ITALY | Travel | Cultural information
Official Holidays
Italian holidays are:
Christmas
January 1
January 6 (Epiphany)
Easter: Easter Monday
April 25 (Liberation Day)
May 1 (Labour Day)
June 2 (Republic Day)
August 15; November 1 (All Saints Day
December 8 (Immaculate Conception).
Speed limits on Italy's roads
- 130 km/h (81 m.p.h.) for all cars and motor vehicles over 1100 cc. on the Autostrade
- 110 km/h (69 m.p.h.) for all cars and motor vehicles up to 1099 cc. on the Autostrade
- 90 km/h (56 m.p.h.) for all cars and motor vehicles on main state and rural roads
- 50 km/h (30 m.p.h) for all cars in cities and towns
Things to note
The Italian highway code conforms to the Geneva Convention and Italy uses international road signs. Driving is on the right and passing is on the left. On the Autostrade, no u-turns are permitted. Stopping is permitted only in designated emergency parking areas. All vehicles are required to keep their low-beam headlights on at all times while on the Autostrade. The center lane of three-lane roads is reserved for passing.
Seat belts are mandatory. A helmet is mandatory for motorcycles and scooters. In southern cities car horns are frequently used and some drivers do not use their seatbelts.
Accidents & Breakdowns
In case of an accident or breakdown on any Italian road, proceed to the nearest telephone and dial 116 for (multilingual) assistance. On the Autostrade, emergency telephones are placed every 2 km.
Tolls
Most of Autostrade are toll roads and the cost varies depending on the distance you've traveled between toll booths. Toll tickets may be obtained upon entering the Autostrade system and paid in cash upon exiting. However, the easiest way to pay tolls is to use a credit card. At automatic barriers, the card is inserted into a slot on the toll machine and a receipt is printed. Tolls can also be paid with a Viacard. Drivers can purchase a €25 Viacard from toll booths, banks and tourist offices.
Taxis
Italian taxis are different colours depending on the town (usually white or yellow). Avoid paying your fare with large bills - invariably, taxi drivers claim that they don't have change, hoping for a bigger tip (stick to your guns and give only about 10%). Don't count on hailing a taxi on the street or even getting one at a stand. If you're going out phone for yourself.