What US travellers need to know before renting a car, and when a private driver is the smarter choice.
Quick answerYou can drive in Italy on a US licence, but you should also carry an International Driving Permit. The biggest risk is the ZTL: camera-controlled zones in historic centres where unauthorised cars are fined automatically, often months later through the rental company. For cities and the Amalfi Coast, trains or a private driver are usually easier.
By the Thrill of Italy team · Updated October 2026
A ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is a limited traffic zone, usually covering a historic centre. Entry points have cameras that record number plates. If your car is not authorised, a fine is issued automatically. With a rental car, the fine goes to the rental company first, which then passes it on to you, often with an administrative fee and often months after your trip.
Italian road rules require drivers with a non-EU licence, including a US licence, to carry an International Driving Permit or an official Italian translation alongside it. The US Embassy in Italy advises getting the permit before you leave, and rental companies may ask to see it. In the US, the permit is issued by AAA.
Motorways (autostrade) are tolled, paid at booths when you exit. Speed limits are signposted and enforced by cameras, including average-speed checks over long stretches. In towns, blue lines usually mean paid parking, white lines free parking and yellow lines reserved spaces.
You can, but it is not relaxing. The coast road is narrow and busy, parking is scarce and expensive, and in peak months a number-plate rotation limits cars on the main road on alternate days. Licensed private-hire drivers (NCC), like ours, are exempt. See Amalfi Coast tours.
For cities, the Amalfi Coast and wine regions, almost always. Our drivers hold the permits to enter restricted centres, so they can drop you close to your hotel, and nobody in your group has to skip a tasting. See private drivers and guides.
For a classic first trip, usually not. High-speed trains connect the big cities such as Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, Venice and Naples, and historic centres are best explored on foot. A car helps most for countryside stays, which is where a private driver also shines.
Train, for most city-to-city journeys: it is fast and drops you in the centre. Use a car or a driver for places the train does not reach well, such as the Tuscan hills, the Dolomite valleys and the Amalfi Coast.
Tell us your dates and what you love. A member of the team replies personally.
8 days · Florence, Chianti, Siena, Volterra
Moderate 40 to 50 km days through Chianti, San Gimignano and Volterra to the coast.
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Something else on your mind? A member of the team replies personally.
Their historic centres are ZTLs. Unless your hotel registers your plate, park outside and walk or use a driver.
For countryside stays it can be, as long as you avoid the ZTLs in Florence, Siena and the hill towns. Tastings are easier with a driver.
Fines often arrive months later, forwarded by the rental company.
Tell us your dates and what you love. Your trip designer will reply with ideas and a first proposal.
12-Day Best of Italy