Driving in Tucany is hazardous to your health! Although most people believe this is the case, in reality drivers in Tuscany (and Italy in general) follow the road rules and are very patient with foreign drivers… NOT!!
When driving in Tuscany the important rules to remember are:
When driving in Tuscany the important rules to remember are:
- The guy behind you is not tail-gating you because he hates you.. it’s just the way they drive. Either learn to ignore it or don’t drive in Italy. In most cases, he is there waiting to pass you and the next chance. Italians are famous for passing on roads most Americans would never dream of passing another car. When he starts to pass you just slow up a little and let him by.
- Traffic circles are there to help the flow of traffic.. not STOP the flow of traffic. Learn how to enter (yield to traffic on the circle) and exit (from the right lane ONLY) the proper way and you’ll be fine. Better to go around a few times looking for the right exit then to stop mid-stream and block traffic. Your fellow drivers will be quite upset and it really is very dangerous to stop.
- Follow the signs.. easier said than done. Most foreign drivers are completely confused by the abundance of signs on the the traffic circles and it’s very understandable. Probably 80-90% of the signs are for advertising, pointing in the direction of a restaurant, hotel, club, etc. These signs are always printed in BROWN. Ignore these brown signs, unless you’re looking for restaurant or hotel, and you’ll be way ahead of the game. The other thing to know is that most signs do not refer the road by number, although that is changing now, but rather point you in the direction of town. Know where you are going and the other towns along the route and you should have no problem getting there.
- Obey the speed limit.. take your time and relax. It’s tempting to ‘put the petal to the metal’ like the locals but I would not encourage that, besides from being dangerous there are many speed checks along the highways and even on local roads. Many of the speed checks are fixed and the locals know where they are and slow down just in time. Take your time, enjoy the scenery, be safe and in the process avoid a stiff fine.
- Park in designated parking places only.. unless visiting the local impound yard is on your ‘things to see’ list. The parking signs in Italy can be very confusing at times. If you’re not sure don’t park there. Sounds simple but you’d be surprised how many people ignore this simple rule and end up being towed or fined.
Driving in Italy is really no different than driving anywhere in the world. Take your time, obey the rules and you’ll be fine. I wouldn’t visit Tuscany without a car unless you’re staying in Florence or another city and don’t plan on leaving. There are too many sites to see that without a car are very difficult to get to.
