If you decide to go abroad for a holiday it is the norm to make your travel arrangements and book your accommodation before you go. For those travellers who are feeling adventurous then hiring a car to get around the towns that are close to where you are staying in Italy may be a good idea. If you do want to drive while you are in Europe then you should take the same approach as you did when finding and booking your travelling and accommodation details – do what you can before you go.

The first thing you should do is to find out just exactly what kind of documentation you will need to take with you if you plan to drive in Italy. You should be able to get this information from your auto insurers. If you have a good relationship with your insurance company then they will advise you on whether it is advisable to take out extra auto insurance before you go. When you hire a car the insurance you get is usually limited to third party fire and theft, this means that you have no insurance for any damage done to the rental car should a collision arise, this could leave you with a hefty bill. Get collision insurance at home for the duration of your trip, it should cost around $10 a day. You will also need European breakdown insurance, some EU countries won’t allow you to drive on their roads without such insurance

Finally, take care when driving abroad, especially in Italy, driving can be rather erratic and you will find that moped and scooter riders weave in and out of traffic like there is no tomorrow. If you want to avoid an accident then you need to be extra vigilant.