Top Places to Visit in Italy With Your Car Hire

Italy is the boot-shaped peninsula in the middle of theUNESCO World Heritage site and includes 5 beautifully
Mediterranean. It stretches from the Alps in the northpicturesque villages, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza,
and almost all the way to Africa in the south. It isCorniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, that are all worth
perhaps best known for its contribution to fashion,stopping off at.
flashy cars and as the birthplace of pizza.This should bring you neatly to Genoa, which was the
The biggest city in Italy is Rome, and it's also the capitalEuropean Capital of Culture in 2004. While visiting the
and the most famous of Italy's cities. It serves as acity you could make time to visit the Aquarium, which is
good starting point from which to explore the rest ofthe largest in Europe. Other sights to see include the
the country. In Rome itself, you'll find a wealth ofNaval Museum, the Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art
ancient roman sites that are definately worth visiting,and the historical city centre which is the biggest in
especially in the Colosseo district, which is the heart ofEurope.
ancient Rome. Here you'll find the Colosseum, theItaly Car Hire Tip: More and more the city centres in
Roman Forum, the Forum of Augustus, the Forum andItaly are becoming pedestrianised. This means that if
Markets of Trajan, the Capitoline and all its museums.you're driving, you'll have to park your car in the
While in Rome you should also make time to see thesuburbs, preferably in a supervised car park as
Vatican City, which is the independent papal state asopposed to the side of the street, and then walk (or
well as being the world's smallest state. Here you canuse public transport) into the city centre.
visit the Sistine Chapel.After following the coast for a few more kilometres
Italy Car Hire Tip: When in Italy you'll always drive onand then turning inland on the A6, you'll find yourself
the right. Drink driving is a serious offence and the limitheading for Turin. Turin was the first capital after Italian
is 0.5 milligrams which is almost half that in the UK andunification, though it lost this title later. Turin is the home
Ireland (0.8mg). The minimum age for driving in Italy isof FIAT that was largely responsible for the city's
18.recovery after WWII. Other sights include the Mole
While most of the major cities in Italy are located toAntonelliana, the Valentino Park and the Palazzo
the north of Rome, no trip to Italy would be completeMadama.
without a visit to Naples (Napoli). It was here that theTurning east along the A4 you will find yourself
original pizza was invented so you simply must try oneheading for Milan. This city is very much one of the
during your stay.fashion capitals of the world. Don't forget to do a little
Also while you're nearby you can visit Pompeii, whichshopping in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, which is a
was famously preserved by the erupting Mountshopping mall in a converted 19th century palace. While
Vesuvius in 79AD and is just about 15kms away onhere you could also visit the Cenacolo Vinciano, which
the other side of the mountain.is were Leonardo da Vinci painted 'The Last Supper',
Italy Car Hire Tip: While the Italians have a badbut it's recommended to purchase the tickets months
reputation for driving, this is largely fading, as the cityin advance, though you can buy cancelled tickets, if
centres become less overrun by cars. The exceptionthere are any, in the morning.
to this rule is Naples, which is considered bad by ItalianContinuing east along the A4 you should eventually
standards! Also, though the crime rate in Italy is quitearrive at Venice, which is certainly one of the most
low, there are parts of Naples you will want to avoidfamous cities in the world. The city stretches across
so be careful especially at night.118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon, and it
Returning north and passing Rome, and moving up theoccasionally floods during Acqua Alta ("High Water").
western coast on the E80 you will come to a seriesYou will have to leave your car outside the city as
of sites along the coast that are all well worth visiting.none are allowed within the city bounds. While here
Livorno is modern Italy's 3rd largest port on the westdon't forget to visit Piazza San Marco and take a
coast and in the past it was a major port for theGondola ride!
western Mediterranean.Bologna can be found on the A13. While here you
Some 20kms north of Livorno is Pisa, home of thecould visit the oldest university in the world, Alma Mater
famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. There are plenty ofStudiorum, founded in 1088. While in the city you should
other architectural wonders to see in the city besidesalso check out the Tower of the Asinelli and Tower of
the tower, so don't forget to check them out too.the Garisenda, which are two of the few remaining
Italy Car Hire Tip: The maximum speed limit in Italy istowers left in the city. It is hard to imagine what the city
130km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on the open roadlooked like with 180 of these during the 12th century.
and 50km/h in towns. But bear in mind that the officialContinuing south along the A1, will bring you to Florence
speed limits are reduced when the roads are wet to(Firenze) which is considered to be the birthplace of
110km/h on motorways and 80 km/h on the open road.the Italian Renaissance. While here you should visit
The motorways are tolled so be ready with a creditsome of the museums, which feature some of the
card or some change.works of such greats as Michelangelo, Donatello,
Next stop is La Spezia, which is home to one of Italy'sLeonardo, Dante and Machiavelli. In the Uffizi Gallery
biggest military company's, Oto Melara. The town isyou can find The Birth of Venus by Sandro Boticelli
also a great set off point for those wishing to exploreand in the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze you'll see
the Cinque Terre National Park. This park is aMichelangelo's David.