In case you weren’t aware of the fact the Italian Alfa male carries his behaviour over to the roads. Cars are huge status symbols in Italy, which is probably why it is the country with the highest number of Mercedes drivers. If you plan on driving across your Europe for your holiday this year then you need to be aware of the fact that European, and especially Italian drivers are a lot more aggressive on the roads than drivers in the UK.
While you should have fully comprehensive insurance and European breakdown cover no matter what part of Europe you drive through, you should make certain that you have it in Italy. When the roads are as packed as Italian roads and you are not sure of the local customs
Although though most car rental firms in Italy will have fully comprehensive insurance on their vehicles it is always possible that you could pick one that doesn’t. Don’t even contemplate a rental agreement that only offers third party fire and theft as you could find yourself with a hefty bill if you should have an accident while driving through Milan
Be especially careful when setting off from service stations or restaurants on the left side of the road.
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Take care when overtaking – allow more space between you and the car in front so you can see further down the road ahead.
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Many Britons drive through Europe thinking that the breakdown cover that they have at home will suffice while they are driving through Italy, but this is not the case. Unless you have European breakdown cover then recovery charges can really set you back, especially if the breakdown vehicle has to drive a long way to get you. Sometimes cars break down totally and have to be shipped home, which could cost you hundreds of pounds.
Long before you set off on your holiday you should make sure that you are properly insured to drive through a number of European countries. Your insurance provider will probably tell you that any existing breakdown cover that you have will not be applicable in Italy.
You will feel much happier about driving abroad if you have fully comprehensive insurance. Whether you are driving through the cities or trying your best to get up one of the narrow mountain roads without going over the edge, you’ll feel more confident if you know that you are fully covered
Some car rental agencies will provide drivers with full cover insurance when they are driving through Italy but you should read the rental agreement’s small print before you sign. Rental agencies sometimes provide third party fire and theft insurance only. If you do happen to have a mishap and don’t have full comp insurance then you could find that the insurance will only pay for damage to the other car and the other driver’s medical expenses.
One thing that you really do need to check up on before heading off to the continent is whether you have adequate insurance cover. There is nothing worse than to accidentally bump the back of another vehicle and then find that you are only covered for damage to the other person’s vehicle and not to your own.
An increasing number of people now like to take their car with them when they visit Europe. Whether your destination is Germany, France or Italy, you should always have your driving licence with you at all times. If your driving licence does not carry a photograph of you then you should also carry your passport with you when you are driving.
