Many Italian cities have localized restrictions on times when cars are allowed into the centers and where parking is allowed only to residents with a parking permit. The restrictions may depend on the day of the week, time of day and whether the date has an odd or even number.
Parking regulations in Italy
On-street parking is permitted on the right side of the road. Paid parking applies on Monday-Saturday or even Sunday, pending on the city even till midnight.Parking along blue lines means either paid parking or free parking with your blue disc. On the p-sign you can read what is applicable.
- Pay and display parking: buy your ticket from the dispenser machine and display it clearly in the front windscreen
- Blue disc parking: free parking with your international blue parking disc set to the time at parking (blue discs are available from banks, tourist offices, tobacconists and post offices)
Free and other parking zones in Italy
Parking on street with white lines means that parking is free of charge.Yellow Areas parking indicates for disabled persons only (with a disabled permit/Blue Badge) or delivery zones
In green zones parking is not permitted on working days between 08.00-09.30 and 14.30-16.00 hours.
ZONA TRAFFICO LIMITATO
Many cities and towns have introduced restricted areas (ZTL - ZONA TRAFFICO LIMITATO) in their centers where driving is authorized only to local inhabitants or to individuals destined for a hotel in the restricted zone. Pay attention to posted signs and be careful not to enter zones of limited traffic, which are marked by signs "ZTL". Most of the ZTL/zones in Italy are controlled by video cameras.If you stay in a hotel located in the "ZTL", make sure that the hotel has previously sent a fax to the local authorities providing the approximate time of your arrival by car. Check the hotel position in the internet and ask them to ensure your safe arrival to their car park.
If you pass the entrance of the ZTL zone the cameras will automatically register you. Without an authorization you will be fined.
Most of fines are a result of mistakes by unknown car drivers. Try to avoid this, it saves a lot of money.
The ZTL rules vary from city to city. In most cities, non-residents are not permitted to enter the ZTL. In Milan entrance is pending how environmentally friendly your car is.
Be careful. Once entered by mistake you will always be found, there is no way back. Tickets are issued immediately and automatically, as soon as (and each time) the car crosses the ZTL boundary and sent to the address registered with the car.
Be aware that GPS systems often cause the fine. The system does not know about ZTL zones, and will pick the shortest route, which may indeed include driving straight into a ZTL.
Some times you may not be able to avoid getting a fine. In historical centers of Italian cities it is not always possible to turn back at the entrance of the ZTL. Due to traffic, narrow or one-way streets, it may be necessary to enter the ZTL in order to leave it.
Parking for disabled drivers in Italy
The European Blue Card is valid in Italy. With this card you may park on parking spaces reserved for card holders only, but not if the space is marked with someone's name or a license plate number.Parking is not allowed on roads where parking is prohibited or in a pedestrian or ZTL (limited traffic) zone, unless the traffic signs allow this.
In most areas you must pay to park where payment is required. You may park without time limit on roads where parking is free but restricted by time.
Parking system in Italy.
If you decide to rent a car while on vacation or have recently moved to Italy, this information will be useful to you. Italy has its own special parking system. In the suburbs, everything is simple, I park my car wherever I want, like in Moscow (just don’t park it on the sidewalk, they’ll evacuate you, if you drive one wheel onto a curb, you’ll also be evacuated). In the city centers and at the entrance to them, as well as in resort areas, the parking situation is completely different. There is different color markings: yellow, blue, yellow-blue, white, pink....
So, what does each marking color mean and where can you park for free and where can you not? By the way, the fine for wrong parking costs 41 euros, if you manage to pay in 3 days, you will receive a discount and this “pleasure” will be 27 euros! You need to pay the fine at the Italian post office; if you don’t pay, you can be sure that they will charge you at the border, in which case you may have problems obtaining your next visa.
Parking lots without markings can also be paid, in which case you will see a blue or pink payment machine, or a parking attendant who collects a fee. These often happen on Lake Garda, for example. By the way, leaving your car near supermarkets and small shops here is also not possible; if you park for more than 30-60 minutes (depending on the store), you risk looking for your car in a fine parking lot.
Parking lots without markings can also be paid, in which case you will see a blue or pink payment machine, or a parking attendant who collects a fee.
These often happen on Lake Garda, for example. By the way, leaving your car near supermarkets and small shops here is also not possible; if you park for more than 30-60 minutes (depending on the store), you risk looking for your car in a fine parking lot.
The meaning of markings.
Pink markings- parking is intended for pregnant women and young mothers, it is free, the car must have a badge corresponding to the interesting position.
Blue markings- paid parking for everyone, the cost starts from 1 euro per hour and depends on the region and how crowded the parking is. There may be a sign nearby that indicates from what time to what time and on what days you can park your car in this particular place.
Yellow - blue markings - free places for residents of the area in which this marking is marked, on certain days and times, paid places for you. Days and times are indicated on signs near the parking lot.
White markings mean free parking at any time of the day or night, I hope you will be able to find it! But time and day restrictions may also be written on the sign. Look carefully.
This sign shows the parking time limit, which means that you can stand in this place for no more than one hour. There are also limits for 30/45/90 minutes. How will the police understand how long ago you parked? There should be a thing called a parking disc (disco orario) on the windshield. It can be bought at any tobacco shop (Tabaccheria). We set the time at which you arrived at the parking lot and place the disc on the windshield. Cunning people, like you and me Italians, often expose right time, winning 20-30 minutes of free parking. If there is no disc on the windshield, you will be issued a fine or the car will be towed.
A type of parking that is available everywhere in Italy. In the center of Verona, where I live, there are 3 of them on the same street. It costs several times more than parking on the street, but it also has its advantages. Firstly, you definitely won’t make a mistake with the rules and get a fine. Secondly, you can stay as long as you like, you pay upon departure. When driving in, we press the button on the parking meter, the barrier opens, don’t forget to take a ticket from the parking meter. When you plan to leave, go first to a separate standing machine payment, then into your car and when leaving, stuff the paid ticket into the parking meter at the exit barrier.
You can rent a car for your convenience below. The search form contains all the main car rental companies in Europe.
In fact, there is nothing complicated in Italian parking (except that sometimes it is difficult to find a free space), but there are still subtleties that you need to know.
Many major tourist cities have large underground paid parking lots directly next to the tourist center.
Street parking is marked with signs and markings.
The color of the parking lot markings indicates its type:
- blue markings- paid parking;
- yellow markings– parking reserved for certain categories of citizens;
- white markings – free parking.
In any case, you need to look especially carefully at road signs, which can sometimes go against the markings, but the signs have more weight.
Important traffic signs for parking in Italy
The main sign is no different from ours:
The most important information(as always in Italian and in small text) located below.
Direction to the parking lot and distance to it:
Paid parking can be identified (except for blue markings) either by the signature a pagamento:
Or at the cost indicated for the period of time (in this case, 80 cents per Cham):
The crossed hammers sign and the time period indicate that parking is only possible from Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 20.00 (for paid parking it indicates the period of time when you need to pay for parking, the rest of the time it is free).
The cross means non-working days and holidays (note that Saturday is indicated by hammers as a working day):
If neither a hammer nor a cross is specified, the restriction always applies.
This sign indicates that parking is paid at machines ( parcometro):
If you see this sign:
then it means that parking is prohibited from 7.00 to 9.00 and from 17.00 to 20.00. At other times, parking is permitted.
If a clock icon is drawn:
This means that parking time is limited.
For example, this sign says you can park for a maximum of 90 minutes from Monday to Saturday:
On other days this restriction does not apply.
Important! If there is such a sign, you must mark your arrival time in the parking lot in your car. All cars have a paper clock disk on the windshield (in some on the side windows):
Signs indicating a parking payment machine:
How to pay for parking in Italy?
If you see the corresponding signs (see above) or blue markings in the parking lot, then it is paid.
In the city, as a rule, parking is paid in the following (or very similar) machines:
Sometimes you need to look hard for the machine; they are not located at every step.
In any case, the principle of their operation is the same.
They don't give change, so have some coins ready.
Before you put coins into the machine, the current time is indicated. Place the coins one by one, the display will show how long the deposited money will last.
If you change your mind, press the red button, the machine will return all the money.
If you are satisfied with the end time for paying for parking, click the green button. After this, a ticket approximately like this will be printed (also with variations):
The main thing is that it indicates the end date and time of payment for parking.
This ticket is needed Necessarily Place it in a visible place in the car, under the windshield. This way, passing police officers can see that parking has been paid for, otherwise they will issue a fine.
This is the most common payment method.
It happens that there is an employee working in the parking lot who accepts payment and writes a check (sometimes there are scammers, it’s hard to distinguish them with the naked tourist eye).
In covered and guarded parking lots, you usually need to take a ticket at the entrance, which is then used to pay the cost of parking at machines or a ticket office.
Most tourist-oriented cities and towns have large paid parking lots in close proximity to historical centers.
Parking spaces on the streets are indicated by appropriate signs and color markings on the road.
Paid parking - marked with blue lines
In most regions, line markings of blue color indicates paid on-street parking. Next to this parking lot there is a machine or kiosk selling parking tickets.
This parking ticket will print how long you can stay in the parking lot. You need to place this ticket on the dashboard under the windshield.
This photo shows paid parking marked with blue lines in Pisa. Payment must be made at the parking machine.
Parking machine
One of the ways to pay for parking is to pay at a parking machine. If the parking lot is large enough, the machine will most likely be located in the middle of the parking lot.
The sign on the right states that parking is subject to payment from 8:00 to 14:00 (except Sundays and holidays). The rate for 1 hour is € 0.60. Payment is made at the parking machine.
This is what a parking meter might look like in Italy. Instructions for use are provided in 4 languages: Italian, French, German and English. Payment is made using coins.
The machine itself shows the hours during which parking is paid, the tariff and coins that are accepted for payment.
In order to pay for parking, you need to put in the required number of coins and press the green button. The machine will issue a ticket indicating the time until which parking has been paid for. Place this ticket on the dashboard under the windshield of your vehicle where it can be seen from the outside.
The minimum amount that can be paid is 1 hour.
Underground Parking
IN major cities available underground parking or large open parking. When entering in front of the barrier, take a ticket from the machine or from the attendants, on which the time of entry is marked.
Before leaving, you must pay for parking at the appropriate machine or ticket office. In this case, the coupon will be returned to you.
When leaving, in front of the barrier, insert the ticket into another machine, and if the payment is made correctly, the barrier rises and you leave.
Free parking - marked with white lines
In large cities, white line markings indicate free on-street parking, but this may be limited in time. The parking sign will tell you how long you can stay in that parking lot and whether you need to install a parking disc.
Set the parking disc to the parking start time and place it on the dashboard under the windshield. You must return within the time limit indicated on the sign. Additional Information In chapter
Be careful when parking in large cities, such as Florence. White lines may indicate free parking for local residents only.
Free parking - no markings
Some car parks outside cities are simply designated parking spaces. They don't have any markup and can be free.
Parking disc
If the parking sign indicates that parking is time-limited, then you will need to use a parking disc to indicate the parking start time. A parking disc can be purchased at a tobacco kiosk ( Tobacco) or at a gas station. You need to ask disco orario.
In order to use the parking disc, you need to set the parking start time on it and place it under the windshield so that the parking police can see it.
The photo shows a typical parking disc that you can buy in Italy. It is made of cardboard measuring 10x15 cm. By rotating the wheel, set the arrow so that it shows the start time of parking. In the photo, the parking disc is set to 17:00.
This parking disc is called disco orario. The time you should set on it is the arrival time.
Parking signs
Please note that the crossed hammers on the sign indicate that these restrictions apply on weekdays only and do not apply on Sundays or public holidays.
This parking sign indicates that you can park your vehicle for free for 90 minutes from Monday to Saturday, but you must have a parking disc.
He also says that parking is prohibited on Saturdays from 7:00 to 15:00 (market day), otherwise the car will be towed to a parking lot.
This parking sign indicates that it applies to the entire area and you can park your car free of charge for 1 hour from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00. A parking disc is required.
On Fridays from 6:00 to 14:00 (market day) parking is prohibited. In case of violation, the car will be towed to a parking lot.
Parking lots in different cities of Italy
Verona
There are limited parking spaces in the center of Verona. The cost of parking there ranges from €1 to €2 per hour. You can see the location of these parking lots on a map of the city center.
There are also free parking lots, but they are somewhat far from the center. The nearest one is next to the square Porta Palio.
Two more are located at the following addresses:
- on the street Sergio Ramelli(Google Maps)
- near the stadium Arena di Verona(Google Maps)
Lucca
Immediately after entering the old town through the gate Porta Vittorio Emanuele With right side There will be parking (Google Maps).
The cost of parking in autumn 2011 was € 1.20 per hour.
Florence
Parking in Florence is very expensive - from € 20 to 30 per day. Free parking is available in Piazzale Michelangelo (Google Maps).
In Florence, parking locations can be found on the website www.firenzeparcheggi.it in Italian.
Pisa
The cheapest parking was on the street Via Atleti Azzurri Pisani next to the railway (Google Maps). The walk from there to the Leaning Tower of Pisa takes about 10-15 minutes.
The cost of parking in the fall of 2011 was € 0.60 per hour, and even then only from 8:00 to 14:00. And after 14:00 it became free. Photo of the parking lot itself.
Sienna
average cost parking in Siena is € 2.00 per hour in specialized parking lots. Leaving the car for a day will cost € 35.
It’s only cheaper in the parking lot next to the station - Parcheggio Stazione (Piazzale Rosselli 1). The first hour will cost € 0.50, and the whole day will cost € 2.00. The only negative is that it is quite a long walk to the old town (about 20-25 minutes, about 2 km and uphill).
The cost of parking on the city streets is € 1.50 per hour. And only the period from 8 am to 8 pm is subject to payment. Parking is free at night.
There are also several free parking lots, but they are all quite far away - (map of paid and free parking lots).
In the fall of 2015, free parking was discovered next to the Medici fortress. Just keep in mind that during the day she is usually all busy, and free places appear in the late afternoon, when most tourists have already left Siena.
Orvieto
In Orvieto itself the streets are very narrow and you shouldn’t drive there unless absolutely necessary. In addition, the number of places on them is very limited. The location of parking lots can be found on the city map.
In the evening, after 20:00, all free space in squares and streets is filled with cars of local residents. He had to be released no later than 8:00.
Bagnoregio
Parking is located under the bridge leading to Bagnoregio. It is paid from 8:00 to 20:00. The cost is €2 for the first hour and €1 for each subsequent hour.
There is also free parking in Bagnoregio. It is located in the square next to the street Via Don S. Nello Ponziani. Its coordinates - Google Maps
Montefiascone
Free parking in Montefiascone is on the street Via del Castagno.
Lido de Jesolo
Lido de Jesolo will be of interest primarily to those who want to visit Venice, but do not want to stay in Venice itself.
Unlike Venice, where you have to leave your car in the city parking lot and get to the hotel on your own, in Lido de Jesolo it is much easier to find a hotel (like this one) with free parking.
From Lido de Jesolo you can get to Venice by water bus (30-40 minutes). Near the pier on the street Via Fausta There is a parking lot where you can leave your car for the whole day. The cost of parking in autumn 2013 was € 7 for the whole day.
Montalcino
Paid parking is located on the outskirts of the city on the opposite side from the entrance on the street Via Roma near the Church of Madonna del Soccorso. The cost of parking in autumn 2016 was € 1.50 per hour.
Considering that the town is very small and it won’t take much time to explore it, as well as to buy the famous Brunello di Montalcino wines (if desired), the cost of parking looks quite reasonable.
There is another paid parking lot in Montalcino with the same tariff. It is located next to the city fortress. But it is much smaller in area and it is more difficult to find free space.
Free parking can be found opposite the fortress at the bottom of the ravine (map). It's not that far to walk to the center from there, but you need to climb a small hill.
Another free parking area near the walls of the old city on Via di Gozzano was discovered when we made a wrong turn and drove through the center (ZTL zone), which is highly not recommended to do in a rented car. You can't drive onto it from the road, because... the traffic there is one-way.
Paid parking is located near the squares Piazza Grande on the south side of town and Piazza Minzoni G. on the north. The rate is € 1.50 per hour.
Amalfi
Amalfi is located on the very shore of the coast of the same name. Until recently, he had great difficulty parking. But a few years ago, a 4-story parking lot was dug inside the hill Luna Rossa with a capacity of more than 200 cars.
Parking is located at the entrance to the city. Parking cost in Luna Rossa is € 3.00 per hour or € 13.00 per day. You can also try to find a place at the port, but almost always all the places are occupied.
In addition to parking, a pedestrian tunnel was built inside this hill, connecting the road to Piazza Municipio in the city itself.
The Amalfi Coast is very picturesque and well worth a visit. And the road that runs along it is known as Nastro Azzurro and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
Fine for illegal parking
The fine for illegal parking in Italy starts from € 40. If, in order to remove your car, you had to call a tow truck, the amount of the fine will increase several times.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the restricted traffic zones ( zona traffic limitato). Behind every Entering such a zone can result in a fine of up to €100.
Conclusion
It is not possible to cover all the cities of Italy, but a little advice from personal experience of traveling in Italy:
- You should not look for parking as close to the city center as possible - driving through narrow streets may end up being longer than walking this distance.
- The parking lot may be busy - everyone wants to drive closer to the historical center, and during peak season it may turn out that you have to circle around the parking lot waiting for a free space.
- The closer to the center, the more expensive - by staying a little further you can save a little.
Thus, stopping a little earlier can save nerves, money, and sometimes even time.
Italy is a stunning country, with a very developed road system. The quality of highways cannot be compared with the topography of domestic roads. Of course, almost all highways have tolls, but when you pay for the toll, you really understand where the money is goingJ
But in this post I would like to draw your attention to the features parking car on the territory Italy. This text is primarily intended for those travelers who are going to rent a car and, perhaps, drive around the country or drive within one city/region.
In almost all major cities in Italy, entry into the historical center of the city is limited by a sign like this:
I highly recommend not driving under this sign, since the fines in Italy are quite high, especially by the standards of Russian motorists.
There is an opinion online that Italian police officers specifically guard careless tourists after these signs, and thus earn money for their country’s budget. However, we have never seen anything like thisJBut if you don’t see a policeman nearby, don’t rush to rejoice and enter the zone - very often after this signThere are surveillance systems that automatically photograph all vehicles driving under this sign.According to Italian laws, you can be sent a fine within 360 days - and refusal to pay it can lead to problems with obtaining a visa.
However, there is one exception that allows you to enter a restricted area. You can do this if your hotel is within the area covered by this sign. In this case, after arriving at the hotel, you must inform the hotel staff about your details. vehicle, which they, in turn, must submit to the police to include it in the list of permitted vehicles.
Sometimes under the signtrafficOlimitato There is a sign indicating at what time the sign is valid or what type of vehicle it applies to.
Crossed hammers represent working days. And next to it is written the specific time of action.
Sometimes you can see the inscription “sabato" - this is Saturday in our opinion)
Signs and markings
In almost all European countries, including Italy, there are two main types of parking - paid and free. Signs and markings will help you understand which parking lot is in front of you. In Italy we found the following options for marking lines.
Blue markings and the corresponding sign tell you about paid parking spaces. And sometimes the sign is missing.
The sign may indicate the times and days when parking must be paid for. And the tariff, usually hourly (for example, an hour of parking in this place costs 60 euro cents - tariffa oraria € 0.60)
Usually there is a parking machine for payment, on which the tariff and other parking conditions are indicated.
It accepts coins and issues a ticket indicating the time of payment and the number of minutes or hours for which you paid for parking in this place. Usually he accepts payment for a minimum of 1 hour of parking (1 hour in Italian - ora), but there are exceptions.
Paying for parking at the machine is quite simple (maximum 2 steps). First, place the required number of coins into the coin acceptor and press the required button (which one is indicated on the machine itself). The machine will give you a ticket. This coupon will need to be placed on the dashboard under the windshield of your car so that any police officer can see that you have paid for parking.
Sometimes, if the parking lot is large, it is not possible to find a machine the first time. Look carefully, it is either in the center of the parking lot or at the very beginning.
Underground
In large cities there are underground parking lots with appropriate signs. Usually there is a different payment method. When entering in front of the barrier, you need to take a ticket from the machine or from the attendants; it will have a stamp on it indicating the time of arrival at the parking lot.
Before leaving, you need to pay for parking at the appropriate machine or ticket office. In this case, the ticket will be returned to you so that you can leave. Drive up to the barrier and insert the paid ticket into the machine. If the payment is made correctly, the barrier rises and you leave.
Where is it free?
Free parking is also common in Italy. It is indicated by white marking lines and a parking sign. Very often free parking is limited in time.
In order for the law enforcement officers to determine how long you have been in the parking lot, you need to set the so-called parking disc (in Italian disco orario).
It can be purchased at T kiosksobacco or gas stations. INSixtAll rental cars had parking discs attached to the windshield. That's why we didn't buy it, but used it.
When parking where free parking is limited in time, you should set the time when you arrived and try not to violate the time indicated on the sign.
Driving around Italy is a pleasure, the main rule is attention and understanding that in Europe everything is more subject to laws than in Russia. Good luck!
N. B . If you park incorrectly, your car may be towed, and you will then be billed for the towing.
You need to drive between cities with your low beams on. All passengers, including those sitting in the back, must wear seat belts, otherwise they will be fined.
If you are stopped on the highway and want to get out, you must wear a bright green vest. If you don't wear it, you will also face a fine.
P.S. This post is based on personal experience our traveler users Alla and Sergey, if you can add something useful, we will be glad to receive any commentsJ
