Cars & Scooters, Rome

Autonoleggio con autista (car rental with driver), is an easy and stress free way of getting to and from the airport in Rome or to and from the port, Civitavecchia, in Rome. My wife and I scheduled Roma Limousine for a driver with a Mercedes ( they also have vans and limousines) to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel in Roma. We also used the same driver to take us to the port, so we could take a cruise five days later.

Sandro, our driver, is the son of the owner of the company, ROMA LIMOUSINE, and he was not only an excellent driver but quite fluent in English, as he worked in New York for a while. He not only drives to locations but you can hire him out for sight-seeing and tours. One of the perks is that he is willing to stop for a break of espresso or a bite to eat while enroute to your destination.

Both my wife and I highly recommend Roma Limousine for the relaxed way to get to and from and out and about in Rome. Yes, it is much more expensive than the train and about the same as a taxi, but the service of pick up and helping out, as well as a well spoken driver like Sandro who knows the area backwards and in English, was a welcome relief to help us have a carefree time in Rome and not miss the boat or plane. No walking here or carrying heavy luggage to and from trains or taxis. Only the finest care and service, we will call on Sandro on our next return to beautiful Italy. If you use Sandro, please tell him "Larry and Sue from California" say hello. Ciao

Scooter city - OK, no more jokes about how Italian drive - I have to say that they drive quite well - I have been "missed" by more motorcyclists than I could ever count!
Note that this is classified as "Other Adventure/Outdoor"
The motorcycle (motorino/scooter) rules are simple in Rome - NO RULES! People who rent a scooter to see Rome must have a death wish or sorts!
For people who live here – and who have been ”taught” this system of NO RULES – this can be a great advantage. For everyone else, it can be downright frightening! Motorini follow their own path, weaving through cars, driving on the opposite side of the center line, (against oncoming traffic), not stopping a red lights (That was for me?), driving on the sidewalks, driving through crosswalks along with the pedestrians, parking anywhere (including the sidewalks), with the primarily goal of getting from point A to point B as fast as humanly possible. There’s always that age-old question in the US… if you come to a red light at 2 AM and you can see for miles in all directions, do you stop and wait for the light to change or just roll through it… In Rome, they think this question is ridiculous as many motorini drivers are not stopping at 12 noon – much less 2 AM!

*Note that this tip is also on my Warnings/Dangers group.

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“Sembra una vespa!” (“It resembles a wasp!”)
— Enrico Piaggio (1905-1965), his reaction to the buzzing sound of the engine of a Vespa prototype

Romans love their Vespas. And so does the rest of the world; this icon of post-World War II Italian industrial design is the most successful motor scooter ever made. Throughout the capital large parts of the cityscape are given over the Vespa, as this line of parked vehicles near the Spanish Steps illustrates.

Emerging from the Second World War with an industrial and transportation infrastructure that lay in ruins, Italy needed a vehicle that could navigate the country’s bombed-out roads. Another consequence of the War that contributed to the Vespa’s development was Italy’s agreement with the Allies to limit its military production. The vehicle’s manufacturer, Piaggio & Co. S.p.A, turned from making fighter planes to Vespas.

It is possible to rent a Vespa while in Rome; plenty of web sites can help you find the model and terms that will suit your comfort level. You can imagine that you are Gregory Peck or Audrey Hepburn from that fabulous 1953, Academy Award-winning motion picture, “Roman Holiday” (see photo #2 the edge of the Coliseum can be seen to the right. This story was filmed on location).

Signage is horrible in Rome. Outlying areas are OK, but I highly recommend you NOT rent a car in Rome. Use the trains. If you do rent a car, do NOT rent from Avis. I tried driving in Rome and ended up taking the car back less than 2 hours later, because the GPS told us we were approaching Orvieto, only to come upon the Colliseum again!! When I returned the car, Avis told me I would have to pay for the entire 5 days I had reserved the car. (You know darn well they rented it later that day.) A call to Avis when I returned home got me only a 2 day credit!! AVIS SUCKS!!!!

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At first glance, traffic in Rome seems crazy, but it's amazing how it works out so well. Horn is probably the first part that wears out in Italian cars, they use it more than braking pedal :)
I'm sure there are traffic rules in Italy, but unwritten rules are the ones to obey. Police don't bother drivers or pedestrians unless they do something extraordinarily stupid.
Crossing streets in Rome is easy once you get hang of it (it takes just a couple of crossings). Drivers don't stop but they won't hit you unless you step on the street totally unexpected (or when there's red traffic light for you). Just use your intuition and common sense.
Traffic lights are green for pedestrians for short time in Rome, but once it gets yellow, you have about half a minute left to cross the street. If it's red, expect to wait a couple of minutes, traffic light cycles are long. Traffic lights are mostly accepted by drivers, but not pedestrians.
There are lots of cars in Rome, and, naturally, many scooters, too. Cars are mostly 10+ years in age and some 25 per cent have a dent or two, but it probably doesn't bother drivers at all. I really like this attitude!
And last but not least, you really don't want to drive in Rome, choose rails and buses!

All the cars in Rome are very small. It's weird at first (if you're from the US). It took us a day or to get used to all the traffic and the (absense) of traffic laws.

All motorcycles will scoot up to the red light and take off before all the cars and buses. Those poor bus drivers, they are excellent drivers. It must be like a horse swatting annoying flies buzzing around them.

Anyways, it's really interesting. You'll see more motorcylces than anything (and not the Kawasaki). They are fully loaded and very environmental. Al Gore would be proud...

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Italy is full the small cars, the motorbikes ... and funny cars :)

It is amazed me, how tightly they parking their little cars.
Of course most of cars were scratched. Only big and expensive cars looks like new cars, without scratches.

One year later I was possibility to ask from one Italian, why it is so ... and she explain, that the big and expencive cars are scratched too, but they owners are usually on the better economical condition and their cars be repaired as soon it is possible.

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For people who never wasn't before in Italy it is the exciting experience...

In summer, when weather is hot, it looks like some madness arriveing to Rome. Our arrival time was at evening, when the working time was ended and peoples hurry to home.
There were hundred cars who waiting in several checkout-queues in checkpoint, to pay the road tax.

I think when you hurry to home, it is very stressful wait so in disarrangement of cars ...
we were tourists in bus with contitioner and for us it was really exciting watch for show what was happen behind the windows of our bus.
There were much to see - some peoples was eating, another couple was kissing self-forgetfully ;) ... there were young peoples sitting with feet on the control panel, there were family who pushing own car, because the radiator of car started to leak ...
And so we spend the time, till we pass through checkpoint.