in Italy a shit load, the drivers are a little crazy but its honestly not that bad unless your a vag. Plus you get from point "A" to "B" MUCH faster. So if your a man you would sac up!
Oct 19 2010 2:08AM
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WytePwrRnger007
Posts: 281 - Karma: 40
Just take the trains, thats what my family did when we were there. They're fairly simple to navigate. We did rent a car a couple places and it wasnt bad at all, but going by train seems a lot easier.
Oct 19 2010 2:41AM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
First of all Venice is a shitty place to spend any amount of time, especially if you are on a budget. Smells bad and its not that cool. Also I am guessing being from Cali that you have no idea how expensive it is to drive in Europe? Complete waste of money and time in my opinion. Plus, I am also guessing that you don't speak Italian, which is fine in bigger cities like Milan, Rome, and Bologna, but it will absolutely fuck you over when you get lost in the countryside. I have spent a fair amount of time in Italy and have learned that outside of heavily visited areas, Italians don't speak english and don't really give a fuck about you. You are much better off taking trains around Italy. There are stops from Rome to Milan that will let you see everything you want to see. Genova and Verona are both nice. Roma is the greatest city ever. Good luck
Oct 19 2010 2:42AM
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tacobellslayer
Posts: 1493 - Karma: 214
no, driving there is indeed extremely sketch. i took a cab around the almalfi coast with an well trained and experienced driver and was fearing for my life for most of the time. may depend where you are in Italy, but not all roads are up to standards there, to put it in nicely.
Oct 19 2010 2:59AM
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Steezy_IN_KC
Posts: 2033 - Karma: 1,607
I second this opinion... not only is it expensive, but there are literally NO rules of the road. I was right outside Vatican City, walking down a side walk with my whole family, when a cab came driving down the sidewalk. It nearly hit me and the 3 other members of my family.

Thats just one small incident but i don't feel like writing a novel over my 3 week vacation to Rome. Have a safe and fun trip.... Good luck.
Oct 19 2010 3:03AM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
i personally have driven in italy and other parts of europe, and its not that bad at all. just dont be a pussy. i felt more comfortable driving in italy than i do driving in the US because your completely aware and attentive the whole time cause you have to be. and so is everyone else.
but if you drive like your average american/canadian pussy driver then yes, you will have a hard time. really you just have to drive fast and aggressive as fuck, and not give a shit about pedestrians. which is the way it should be anyway.
the rest of europe is more mellow, germans are pretty crazy too. but honestly its much safer driving in these places than in the US/canada. because our driving tests are extremely easy, and for some reason its acceptable to drive around 10 under in the left lane spacing the fuck out, and our cops are dumb enough to punish the good drivers speeding instead of focusing on the people who have no clue what they are doing.


in short.. driving in italy is easy if your not a complete pussy.
Oct 19 2010 5:40AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
meh, don't drive in major cities, just park in a parkinglot somewhere on the edge of the city and take a shuttle or something or just walk....

the rest of the driving is pretty normal; it isn't like the sort of driving you see in beijing or something, they're actually quite civilized :)

just go for it; roadtrips are super fun!

also be sure to check out the italian alps !
Oct 19 2010 5:48AM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
Yeah it's not too bad... over the summer i did a road trip across Europe and italy did have the worst drivers for sure, closely followed by france! Just pay attention and expect everyone to pull out in front of you and expect to see mopeds all the time.... like someone said earlier avoid inner city driving and you'll be fine!

Also i hope you are handy with a manual transmission because most cars here in europe are manual, although you maybe able to hire an automatic of course....
Oct 19 2010 6:20AM
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stunt_ditch
Posts: 196 - Karma: 13
Driving in Italy is a blast. Hop in your tiny Opel and send it.
Oct 19 2010 8:22AM
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thugaim
Posts: 2181 - Karma: 33
Just don't drive like a pussy and you'll be fine.
Oct 19 2010 9:04AM
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Benjo
Posts: 709 - Karma: 23
Drive in south tyrol!

best place in the earth
Oct 19 2010 10:52AM
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BrewskiJr
Posts: 5738 - Karma: 1,478
As said earlier, don't waste your time in venice. There is nothing good there. Its expensive as hell, smelly, and the water is dirty as shit.

Instead, Take that time and spend it in Florence. My favorite city in Italy. There is so much shit to do there.

But be careful driving. In Italy, pedestrians can pretty much walk wherever they want and you have to submit to them. The first time I went my teacher walked across a road where a car was approaching around 50mph and didn't give the car any thought. the car slammed on the brakes and the guy acted like nothing happened. Wasn't mad or anything. Thats just how it is.
Oct 19 2010 12:25PM
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ChipSki
Posts: 327 - Karma: 34
I drove in northern italy in and around Genoa for like a month this summer during my internship. You just got to keep your wits about you. Most italians dont stop at stop signs or red lights. they will just slow down before it and then floor it if it looks clear.
Oct 19 2010 12:42PM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
driving in other countries is always so much better than the US. While it may seem hectic, you just go wherever the fuck you need to. Here it's so structured, lights, signs, paint all ruling your life.
Oct 19 2010 12:46PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
it's europe, not africa dude....

we have traffic signs and lights and shit as well ....
Oct 19 2010 1:14PM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
yea, but no one cares shit's lawless!
Oct 19 2010 1:16PM
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Dan.
Posts: 7201 - Karma: 1,126
driving in egypt was like that. no signs, no paint. Lights everywhere though, the roads were lit like daylight at night.
Oct 19 2010 1:23PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
well, if you think so, good luck; if you're lucky you'll only get a ticket and could ignore it, cause usually local police doesn't prosecute foreigners because the costs of international prosecutions are usually much higher than the initial fine, so they usually just drop it
(ie. if a belgian gets a speeding ticket in france and ignores it, 9/10 he won't ever hear a thing about it ....)

however if you get stopped by an officer, you'll have to pay instantly for any violations or if you get stopped and have some old fines you didn't pay you'll be in a lot of trouble...

wouldn't say europe is that lawless ....
Oct 19 2010 1:23PM
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pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
what the fuck are you guys talking about?

first of all, you cant drive very much in the city of venice because there are no fucking roads. i saw a boat crash while i was there though, this big power boat mowed down a gondola. it was funny because they were both only doing like 5mph and the gondola guy was shouting in italian. i dunno, i couldnt stop laughing. it was like some tony soprano shit.

in the rest of italy, however, driving is pretty normal. when i was there it didnt seem like anything ridiculous, just normal city driving. the streets are VERY tight though. theres alot of places that cars probably shouldnt go that they go in anyways. i was riding a bus and we turned down this alley and it legit hit on both sides of the bus.
Oct 19 2010 1:26PM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
I'm just basing my opinions on personal experience driving around the world. Yes, there are police, and rules of the road. But in a situation where's it obviously safe to proceed in america the sheeple will wait and wait and wait, where elsewhere in places like Mexico, Greece, Caribbean, if you need to turn go ahead drive on the shoulder past all the stopped traffic going straight and make your turn.
Oct 19 2010 1:32PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
^everything about this is so true. we were fine when we were in italy, just have to be more alert and aggressive, pretty much like anywhere else in europe.

check out portofino, i was there for a month living at a family friends house and relaxing for the summer. also you HAVE to check out cinqueterre, absolutely beautiful there.


and for those that said venice is not worth it, you obviously just stuck around the tourist attractions and didnt explore much deeper. if you go to venice, take a boat to the island of murano, that island specializes in glass blowing, and your more than likely going to see it live by just walking into one of the shops.

if your renting a car, for sure go for a drive through the alps its most definitely worth it.
Oct 19 2010 1:34PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Portofino and Cinque Terre are indeed nice. Yet I still think Vienice sucks. Murano is boring as shit. You get to see a few guys blow glass and then they take you into the shop and expect you to spend 12,000 euro on a glass frog. I did not find it fun. Also if you want beaches and chillness go to Sardenga. It one of the only places where trains are not worth it and driving is possible and it has the best beaches I have ever seen. Plus if you use Ryanair it cost 20 euro to get there. Except work on your Italian since not many people on Sardenga speak english.
Oct 19 2010 1:42PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
ok i agree to some extent. i did like venice though, it didnt smell when i was there either so that might have been a factor. i really liked Sardenga though, spend a few days there just relaxing on the beach, and the food was great!
Oct 19 2010 1:50PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Sardenga does kick ass. I cannot imagine a non-smelly Venezia. You are very lucky! I also think I was to young when I was there to care about anything but discotheques and getting laid. So that might have also been a factor as to why I didn't like it. Plus the fams all Roman so they hate every other city in Italy.
Oct 19 2010 2:00PM
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maximiliaan
Posts: 7711 - Karma: 2,857
keep driving fast and scream stronto pronto the whole time.
but its just beautyfull to drive there


remember your always 2 heads bigger than those italians so they cant do anything :D
Oct 19 2010 2:03PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
The only reason I would ever rent a car in Italy is to go to little no-name towns in the middle of nowhere, or to drive around the Dolomites.

I just got back from Italy, drove from the Venice airport to Padova, then up into the Dolomites, over Passo De Rolle, down through to Lake Garda, then to Piacenza (where we have some family) then to Milan.

That drive wasn't that bad. It's taxing on your brain because the signs are never accurate, and there aren't very defined road signs - you have to follow signs to the next town, or a town three away - basically they tell you the general direction the road goes. Sometimes you will see a sign for where you want to go, and then you have to just assume you go straight till you see the next sign, because you will pass through 10 turnabouts over 15 km before seeing another sign for where you want to head.

DO NOTTTTTTTTTTT try to drive in Rome. Drop your car somewhere else and take a train in. Downtown Rome would be hard to drive in, but not impossible. The highways outside? Holy shit. We flew into Rome and took a 10 person shuttle in that was driven by a Roman, I thought we were going to die. We almost killed several pedestrians and people on mopeds.
Oct 19 2010 2:08PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
two more things - I've heard of people buying cars then selling them when they are done with them. Could be the way to go.

And Rome is the only place I wouldn't want to drive. We drove around Milan fine, and all the other cities would not have been a problem. Highways around Rome are fucked though.
Oct 19 2010 2:12PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
i was either 17 or 18 when we went. my favorite part though was when we boarded our friends boat at portofino, took it to cinqueterre, from there we went to sardenga, and then he took us to nice where we stayed at a house our family has there. sailing the Mediterranean is the shit
Oct 19 2010 2:39PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
drove from rome to florence this summer, wasnt sketchy just dont drive like and idiot and pay attention
Oct 19 2010 2:47PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
i'd rather hang out in the amalfi coast then go to gypsy rome.

Oct 19 2010 2:50PM
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Cthulhu
Posts: 528 - Karma: 21
my grandpa goes to italy fairly often, he says that if you are parked beetween two cars they will just push and grind there way out, they use bumpers way to literaly
Oct 19 2010 3:13PM
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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
Actually,

I do realize how expensive gas is in Europe. Me being from California has nothing to do with it. And I speak enough italian to be able to get around most places and small towns in italy. But I won't be able to make an "I Have A Dream" caliber speech in Italian.


+k to all you guys for the advice.
Oct 19 2010 5:34PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
i don't know if you're speaking from experience or not. I like Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and the rest of the coast a LOT, but it's for sure touristy.

Rome is a crazy Italian experience. It's a crazy mix of every aspect of civilization, and it's been that way for over 2000 years. When I go back, I would love to go back to the coast, but if I have to choose Rome would win for sure.

OP, jealous you are able to speak more Italian. I had fun, but I studied French - I feel like being able to speak more Italian would have made it a much better experience.
Oct 19 2010 5:52PM
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thesheik
Posts: 1488 - Karma: 18
i haven't been driving for long, but when i was in italy this summer, it scared the living fuck out of me. on the highways, people drive on crazy, exposed roads at speeds i can only describe as violently buttfucking. the cities weren't too much better. from what i gathered, traffic lights were seen as suggestions as opposed to laws that were to be rigidly adhered to.
Oct 19 2010 8:11PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Well shit you are set. I wasn't trying to be offensive I was just speaking generally. Good luck with your trip.
Oct 19 2010 8:25PM
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molsongolden
Posts: 1649 - Karma: 162
gas and tolls are going to be expensive but that sounds like a good time.

i'm almost finished applying for italian citizenship /claim
Oct 19 2010 9:06PM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
I went skinny dipping in lake garda with some really hot dutch chicks at a sailing competition !! Shit was so crazy!

/massive claim!!
Oct 19 2010 9:29PM
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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
Yeah, I'm sure it will definitely make things much easier. My first languages are Mandarin and English, and when I speak italian, I throw mandarin words in the middle of sentences. You have to hear it to believe it. But I digress, any notable places to go? I've got about 2 weeks in Italy, and I'm thinking about South Tyrol for sure, But going from Venice to Milan and then down Lake Garda to Florence and then down the Almafi coast until we hit Rome.
Oct 19 2010 10:36PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
I stayed in San Martino Di Castrozza.

Benefits - it's fucking amazing. You are completely cradled in massive dolomite mountains. It's a beautiful drive and easy to get to from venice. You can drive over Passo di Rolle in or out, which is a pretty epic mountain pass, to more great views. You come out North of Trento, in a German part of Italy full of apple orchards. You should try to spend a day there to hike around if you can.

Downside - It's dead as fuck if it's not the summer or winter recreation season. When we were there, it honestly felt like a ghost town.


I would recommend staying at Ostello Dolomiti - cheap, very nice and Fredirico + Silvia are the nicest people you could meet. They will make you dinner and if you express interest, Frederico will teach you Italian recipes as he cooks them. They also speak english very well which is a nice break when you are working hard to communicate all day.


We went from Venice to SMD Castrozza, stayed there one night, then drove over Passo di Rolle to Lake Garda, Then on to Milan where we left. Check out your route to plan the best way through, Milan and Florence are both cool, but other places are cooler in my opinion. However I'm a history / art / religion buff so I was more into exploring Assisi ( a wonderful place ) than being in Milan.

Honestly, I could write pages on what I did and what I would recommend and what I would do different. If you need more info, PM me haha. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, I did pretty much everywhere you want to go.
Oct 19 2010 11:03PM
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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
Thanks a million!
Oct 19 2010 11:29PM
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