Renting a Car in Italy as an American: IDP, Insurance & ZTL

Your US driver's license and the International Driving Permit

Article 135 of the Italian Highway Code (Codice della Strada) lets visitors with a non-EU license drive in Italy if they have not been resident for more than a year and carry, with the license, an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an official Italian translation. Under the same article, driving without the IDP or translation means a fine of €408 to €1,634.

The IDP only works alongside your state license, so keep both in the car, with your passport.

At a AAA branch you bring the application, your license, two passport photos and the fee; AAA also takes applications by mail and online, and says to allow at least five days for online orders to arrive.

Rental companies add their own rules. Auto Europe, for example, says an IDP is required in Italy for drivers with a foreign license, and that you do not need to be a AAA member to get one.

What insurance comes with a rental car in Italy

Third-party liability is always included in Italian rentals. Rental company terms also show two things:

• Theft protection: Avis says theft protection is mandatory in Italy and already included in the rate. This is a rental company rule, so check your own booking's terms.
• Collision cover is usually part of the rate. Avis says its Italian rentals include a basic reduction of your liability for damage, Enterprise in Como says its damage waiver is included in the reservation, and Auto Europe and AutoSlash describe CDW and theft protection as included on Italian rentals.

Included does not mean zero risk. The waivers come with a deductible (in Europe often called the excess): the amount you still pay if the car is damaged or stolen. Enterprise in Como, for example, lists a damage excess of €1,200 for mini and economy cars, rising to €2,000 for passenger vans and luxury estate cars.

The desk will offer extra cover to cut the deductible. Avis lists its optional SCDW, which reduces it to zero, at roughly €23 to €44 per day (October 2026).

Credit card rental coverage and your US auto policy

Your US auto insurance: the State Department warns that US auto insurance may not cover you when driving in other countries, and that even accepted coverage may not meet local requirements. Ask your insurer before the trip.

Your credit card: each card has its own guide to benefits. Examples from issuer documents:

The catch in Italy: most card benefits require you to decline the rental company's CDW, but theft protection, and often basic CDW, is built into the price. The Visa Signature guide says to call the Benefit Administrator if the rental company insists you buy its cover, and the benefit does not pay for that cover.

Deposit and credit card at the rental desk

Bring a physical credit card in the main driver's name. National at Florence Airport, for example, accepts major Visa, Mastercard and American Express debit and credit cards, but not digital or prepaid cards or cash, and requires a credit card for luxury cars.

The company places a hold (deposit) on your card at pick-up. The amount depends on the company and car, so check it in your rental terms and make sure your card limit covers it.

1. At pick-up, photograph the car inside and out, plus fuel gauge and mileage, and make sure every existing mark is on the damage report.
2. Return the car during opening hours and get written confirmation of its condition.

Age rules, stick shift and one-way or cross-border trips

Minimum ages and young driver fees vary by company and car class. One example (terms as of October 2026): National at Florence Airport rents mini cars from age 19, economy to intermediate cars from 21, standard cars from 25 and luxury cars from 27. Its young driver fee is €22 for ages 19 to 21 and €11 for ages 22 to 24, excluding VAT and airport fees, and it has no upper age limit.

Manual or automatic: most rental cars in Italy have a manual transmission. AutoSlash notes that if you do not specifically book an automatic you will get a manual, and that automatics are easier to find at airport locations. If you cannot drive stick, filter for automatic and book early: there are fewer of them and they usually cost more.

One-way rentals, where you return the car to a different office, usually cost extra, and some companies restrict one-way trips to or from the islands. Check the fee before you book.

Cross-border: National at Florence allows driving in EU countries plus Norway, Switzerland and the UK at no extra charge, but dropping the car in another country without authorization costs €2,000 plus VAT and surcharges. Other companies charge a cross-border fee or ban some countries, so tell the company your route.

ZTL: the camera zones that catch most American renters

Most Italian historic centers, including Rome, Florence, Pisa and Siena, are a ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato). Entrances are very often monitored by cameras that read license plates and fine cars without a permit automatically.

• Fine: entering a ZTL without authorization costs €83 to €332.
• Discount: for most fines, paying within five days of notification cuts the minimum by 30 percent; after 60 days without payment or appeal, the amount rises to half the maximum plus costs.
• One fine per day per zone: since the Highway Code reform (Law 177 of 25 November 2024, in force since 14 December 2024), several camera-recorded violations in the same ZTL on the same day count as a single fine, if you were not stopped on the spot. Two different zones, or two different days, still mean separate fines.

How the fine reaches you in the US: the police first contact the registered owner, which is the rental company. The company passes on your details and may charge an admin fee set out in its terms; National at Florence lists €25 per toll or traffic violation. Under Article 201 of the Highway Code, the police have 360 days to notify a driver living abroad. The European Consumer Centres in Italy and France explain that for rental cars this period can run from when the company passes on your details, so a letter many months later is normal.

Appeals must be in Italian, within 60 days of notification; a failed appeal to the Prefect doubles the fine, says the European Consumer Centre France.

Autostrade tolls and filling up

Most Italian motorways (autostrade) are tolled. You usually take a ticket on entry and pay by distance at the exit. Autostrade per l'Italia lists these lane types and payment options:

• Blue lanes marked “Carte”: Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards and Maestro or V Pay debit cards, with no PIN and no commission. All automatic exit lanes have contactless readers.
• Cash in euros is also accepted.
• Telepass lanes: only for cars with a Telepass transponder. Without one, stay out of them.
• Unpaid toll: if you could not pay at the booth, the ticket can be paid without extra fees within 15 days of issue, online or in the Autostrade app; after that, admin fees are added.

Gas: most stations offer self-service (“fai da te” or “self”) and attended service (“servito”). The Local Italy reports self-service is typically 10 to 20 cents a liter cheaper and motorway stations the most expensive (April 2026). Check whether your car takes gasoline (benzina) or diesel.

Speed cameras and road rules that differ from the US

Italy uses speed cameras (autovelox) and, on motorways, the Tutor system, which measures your average speed between two gantries. Auto.it reported about 200 Tutor sections covering roughly 1,800 km in August 2026; the list changes, so assume any motorway stretch may be monitored.

• Speeding fines: after a 5 percent tolerance (at least 5 km/h), up to 10 km/h over costs €42 to €173 and 10 to 40 km/h over €173 to €694; Article 195 adds a third between 10 pm and 7 am.
• No right turn on red: Article 41 says vehicles must not cross the stop line while the light is red, and there is no exception for turning right. A green arrow lets you go only in the direction it shows.
• Headlights: outside built-up areas, including the autostrade, dipped headlights must be on; daytime running lights are enough in good daylight visibility. Fine: €41 to €169.
• Alcohol: the limit is 0.5 g/l, and zero for novice drivers. Carry a warning triangle, and wear a reflective vest if you step out of the car on the road outside towns at night or in poor visibility.

Pick-up tips: Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Florence

• Rome Fiumicino (FCO): according to Aeroporti di Roma, the rental desks are in Office Tower 2, reached on foot through pedestrian tunnels from the terminals, and the cars are in the multilevel parking (Buildings A, B and C). Our Rome Fiumicino car rental guide lists each company's building.
• Milan Malpensa (MXP): at Terminal 1, follow the “Rent-a-car” or “Autonoleggi” signs; Locauto's office is on level -1, with its cars about five minutes' walk away under the Sheraton hotel. From Terminal 2, take the free shuttle to Terminal 1.
• Florence (FLR): the rental companies are not in the terminal. National says a shuttle from in front of arrivals runs every 5 minutes and takes about 10 minutes to the rental area on Via Palagio degli Spini.

In all three cities, explore on foot and by public transportation and pick up the car the day you leave for the countryside.

Frequently asked questions