How to rent a car in Italy – all you need to know

Rome, Milan, Florence or Venice? There’s no need to pick when you have your own car.
Explore more of Italy and go at your own pace with an Italian road trip holiday. Read on to find out how to rent a car in Italy and learn what you need to know about driving around this Mediterranean country.
How to rent a car in italy
Renting a car in Italy is much the same as it is in the rest of Europe. If you’re checking if there have been any changes since Brexit kicked in, fear not. As of June 2024, everything is as it was.
Whether you want to pick up a hire car from Rome Fiumicino Airport or elsewhere in Italy, it pays to be prepared. We’ve answered some of the most common questions people have about hiring a car in Italy….
What do I need to rent a car in Italy?
There’s not a lot that you need to rent a car in Italy that you wouldn’t need elsewhere. There are three main things:
1- Your driving licence.
2- Your passport.
3- A debit/credit card.
With many car hire agencies, you’ll need to show a method of payment in the same name as the passport and driving licence, but another person can make the actual payments. It’s important that the names on all three match, so if you’ve changed your name recently make sure it’s uniform across all forms of ID.
With Italian hire cars, it’s a requirement that you carry your licence, passport and insurance papers with you in the car.
Do I need an international driving permit (IDP) to hire in Italy?
No, you just need to hold a full, valid UK driving licence for at least one year to drive in Italy on a short holiday. This is the same post-Brexit.
You would only need an international driving permit for Italy if you were staying for longer than 90 days.
What is the legal driving age in Italy?
You need to be 18 years old to drive a car in Italy.
But how old do you need to be to rent a car in Italy? That varies. Some companies will rent a car to an 18-year-old but others won’t let anyone under 21. Generally, any driver under 25 will have to pay extra to be on the insurance, normally around €20 per day.
There’s no set maximum age for hiring a car in Italy, although some companies may increase the required insurance payments for drivers over 70 or 75.
What’s the deal with car hire insurance in Italy?
All vehicles in Italy must have two types of insurance: Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection. Make sure to double check, but all car hire companies in the country should offer these as standard. They’ll also offer bundle things like Fire and Third-Party Damage insurance. You can shop around for this cover to try to get a better deal, but the car hire company will put a hold on your credit card for somewhere up to €2000 just in case.
It’s important to know that Theft Protection is limited to the car itself, not its contents. If you want to cover your own belongings, something like Personal Effects Insurance or, perhaps, your travel insurance policy may cover you.
What’s the Zona a Traffico Limitato?
The Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL), which translates as a limited traffic zone, is present in around 350 cities in Italy. These zones stop non-residents entering city centres. However, there may be exceptions if you have an appropriate disability badge.
Each city has its own rules regarding times and fines, but each limited zone will be signed with the words ‘zona traffico limitato’ and a bright red circle on a white background. Generally, you’re looking at a fine between €80 and €300 for entering one of these zones
