It is difficult to find a place as popular with tourists as Italy. And the best way to get to know this beautiful and ancient country is to travel on your own by car. Since the days of Ancient Rome, roads in Italy have played an important role in getting around the area. Nowadays, the road network covers the entire country, making travel here comfortable and enjoyable.
Road network in Italy
Italy is known to have the shape of a boot, stretching from north to south. And almost all roads go in this direction. Cross-country routes are rare, with the exception of the Padan Plain between the Alpine and Apennine mountains. Since the north of Italy has always been an industrialized region, it is here that half of the country's highways are concentrated.
In addition, the Apennines pass through the middle and southern parts of Italy, and therefore the terrain here is often mountainous, which makes it difficult to build roads. Here you can find both narrow serpentine bands and numerous tunnels laid through rocky massifs. And at the same time, all roads, to the delight of drivers, have a hard surface.
Travel options around the country
All Italian roads fall into two categories: toll motorways; free tracks. If you want to get from one point to another as quickly as possible, it is best to use toll roads. These are high-speed roads that go directly to bypass numerous villages and towns. There is nothing here that will interfere with fast movement - no traffic lights, no intersections. The quality of the roadway is excellent, and the number of lanes, even in the narrowest places, will be at least two.
Even in the mountains, highways, which have to be paid for, do not become less convenient - tunnels have been laid for the passage right in the thickness of the rocks, and overpasses have been laid over impassable sections.
If you want to save money, you can choose free roads, because any toll road has an alternative in the form of a free road. True, the quality of the roadway will be worse.
Also, this option will be less convenient and will take much longer, because the traveler in this case will have to drive through all the nearby settlements. The road without payment will twist in the mountains, often turning into a real single-lane serpentine. However, for tourists who have time, this method of travel will be to their liking - along the way, you can get acquainted with the local flavor and see breathtaking views.
Features of travel in Italy
There are a lot of cars in this tourist paradise, and therefore the traffic is quite dense, especially in the north of the country. However, local traffic jams dissolve quickly, so they won't be a big problem.
Despite the hot temper of the locals, the drivers behave in an extremely civilized manner. However, in the south of the country some chaos reigns in traffic, but even in these regions, most drivers behave within the framework of the rules.
The speed limit on toll and free highways is, as a rule, 130 and 60 km / h. It is not worth violating the speed limit - the fine for violation can be an impressive amount. It is also worth noting the Italian parking system - they differ in color, each of which means paid, free or intended only for local residents.
In general, traveling on Italian roads is very convenient, because they dot the entire territory of the country, and even free passes are of good quality and convenience.
