General tips

Driving in Italy

I don’t think the Italian drivers are malicious, but the ones who like to drive fast don’t like indecision on the part of the slower ones – naturally enough! They will also overtake at places that I wouldn’t consider to be all that safe, and they expect you to let them past. They also expect traffic coming the other way to slow down to let them through. They tend to see things only in terms of themselves, and have no interest or intuitions about what anyone else might be about to do.

You will also find that on the road up the valley to Colletta cars will come round corners in the middle of the road, and will be reluctant or unable to move over, forcing you to the very edge of your side of the road. I have had a few near misses, and one strike that removed my wing mirror!

Another thing. A flash of the headlights doesn't mean 'Come on', but is performed to get your attention for one reason or another. Very often that reason is something like 'Watch out! Here I come!'.

On the whole, Italian drivers are as courteous as anywhere else, but where something is at stake (like a parking spot) expect no mercy or reticence. I think it is true to say that I have never been able to outsmart an Italian in any form of competitive situation. I always get stitched up at just the moment when I am least expecting it to happen, or when I have momentarily relaxed or taken my eye off the ball!

You should always carry your driving license and vehicle registration document because the police are entitled to stop you and ask to see it. There are sometimes police lurking on the road between Martinetto and the autostrada, occasionally with a speed detector, and there is a spot on the coast road between Albenga and Alassio where they often pull cars in.

The speed limit in built-up areas is 50 km/h (~30 mph), and on the autostrada the maximum is 130 km/h (~80 mph) but 110 km/h in the wet. On other roads it tends to be 80 km/h (~50 mph).

Parking in Italy

You need to look at the colour of the markings on the road:
  • White means free. However, that doesn't always mean you can park there! There are some places where only residents can park, and these are also white because residents don't pay! There might also be a limit on the duration of your stay, in which case you should show your arrival time on the disc orario on your windscreen.
  • Blue means pay. Pay & Display - either get a scratch card from one of the nearby shops (e.g. Diano Marina), or get a ticket from a nearby machine (e.g. Alassio). You should be able to find a sign telling you the restricted hours, or the info will be on the ticket machine.
  • Yellow means no parking (except for special categories - and that's not you!)

In high season, finding a parking space in any of the towns is a nightmare. You don't really want to get a parking fine, because you have to go in person and queue up to pay it.

Journey Times

If you have to be somewhere by a given time, then there are a couple of things you ought to know.

There are times of the week and days of the year when the motorway comes to a virtual standstill in certain places. There are traffic information web sites that try to give forewarnings of such occasions and it is best to consult them. In general, at the beginning of holiday periods the queues build up going towards the French border at Ventimiglia, and at the end of holiday periods they build up going towards Savona and beyond. Fortunately, on Sundays and other holiday days lorries are banned from the motorways in Italy and France.

Another thing to beware of is that in Italy the sport of cycling takes higher priority than maintaining the flow of traffic! You will sometimes find that roads have been blocked off for a cycling tournament, or that traffic is stopped for periods of up to thirty minutes to allow a group of cyclists to pass.

Filling up

There are attendants to serve you at most of the petrol service stations, except for Sundays when they are nearly all unmanned - apart from those on the Autostrade. However, there are normally some self-service pumps that take bank notes, but not always credit cards. Note that the instructions for serving yourself will be in Italian, and the process is not all that intuitive. Best fill up on a weekday!

In some out of the way places there might not be a petrol station for miles, so it is best never to let your tank get too low.

Pedestrians

Pedestrians are very disciplined in Italy - much more so than the drivers, and maybe that's why!

You should only cross a main road at the white or yellow stripes, or at pedestrian lights (when they are green).

Don't assume in either case that cars will stop for you, but you are entitled to believe that they will at least drive round you and not run you down. Actually, it is often the case that traffic lights allow cars to filter right even though pedestrians have been given the green light to cross!