If this is your first time renting a car in Italy, a few things work differently enough from what you’re used to that it’s worth knowing before you’re standing at the counter or already on the road. None of it is complicated once you know it — it’s just not always obvious in advance.
Automatic Transmission Isn’t the Default
In most of Europe, including Italy, manual transmission is still the standard rental car, and automatic often costs more and needs to be specifically requested. If you don’t drive manual, make sure your booking explicitly says automatic rather than assuming it’ll be handled at the counter — showing up expecting an automatic and getting a manual because it wasn’t specified is a genuinely common first-timer mistake, and it’s not always fixable on the spot if the automatic fleet is sold out that day.
Driving Side and General Road Feel
If you’re coming from a country that drives on the right (the US, most of Europe), Italy will feel familiar in that respect. If you’re coming from a right-hand-drive country — the UK, Ireland, Australia, Japan, and others — this is the single biggest adjustment, and it’s worth giving yourself extra caution in the first hour, particularly at roundabouts and when turning, until it feels more automatic. Beyond that, Italian driving style tends to be more assertive than some visitors expect — closer following distances, faster lane changes — which isn’t dangerous so much as a different rhythm to get used to rather than react against.
ZTL Zones Are the Single Biggest Trap
This is the mistake that catches more first-time visitors than anything else. Many of Italy’s historic centers, including large parts of Rome, restrict vehicle access by camera-enforced zones that operate on time-based rules rather than obvious barriers — meaning there’s often nothing physically stopping you from driving somewhere you shouldn’t, just an unmarked-feeling camera and a fine that arrives weeks later. Read our guide to Rome’s ZTL zones before you drive anywhere near the historic center, not after you’ve already gotten a fine in the mail back home.
Tolls Work Differently Than You Might Expect
Italy’s autostrada network is largely toll-based, using a ticket-and-pay system at booths rather than the electronic-only systems common elsewhere. Your rental company will explain how your specific car handles this — some provide a transponder, others expect you to pay manually at each toll gate. Our guide to Italy’s toll roads walks through exactly how the system works if you’re planning any real distance on the highway.
Fuel Type Mix-Ups Happen More Than You’d Think
Confirm your car’s fuel type (diesel vs petrol) before your first fill-up, not by assumption — putting the wrong fuel in a rental car is an expensive, avoidable mistake, and the labeling at Italian pumps isn’t always immediately obvious to someone used to a different system. Check your rental agreement or the fuel cap itself, and when in doubt, ask the attendant rather than guess.
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Parking Signs Take a Minute to Learn
Italian parking uses a color-coded line system — white lines typically mean free parking, blue lines mean paid parking (usually via a nearby meter or app), and yellow lines mean restricted or reserved parking that isn’t available to you at all. Misreading this is an easy way to come back to a fine or, worse, a car that’s been towed. Our Rome parking guide covers this in more detail, worth a quick read before you park anywhere unfamiliar.
A Few Things That Trip Up Almost Every First-Timer
| Mistake | The Fix |
|---|---|
| Assuming automatic transmission is standard | Request it explicitly when booking |
| Not noticing ZTL zone signage until it’s too late | Read up before driving near any historic center |
| Guessing at toll payment instead of asking | Confirm the system with your rental company at pickup |
| Not checking fuel type before refueling | Check the fuel cap or rental agreement first |
| Assuming insurance basics are automatically included | Confirm what’s actually covered before you drive off |
| Parking on a line color without knowing what it means | Learn the white/blue/yellow system before you park |
Insurance Basics You Shouldn’t Skip
Rental cars in Italy come with some baseline insurance by law, but the level of protection beyond that minimum varies significantly by company and rate, and it’s genuinely worth understanding before you’re offered add-on coverage at the counter under time pressure. Our rental insurance guide for Italy breaks down what’s typically included and where the common gaps are, so you can make that decision calmly before you fly rather than on the spot.
Documents to Have Ready
Beyond your license and ID, non-EU visitors should bring an International Driving Permit alongside their home license — not always strictly checked, but the one document that avoids any argument if it is. Our full documents guide covers everything you’ll need at the counter, worth confirming before you fly rather than discovering a gap when you land.
The Honest Takeaway
None of this is meant to make renting a car in Rome sound intimidating — millions of first-time visitors do it every year without incident. The handful of things above are simply the ones that catch people out disproportionately often, and every single one of them is avoidable with five minutes of reading beforehand. Once you’re past the first day, it stops feeling unfamiliar fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an International Driving Permit to rent a car in Rome? If you’re from outside the EU, it’s strongly recommended alongside your regular license, even if it isn’t checked on every rental. It’s a small thing to arrange before your trip and removes any ambiguity at the counter.
What’s the biggest mistake first-time renters make in Rome? Driving into a ZTL zone without realizing it’s restricted. The zones aren’t always obviously marked in a way visitors expect, and the fines arrive weeks after the trip, often as a surprise.
Is it hard to drive a manual transmission car if I’ve never done it before? It’s genuinely difficult to learn for the first time on an unfamiliar trip. If you don’t already drive manual, request an automatic explicitly when booking rather than assuming one will be available.
Do I need to worry about anything specific with fuel at Italian gas stations? Mainly just confirming your car’s fuel type before your first fill-up. Beyond that, most stations are straightforward, with both self-service and attended pumps widely available.
