prolog

Preparing for an Italian Road Trip

01) Knowing Italy in advance
① Essential information about Italy
② Italian entry and exit information
③ Italian flight & train information
④ Key Points for Traveling in Italy
▶ 5 Ways to Enjoy Italy More Deeply with an Upgraded Trip
-Taste Italian food
-Drinking Italian wine
- Savoring Italian coffee
-Enjoy Italian gelato
-Shopping in style in Italy
02) Preparing for your Italian road trip in advance
① Collect travel information and install essential apps
② Deciding on Italy In-Out
③ Accommodation reservation and use
④ Prior knowledge for renting a car
⑤ Reserve a rental car
⑥ Prepare navigation
⑦ Preparing to use phone and data
⑧ Preparing travel items
▶Upgrade Your Trip: 6 Recommended Routes to Make Your Italian Road Trip Even More Enjoyable
-7 nights and 9 days in Rome and Tuscany
-10 nights and 12 days around central Italy
-8 nights and 10 days in Northern Italy and the Dolomites
-10 nights and 12 days around Rome and the South
-12 nights and 14 days of Italy's core tour
-15 nights and 17 days around Italy
03) Driving in Italy
①Prior knowledge before picking up a rental car
② Pick up the rental car
③Basic knowledge to know when driving
④Driving on highways and national roads
⑤Driving in the city
⑥Q&A about ZTL
⑦Using the parking lot
⑧Using a gas station
⑨ How to deal with vehicle accidents and crimes
⑩Returning the vehicle
⑪Handling fines

Practical Guide to Italian Road Trips

01) Dolomites and the Northern Region
-The highlight of the northern region, the Dolomites
- Dolomites' key villages
▶Northern Italian city
① Milan
② Venice
③ Verona
④ Sirmione
⑤ Cinque Terre
⑥ Portofino
Special Santa Margherita Ligure
02) Tuscan Plain and Central Region
-The highlight of the central region, the Tuscan plains
▶Cities in central Italy
① Rome
② Florence
③ Siena
④ Luca
⑤ Pisa
⑥ Pienza
⑦ San Gimignano
⑧ Montepulciano
⑨ Montalcino
⑩ San Quirico d'Orcia
⑪ Urinary tract infection
⑫ Orvieto
⑬ Civita di Bagnoregio
⑭ Assisi
⑮ Spell
? Pitigliano
Special Saturnia Hot Springs
03) Amalfi Coast and Southern Region
-The highlight of the southern region, the Amalfi Coast

▶Southern Italian city
① Naples
② Pompeii
③ Sorrento
④ Positano
⑤ Amalfi
⑥ Label
⑦ Matera
⑧ Alberobello
⑨ Polignano a Mare
Special Salerno

supplement
▶Rental car pickup and return in major Italian cities
▶How to check your Italian ZTL zone
▶Essential Italian Conversation

A book that answers all your questions about Italian road trips!
A must-read that will instill confidence instead of fear!
The ultimate Italian car travel guidebook, the first and only of its kind in Korea.

“They say downtown Rome is more complex than Seoul. How can you travel by car?”
“They say that major Italian cities are completely inaccessible by car. What kind of car trip is this?”
“Italians are known for their reckless driving habits. Isn’t that dangerous?”

There are endless prejudices and fears about Italian road trips.
However, taking an Italian road trip does not mean touring the country in one car from beginning to end.
In the city, I combine walking and the metro with other means of travel, and I only drive when public transportation is not available or when I need to drive to essential areas.
The basic principle of car travel is to improve the quality and efficiency of the trip by alternating between trains and boats for each course.
This way, you can avoid the superficial travel of just seeing a few big cities like Rome or Florence and returning.
You can escape from the trip where you just go to places everyone else goes and just watch people.
You can explore picturesque and cinematic small Italian towns at your own pace, and get a deeper understanding of the real Italy, not the stereotypical Italy you've seen in countless guidebooks.
In particular, it meticulously covers the key travel destinations of Italy, from the Dolomites in northern Italy, which have rarely been introduced in Korea, to the Tuscan plains in central Italy, and the Amalfi Coast in the south.
There may be people who have never read this book, but there will be no one who has read it only once.


From the Dolomites, the highlight of the northern region
To the south, to Amalfi, Sorrento and Salerno

All of Italy fits in the palm of my hand!

The Dolomites, a highlight of the northern region, are difficult to travel without a car.
Part of the Alps, the Dolomites have 18 peaks over 3,000 meters, 41 glaciers, and otherworldly emerald lakes hidden deep in their valleys.
A place where you can't close your mouth in front of the majesty of nature that is hard to believe even when you see it with your own eyes.
However, if you want to experience the joy of a heavenly drive amidst nature's bounty, a car trip is a must.
Especially after the coronavirus pandemic, interest in private car trips, which are enjoyed individually rather than by public transportation shared with many people, has exploded.


This book provides detailed information on the parking lot coordinates, accommodations, and restaurants of the major Dolomites, from Bolzano, the western hub, to Cortina d'Ampezzo, the eastern hub.
Tips for unlimited use of numerous lifts in the Dolomites, such as the Dolomiti Super Summer Card, are also included.
This is valuable information that you would never know unless you are an expert.
We have also compiled a list of the must-see Dolomites' major mountain ranges, such as Alpe di Siusi and Seceda Odle, as well as the major lakes, major mountain huts, and major mountain passes called Passos, all of which have never been introduced to Korea, all in one place.


Viewpoints of the Tuscan plain, a highlight of the central region, are also highlighted on a simple map for easy identification.
The cypress tree landscapes that appear as a regular backdrop in movies were mostly filmed in this Tuscan plain region.
It also includes information on famous photo spots in Tuscany, including the Cipressi di San Quirico d'Orcia, the Circle of Cypresses, and the Chapel Vitaleta viewpoint.
In particular, we did not forget to introduce wine regions such as Montepulciano and Montalcino that are often overlooked by ordinary travelers.
A trip where you can immerse yourself in the sunset and wine of a small Italian town, staying overnight in a romantic farmhouse like the Salghetto wine house in Tuscany.
A guide like this would be something special that can only be found in the book "Italian Road Trip".
Through this book, you will learn about the impressive cities of central Italy, including Civita di Bagnoregio, one of the many locations that inspired Hayao Miyazaki's film "Castle in the Sky"; Assisi, a holy site beloved by Catholics worldwide; and San Gimignano, an entire town that is a World Heritage Site. Anyone will surely fall in love with the charm of the small towns of central Italy, as well as Rome, Florence, and Pisa.


Southern Italy, home to the Amalfi Coast, is renowned worldwide as one of the world's most scenic driving destinations.
This page is packed with information on viewpoints along the approximately 40km stretch of the Amalfi Coast, from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east, as well as information on the Amalfi Coast at a glance and advice for traveling along the Amalfi Coast.
In particular, the detailed description of driving conditions along the Amalfi Coast is enough to dispel travelers' fears about the narrow and winding Amalfi Coast roads.
The only way to instill confidence instead of fear is with accurate and detailed information.
Because we don't know, our fear grows.
It also provides basic information about cities that are well-known just by their names, such as Naples, Pompeii, and Sorrento.
We'll show you how to enjoy a high-quality trip by car to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello, the representative resorts of southern Italy, where Hollywood stars enjoy secret rendezvous away from the public eye.


Detailed guides on city-by-city travel routes are available at Basic
A sense that eliminates the need to worry about schedules and routes

One of the strengths of this book is that it provides detailed recommended routes for each region.
The travel route shown on the map is the optimal route discovered by the author while traveling.
Readers can travel most efficiently without wasting travel time by following this route.
Detailed instructions on how to get from city to city or from the airport to the city would be especially helpful.
There are also detailed instructions on how to pick up and return a rental car in each major city.


In particular, the '6 recommended routes to enjoy your Italian car trip more' section of the preparation section introduces a total of 6 recommended routes, ranging from a 7-night, 9-day trip to Rome and Tuscany to a 15-night, 17-day trip to tour all of Italy.

The author's special know-how is summarized, including in-and-out information on where to enter and exit, as well as daily movement routes and key travel strategies.
It will be an invaluable compass for planning your own itinerary and route before leaving on your trip.


ZTL, the fearsome roadblock for car travelers, is gone when you're armed with information!

The biggest reason why novice road travelers are afraid of driving in Italy is the ZTL.
In Italian city centers, there are ZTL (Zero Toll Roads), which are restricted vehicle access areas.
If you accidentally enter this area, you could be hit with a hefty fine.
Therefore, it is true that anyone traveling by car in Italy should be concerned and careful about ZTL.
But that doesn't mean you have to give up on car travel.
With just one copy of "Italian Road Trip," your fear of ZTL will turn into confidence.
This book covers in detail what a ZTL is, how to distinguish a ZTL zone on the road, what sites and apps to refer to when driving in a ZTL zone, what to do if you enter the wrong zone without knowing, and how to read ZTL signs through 'Q&A about ZTL'.
In particular, the appendix provides detailed instructions on how to use ZTL Google Maps in Navitugo.
If you don't know, you're afraid, but if you know, you're not afraid.
If you want to take a road trip through Italy but are worried about the ZTL, open the book "Italian Road Trip" right now.


Essential information for road trips and everything you need to know about renting a car!

The most important thing when traveling by car is, without a doubt, a rental car.
However, problems often arise when renting a car.
I only know how to drive an automatic car, but sometimes they tell me there are no automatic cars available, or force me to upgrade to a car other than the one I reserved.
They may not be able to tell what is and is not included in their insurance, and they may end up booking their car too late or too early due to not knowing when to book, which can lead to disappointment.
You may be confused about where to pick up and return the car, and you may also be wondering what class of car to rent.
But you're not alone in facing these numerous problems, worries, and questions.
Since this is a situation that every car traveler faces, there are naturally solutions.
If you read this book thoroughly, you will soon become an expert in Italian road trips, unmatched by anyone else.
The appendix's pick-up and return section for major Italian cities provides information on where and how to pick up your rental car immediately upon arrival at the airport in cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan.
Practicing your rental car pickup in advance with photos will make your trip much easier.


For a detailed map, please use the QR code~
For more details, please visit the European Car Travel Internet Cafe~

To overcome the limitation of not being able to fit all the maps on a limited space, QR codes were inserted in each region.
If you download an app like a QR scanner on your smartphone and scan the inserted QR code, it will be linked directly to Google Maps.
You can check the main spots, accommodations, restaurants, and parking information included in this book, making your trip more convenient.
You can also visit the European car travel cafe, “Drive in Europe (cafe.naver.com/drivingeu),” run by the author himself, to find information about Italian car travel that wasn’t included in the book, as well as more in-depth information that wasn’t covered in detail in the book.
When it comes to travel, knowledge is power.
Let's upgrade our information skills by asking questions and taking care of things we are curious about.