Travelling to Italy with the Smartest Deal

Are you going on holiday to Italy by car? Then check these tips (completely updated for 2019) so that you can be well prepared on the road. This way the holiday starts immediately when you get behind the wheel!

If you rent a car after arrival in Italy, then read on. A number of tips are therefore also useful for you to know. For the Tours of Italy these are the options that you can opt for now.

Ready to go?

A few weeks before departure we always go through this checklist. This way you still have all the time to resolve any missing issues. First of all: take out good insurance, both for the car and for the trip as a whole. If you have not yet taken out insurance or you are in doubt about the content of your insurance, it is worth taking the time to take it. Nowadays you can compare your car insurance very easily and quickly online.

Provide a warning triangle and safety vests (for both the driver and passengers) in the car, which is mandatory in Italy.

It is forbidden in Italy (just like in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France and Belgium) to provide your navigation with speed camera signage. That can cost you a hefty fine, so it is better to completely remove this before departure. You can opt for the Italian Tour Guide for this deal.

Vignette for Austria and / or Switzerland

Also make sure you have a vignette in time for your trip through Switzerland or Austria. This is mandatory – before you cross the border, the sticker must be on the windshield (and if you travel with a caravan, it must also have a separate vignette).

For Switzerland there is only one vignette that is valid for one year. For Austria there are three types of vignettes (for ten days, for two months and for one year).

Passes and tunnels

• Before you feel the southern warmth of Italy, you have to go through a tunnel or pass. Often a reason for hours of delay and annoyance. Fortunately, that can be done differently.
• You then pay the toll (€ 9.50), after which your license plate number is saved. When you arrive at the Brenner Pass, you can take the special bypass and bypass all those yellow license plates to your right. Don’t forget to wave.

Unfortunately, there is no fast pass for the Gotthard tunnel. The most important advice here is that you don’t go out like many others do. For example, do not leave immediately when the holiday starts, but avoid the Fridays and Saturdays in the high season. Being at the tunnel early is also a solution, for example if you spend the night in southern Germany.

Think: from Basel it takes another two hours before you reach the tunnel.

On busy days the waiting time can increase enormously. A useful calculation is that one kilometer of traffic jam for the tunnel means about ten minutes of waiting time. If the waiting time increases too much, then the detour via the pass is worth considering. Once in the Gotthard tunnel you can tune into the special radio channel, which points out the rules, the safety and in between soothing music. That way, those sixteen kilometers are over!