Are you planning on taking a trip to Verona any time soon? Located in the Veneto region of northern Italy, Verona is a must-visit city for any road-trip enthusiast. Practically bordering the glistening blue waters of Lake Garda, and home to William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Verona is a city steeped in rich history and set in the most beautiful Italian surroundings. The best way to explore Verona and its surrounding regions is definitely by car.
Here at Holiday Cars, we will provide you with some of the best tips for not only hiring a car in Verona but also for driving in this beautiful area: everything from parking to rules and regulations of the roads will be covered
How to Plan Your Route and Avoid Traffic in Verona
Driving Rules and Regulations in Italy
While it can be tempting to get in your hire car straight away, stick the air conditioning on, plug in your phone and get your favourite travel playlist blasting through the speakers, there are a few rules and regulations which are important to read through first before driving in Italy.
General Rules and Regulations
- The minimum age to hire a car in Italy is 18, although many companies require the driver to be aged 21 or older.
- If you find yourself in an emergency, dial 112. You do not need to enter an area code beforehand.
- You can hire a car in Italy with a fully valid UK driving licence that has been held for at least one year (even now that the UK is no longer in the European Union). Driving licences obtained in EU countries and EEA countries are also valid.
- Always carry your full, valid UK driving licence with you when hiring a car in Italy.
- Remember to drive on the right side of the road in Italy, and overtake on the left. This is the opposite of the UK.
- Do not beep the horn unnecessarily – a flash of the lights will usually suffice instead.
- Heavy vehicles – those weighing over 7.5 tonnes – are not allowed to be driven on Saturdays. In July and August, this rule applies from 07:00 – 22:00, while for the rest of the year it applies from 09:00 – 22:00.
- Wearing a seatbelt is compulsory in Italy. If you are caught not wearing one, you can be fined anywhere from €80 to €323.
- Children under 12 are not allowed to sit in the front seat of a car in Italy. Children aged between nine months and 4 years have to sit in a child seat in the back of the car, while babies under nine months old must be in a baby seat in the front of the car.
When hiring a car in Italy, it is generally given to the customer with a full tank of fuel – it is common practice and expected to be returned with a full tank once the hire period has ended.
Speed Limits in Italy
Like many European countries, the speed limit signs in Italy are displayed in kilometres per hour, not miles per hour. The same goes for distance signs, whereby the distances are displayed in metres and kilometres, rather than yards and miles.
- Residential and urban areas: 50km/h (30mph)
- Built-up areas: 50 – 70km/h (30 – 45mph)
- Outside built-up areas: 90 – 110km/h (55 – 70mph)
- Motorways: 130km/h (80mph)
How to Navigate Toll Roads in Italy
Because of its size, Italy has a huge road network. This road network involves lots of motorways, all the way from Milan and Florence in the north of the country, down to Calabria in the south. Even the island of Sicily has motorways. However, the majority of these motorways are toll roads.
The prices on these toll roads can vary, as there is not one set fee for using a motorway in Italy. For example, the fee can change depending on the type of car that you are using – a small car will be cheaper than a passenger van, for example. A rough estimate is that it will cost an average family-size car around €9 per 100km of motorway travelled on.
Many of the toll booths in Italy are operated manually – that is, a worker is in the booth and you can pay them in cash. However, some toll booths are operated and accept both cash and card or mobile payments. It’s always best to carry some cash with you in case the booths are cash only, although this is fairly unlikely nowadays.
While the road directly next to Lake Garda has no tolls on it, the major A4 motorway which leads into Verona is a toll road, so be prepared for this if you are planning on driving on the A4.
Tips for Driving in Verona
Navigation: Because Verona is such an old city, and retains much of its historical beauty, it means that many of the streets are old and narrow – built long before cars were invented. While some parts of the city itself are easy enough to drive around, navigating these narrow, old streets can be challenging. Walking through the Old Town is much more advisable than driving around it.
Rush Hours: As with most global cities, the rush hours in Verona are from around 07:00 – 09:00 and then again from 15:00 – 19:00. If you can avoid driving in these hours, you will have a much more positive experience of driving in Verona, avoiding all of the busy traffic and commuters.
Alcohol Driving Limit: While a glass of chilled Italian wine sitting by Lake Garda at sunset can be tempting, make sure that you have a designated driver before doing so. The blood alcohol limit for driving in Italy is 0.05% (0.5g per litre) for private vehicle drivers. However, the limit is a strict 0.00% for drivers under 21, drivers who have had their licence for less than three years, and professional drivers (HGV drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and more).
Vehicle Type: This is down to your personal preference, of course. However, if you are planning on mainly doing city driving, then a smaller vehicle is likely preferable. If you are planning on doing trips along the motorways to other nearby towns and cities, and exploring the Italian countryside, then a larger vehicle is going to be preferable.
Parking Options and Tips in Verona
Parking in Italy
There are some clear rules around parking in Italy, and it is made simple by the colour coding that the country has in place:
- White spaces: this means that parking is free. Usually seen in shopping centres and supermarkets.
- Yellow spaces: These spaces are reserved for those with a handicapped permit.
- Blue spaces: These spaces must be paid for. There is usually a parking meter nearby with different prices, depending on the length of the stay.
- Pink spaces: Slightly less common, pink spaces are reserved for pregnant women or for parents travelling with infants (usually under 3 years old).
Parking in Verona
Because of its medieval structure, Verona’s narrow, old streets make on-street parking quite difficult. However, there are designated parking spaces within the city, ranging from underground car parks to privately operated car parks. Many of these places are chargeable, with prices starting at around €3.
Car Hire Services and Prices in Verona
There are several car hire services in and around Verona – some operate at the Verona Porta Nuova (the city’s main train station), although the best bet is to hire a car from Verona Airport. Car hire in Verona is definitely affordable, with prices starting from as low as £4.52 per day through Holiday Cars for small cars including the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Up. Even for larger cars such as Peugeot 3008 and a Toyota C-HR, you’ll still be paying less than £16 per day through HolidayCars.
Verona Airport and Car Hire Facilities
Verona Airport is located just 10.5km outside of the city centre, and is just a 15-minute drive away (depending on traffic). While there are good public transport links into the city from the airport, the best place to pick up your hire car is at Verona Airport. There is a wide range of car hire suppliers and brands available for your needs. Compare prices on HolidayCars.com and pre-book your vehicle for the very best deals.