Vatican City Italy
Vatican City 
ItalyLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Vatican City and Italy share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Italy
- ZTL (limited-traffic) zones in city centres are camera-enforced — heavy fines.
- Headlights required on motorways at all times.
- Carry a reflective jacket and warning triangle.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; zero for drivers under 21.
What to see when you arrive in Italy
- the Colosseum in Rome
- the canals of Venice
- Florence's Duomo and Uffizi
- the Amalfi Coast
- the ruins of Pompeii
Once you're driving in Italy
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
EU/EEA licences are valid as-is; drivers from the USA, Canada, Australia and most other non-EU countries should carry a 1949 or 1968 International Driving Permit together with their home licence. The IDP is a translation, not a substitute, and both documents must be presented on demand.
Tolls & road charges
Most autostrade are tolled by distance: take a ticket at the white-signed entry and pay on exit by cash or card (Carte/blue lanes) or via a Telepass transponder in yellow lanes. Use Telepass lanes only if your rental includes the device; a Milan-Rome run costs roughly EUR 40-45.
Parking in the cities
Kerb lines signal the rule: blue lines are paid (meter or app, often EUR 1-3/hour), white lines are free, and yellow lines are reserved (residents/disabled). Pay at the parcometro or via apps like EasyPark; illegal parking risks fines and removal (rimozione forzata) by carro attrezzi.
Fines & camera enforcement
Urban speeding fines start around EUR 45 and rise steeply on highways; handheld phone use is roughly EUR 165+ and can mean a licence suspension. Camera and ZTL fines arrive at the rental firm and are billed to you months later with an admin fee; a ~30% discount applies if paid within 5 days.
If you have an accident
Call 112 for emergencies; police must be alerted if anyone is injured. For minor damage complete the CID/constatazione amichevole (European Accident Statement) signed by both drivers, photograph the scene, do not move vehicles if there are injuries, and report it to the rental company promptly.
Driving in the capital
Rome, Florence, Milan, Bologna, Naples and Turin enforce camera-controlled Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL) zones in historic centres during set hours; entering without a permit auto-generates a fine from about EUR 80-100+. Confirm any hotel-arranged ZTL permit before driving in, as cameras catch you instantly.
Sources: finalrentals.com · adagioumbro.it · cover4rentals.ie · europa.eu