Page 633 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

TR A VEL INFORM A TION  631

may be reserved for devices. Leave your car in a
residents’ parking guarded car park whenever you
(marked riservato ai can. Be especially careful driving
residenti). Most at night, when Italian driving is
towns have metered more cavalier than usual, and
Logo for international car hire company Europcar parking areas that when many traffic lights switch
charge an hourly to flashing amber. Hitching
fee, paid with coins, cards or (autostop) is not a good idea
Car Hire coupons bought from tabacchi. (and is not common), certainly
Car hire (autonoleggio) is Cars can be towed away or never for women on their own.
expensive in Italy, and should be clamped, especially in areas
organized beforehand through marked zona rimozione, DIRECTORY
fly-drive deals or pre-booked particularly on street-cleaning
with firms who have branches in days. Call the municipal police Car Hire
Italy. For on-the-spot hire, Italian (vigili) to retrieve your car. Avis
firms may be cheaper than big Tel 06 45 21 08 391.
international names. Agencies ∑ avisautonoleggio.it
are listed in Yellow Pages (Pagine
Gialle) under Autonoleggio. Most Europcar
airports conveniently have car Tel 199 30 70 30.
hire offices on site. ∑ europcar.it
To rent a car in Italy you must Hertz
generally be over 21 (and Tel 199 11 22 11.
sometimes older) and have held ∑ hertz.it
a valid driver’s licence for at Maggiore
least a year. Visitors from outside Tel 199 15 11 20.
the EU require an international ∑ maggiore.it
licence, though in practice not
all hire firms insist on this. Check Sixt
the small print of the agreement Tel 06 65 21 11 (Rome).
∑ sixt.it
for insurance cover.
Emergencies
Official parking area patrolled by attendant
Accidents and ACI emergency
Breakdowns Tel 80 3116. ∑ aci.it
Safety
If you have an accident or a Police
breakdown, switch on your Car theft is rife in Italy. Never Tel 112 or 113.
hazard warning lights and place leave anything in your car, and
a warning triangle 50 m (164 ft) (if possible) always remove Ambulance
behind your car. Then (for radio-CD players and sat-nav Tel 118.
breakdowns) call the ACI
emergency number (803 116) Distance Chart
or the emergency services
(112 or 113). The ACI will tow Rome 10 Distance in kilometres
any foreign-registered car free 286 10 Distance in miles
to the nearest ACI-affiliated 178 Ancona
garage. They also do free repairs 748 617 Aosta
for members of affiliated 465 383
associations, such as the AA 383 219 401 Bologna
and RAC in Britain. 238 136 249
645
494 449 280
If you have an accident, keep 401 307 279 174 Bolzano
calm, and do not admit liability 278 262 470 106 367 Florence
or make any statements that 173 163 292 66 228
might incriminate you later. 510 506 245 291 422 225 Genoa
140
315
152 181
317
262
Simply swap car and insurance 601 614 1220 822 1097 871 1103
details, names and addresses. 373 382 758 511 682 541 685 Lecce
575 426 181 210 295 299 145 1029 Milan
357 265 113 130 183 186 90 639
Parking 219 409 959 594 856 489 714 393 786 Naples
Parking in most Italian cities and 136 254 596 369 532 304 444 244 488
673 547 110 332 410 395 170 1150 138 884
large towns is a problem. Many 418 340 68 206 255 245 106 715 86 549 Turin
historic centres have restricted 530 364 442 154 214 255 397 967 273 741 402 Venice
daytime access and baffling 329 226 275 96 133 158 247 601 170 460 250
one-way systems. Other areas
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