All car hire rates in Italy are inclusive of unlimited mileage, full breakdown
cover, third party insurance, loss damage waiver, airport surcharges and
local taxes. Regular monitoring ensures that you can expect
the same high standard of service at all destinations in Italy. All cars are
less than 12 months old and regularly maintained.
Argus Car Hire offer a complete range of vehicles from economy-class
to luxury vehicles, including automatics, estates and multi-seaters.
The company is totally flexible. If the chosen vehicle is not listed,
reservation staff will give advice and aim to provide whatever vehicle
is required in Italy. Optional extras are available by booking
through the call centre, including baby seats, roof racks and snow chains.
Most prices are fully inclusive, however in some cases there may be
an additional charge upon arrival, please contact the call centre to
confirm.
Book carhire online using the secure web site.
Italy
Drive on the right hand side.
Emergency telephone number: Police (Poliza) 113, Fire (Vigili del Fuoco) 115 and Ambulance services 118. Speed limits: Expressways: 130kph (81mph)
Urban stretches: 90kph (55mph)
Dual carriageways: 110kph (68mph)
Outside built-up areas: 110kph (68mph)
Built-up Areas: 50kph (30mph)
Residential Areas: 50pkh (30mph)
It is illegal to hold a mobile phone whilst driving your hire car and it is also illegal to travel without a seat belt on.
On expressways, cars with engines smaller than 1090cc and motorcycles with engines smaller than 150cc are limited to 110kph (68mph). Cars towing a caravan or trailer, and caravans over 12 tons, are limited to 70kph (44mph) outside built-up areas and to 80kph (50mph) on expressways. Caravans between 3.5 and 12 tons, are limited to 80kph (50mph) outside built-up areas, and to 100 kph (62mph) on expressways. Expressway speeds are reduced to 110kph (68mph) during the following: Saturday and Sunday, the Thursday before Easter through to the Wednesday after, midweek national holidays, 20 December to 7 January, and from the Saturday before the second Sunday in July through to the first Sunday in September.
Tolls: Tolls are charged on the autosrade. Tickets are obtained upon entry to the expressway system and paid upon exiting. Tolls (except in Sicily) can be paid with cash or a Viacard, Motorists can purchase a €25 Viacard from toll booths, fuel stations, some banks, tourist offices and tobacconists. Viacards are accepted on all routes except the A18 and A20. At automatic barriers, the card should be inserted into a slot on the controlling maching.
Driving Information: The middle lane of three-lane roads is for passing. Passing on the right is permitted when the driver ahead has signalled a left turn and has moved to the centre of the road, or when multiple lanes are travelling in your direction. By the way, don’t be surprised to find Italians paying remarkable little respect to lane definition. In other words, they drive all over the road.
Parking: Parking is on the right side of the road. Parking in a Blue Zone or Zona Disco is for limited time periods. Parking discs for your hire car for these zones may be obtained at fuel station, tourist offices, and motor club offices. When parked in these zones from 9am to 2.30pm and from 4pm to 8pm Monday to Saturday (except holidays) your hire vehicle must display a parking disc. The maximum parking time for your hire car during these periods is one hour. Some cities also have Green Zones or Zona Verde, where parking is prohibited from 8am to 9.30am and 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays.
In Florence, all vehicles are banned from the city centre from 7.30am to 6.30pm on weedays; visitors may enter the centre in their hire car/ vehicle during these times to load or unload but must then move on to park outside the centre.
In Rome a sign reading zona tutelata indicates that parking is prohibited from 7.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays; punishment for violating this ordinance may include a prison sentence.
In Venice, parking is very difficult to find. Park your hire car instead at one of the mainland car parks; you can take a bus or ferry from there to the city. The parking facility at Mestre, however, is a well-known haunt of thieves. In the Tronchetto garage, park your hire car on the left side, not on the right. These mainland facilities are linked to the island by ferry and bus services.
Naples (along with Seville, Spain) is Europe’s most infamous lair of thieves. Furthermore, driving in Naples is notoriously difficult. Instead of taking your hire car into Naples stay on the Ischia or Sorrento Peninsula. For quick transport to the city, take the catamaran or aliscafi.
