Renting a Car in Italy: Rules, Documents, ZTL and Excess Cover for US Drivers (2026)

01

Is it worth renting a car in Italy?

Start with the itinerary. A car pays off when your plans are rural and spread out. It adds stress when you hop between big cities.

Where a car helps

• Tuscany and Umbria: hill towns and wineries are scattered and often poorly served by public transport.
• Puglia and Sicily: distances between coastal towns, farm stays and archaeological sites make a car the practical choice.
• The Dolomites: passes and trailheads are easier with your own wheels. The U.S. State Department notes winter tires or chains are required on some roads in autumn and winter.

Where a car gets in the way

• Rome, Florence and Venice: historic centers have ZTL zones, where the State Department says cameras fine drivers who enter without a permit. Parking is scarce, and Venice's historic core has no roads for cars.
• City-to-city trips: trains between major cities are usually simpler than driving and parking.

For most first-time visitors the practical plan is to do the cities by train and pick up a car only for the countryside leg.

Compare Italy rentals on DiscoverCars →

02

What you need to rent a car in Italy as a US driver

Requirements vary by company, so treat this as a baseline and confirm it on your booking. The license, passport and card points below come from Hertz's UK-market Italy page.

• Driver's license: Hertz Italy says you must have held your license for at least 1 year.
• Passport: Hertz asks for the original passport, not a photocopy.
• Credit card: a credit card in the main driver's name covers the rental and the deposit hold. Hertz says a debit card may be accepted in some cases, so check your pickup location's terms.
• Age: on Hertz's Rome Fiumicino terms page the minimum is 25. Renters from 21 are accepted for a young-driver surcharge, and the age-21 list is not only small cars. It includes a Jeep Avenger, a Lynk & Co 01 plug-in hybrid and a "Mystery Compact or Better". Some groups start at 23.
• Young-driver surcharge: Hertz publishes it in euros. Converted at the ČNB rates of November 2, 2026, it comes to about $41 per day or $287 per week, capped at about $452 per rental, tax included.

Other companies set their own minimum ages and young-driver fees, so read the terms for your pickup location before booking.

The deposit is held on the card and is separate from the rental price. If the main driver's credit limit is modest, ask for the deposit amount before you pay.

03

International Driving Permit: plan on getting one

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy say Americans visiting as tourists who plan to drive should get an IDP before leaving the U.S. Hertz's Italy page lists an IDP among documents "where required", so carry one even if the counter agent does not ask.

According to AAA, the permit costs $20. It needs a copy of your U.S. license and a passport photo. You can request it online, by mail or in person. If it expires while you are abroad, the Embassy says you can apply for a new one by mail through AAA.

An IDP does not replace your U.S. license. Carry both, and apply before you travel.

04

ZTL zones: how to avoid fines in a rental car

A ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is a limited-traffic zone in a historic center. Only permit holders may drive in during set hours, and cameras read license plates. The State Department warns that cameras fine drivers who enter historic centers without a permit.

Camera fines can arrive weeks or months after your trip. Read the traffic-fines clause in your rental terms to see how the company passes on notices and whether it charges an administration fee. The amount and payment deadline printed on the notice are the figures that count.

Picking up a car in Rome

Hertz lists a Rome Fiumicino airport location, which is outside the historic center. The pickup point and the route out matter more than the headline rate.

• Do the city on foot or by transit and collect the car when you leave for the countryside.
• Check the city's official ZTL map for current areas and hours.
• Confirm the drop-off address on your voucher, and avoid returning the car inside a ZTL.

Habits that keep you out of trouble

• Ask your hotel whether its address is inside a ZTL and whether it can register your plate.
• Park outside the center and walk or take transit in.
• Do not trust GPS blindly. Watch for ZTL signs and the hours shown on them.
• Check the city's mobility site for current ZTL and low-emission zone rules before you arrive.

05

Excess cover: broker or direct?

Rates in Italy usually come with some built-in cover and an excess, which is the amount you pay before the cover applies. What is included varies by supplier and rate. Confirm the cover and the excess on your voucher before you pay. This section is informational only.

What each broker's excess cover does

• DiscoverCars Full Coverage: optional and reimbursement-based. It reimburses the damage excess, theft excess and loss-of-use fees after you pay the supplier. Claims go through Manage Booking within 90 days of drop-off. For more on fees and the claim process, see our guide to DiscoverCars fees and claims for US renters.
• EconomyBookings Full Coverage: refunds the excess, parts a standard waiver leaves out (glass, tires, undercarriage, keys), towing and supplier admin fees. It does not replace the supplier's required cover. It excludes negligence such as wrong fuel or breaking traffic laws.
• Both: the supplier may still take a deposit hold, and counter staff may offer their own zero-excess product.

Cancellation rules

EconomyBookings refunds cancellations made more than 48 hours before pickup to an E-Wallet as BookingCredit, which you can withdraw free. Late bookings and rentals of 2 days or less are not refunded. Read the cancellation terms on your voucher, not on the search page, for either broker.

Which route fits you

Pick direct with the rental company (for example Hertz Italy) if you want one contract and one dispute path. It also suits you if you prefer buying zero-excess cover at the counter over claiming back later.

Pick a broker if you want many suppliers in one search. You should also accept paying damage costs upfront, claiming within the window, and having the credit limit for the deposit hold.

Price the same car, dates and cover on all three routes and compare the final total.

06

Pickup, drop-off, fuel policy and road rules

A downtown pickup often means driving straight into traffic and ZTL signs. Airport and edge-of-town locations put you on the highway faster. A train-plus-car plan lets you start the rental on the way out of the city.

Suppose you plan to drop the car in another city, take it to Sicily or Sardinia, or cross a border. Then read the One-Way Rentals, Ferry Restrictions and Driving Abroad clauses in Hertz's terms or your supplier's equivalents before you book.

Fuel policy

Full-to-full means you pick up the tank full and return it full. Photograph the fuel gauge at pickup and drop-off, and confirm petrol or diesel before leaving the lot. Wrong fuel is excluded from EconomyBookings Full Coverage.

Road rules

The State Department notes seat belts are mandatory and headlights must be on outside cities. For parking, ask each hotel whether it has spaces and whether it sits inside a ZTL.

07

Pickup and return checklist

Run through this at the counter and again at drop-off.

1. Documents: U.S. license, IDP, original passport and a credit card in the main driver's name.
2. Voucher check: confirm transmission, fuel policy, excess amount, deposit hold, mileage and cross-border or ferry rules.
3. Counter upsells: if you booked a broker excess product, ask what the supplier will hold and bill. Decline what you do not need, but know the deposit may still apply.
4. Photos and video: record every panel, the wheels, windshield, interior, fuel gauge and odometer before leaving. Get any existing damage written on the rental form.
5. Plates and ZTL: save the plate number and ask where the nearest ZTL begins.
6. Return: refuel as required, photograph the car and fuel gauge, and get a signed return slip or email.
7. After the trip: keep all paperwork and file any broker claim before its deadline. Watch your card for the deposit release and any traffic-fine admin fees.

Prices and terms change, so confirm everything at checkout.

Check Italy rates on EconomyBookings →