You’ve got your rental car, you know what kind of fuel goes in it, and you’ve plotted a route for a road trip in Italy. Now all you have to do is make sense of all the road signs in Italy.
And yes, there are a lot of them.
For kicks and giggles, I looked at Wikipedia’s page on Italian road signs. I was immediately transported back to my 15th year, imagining how many times I would have flunked my driver’s permit test if I’d had to learn all of those signs. It’s a bit of an anxiety-inducing collection of colorful circles and squares, but I’m going to cover the main road signs you really need to know if you’re going to be driving in Italy. (You can consult the Wikipedia page if you want the rest.)
As overwhelming as that page is, it does a good job of breaking down Italy’s road signs into different shapes, and the shapes have meanings even before anything is printed on them. Circles mean something is forbidden, or an instruction that is compulsory. Rectangles or squares are informational signs. Triangles are warnings.
There are some colors that have meaning, too. Highway signs that are green are for the Autostrada, and indicate toll roads. Blue highway signs are non-toll roads. Brown signs point you toward historic or tourist attractions.
Now, let’s dive into some specifics.
Don’t miss my other articles in this series: Driving in Italy 101 and
Important Road Signs to Know in Italy
Stop
Stop signs in Italy are just like stop signs in the United States and many other places – they even say “STOP” in English. Easy peasy, right? Sort of. Italians approach stop signs a bit like they’re yield signs, or yellow flashing lights. If there’s no one coming, or no one close enough (by their assessment), they may just slow down and not stop completely. In other words, don’t assume everyone is going to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.
creative commons image by Flanker
Beginning & End of Restricted Zone
The way Italy communicates the start or end of a particular rule on the road is by using the same sign twice – once to tell you a rule is starting, and again with a slash through the sign to tell you the rule is ending. In this picture, then, the signs are indicating that you’re leaving a town called Oropa (there’s a line through the sign you would have seen when you entered town) and that the in-town speed limit of 30kmph is now ending. As you can see, the color of the slash changes, but just remember that if you’ve seen a sign like that before without the slash, you’ll be looking for its mate at some point.
creative commons photo by cesare
Speed Limit
The signs for speed limit – maximum speed – are white circles with a red border, and the speed limit in black in the center.
Minimum Speed
Minimum speed is indicated by a circular blue sign with the minimum speed in white in the center.
creative commons image by Flanker
Do Not Enter
Signs indicating that no vehicles are allowed past them are red circles with a white horizontal bar across the middle. This might be because it’s a one-way street and traffic is coming the other way, or because it’s a pedestrian zone.
Limited Traffic Zone
An increasing number of Italian cities now have what are known as ZTL areas. It stands for “Zona Traffico Limitato,” which translates as Limited Traffic Zone, but really means no vehicles allowed. These signs are white circles with a red border. Sometimes they are blank, sometimes they actually say Zona Traffico Limitato on them. If only a particular kind of vehicle is prohibited, that’s what will be in the middle of the circle – no buses, no big delivery trucks, no motorcycles, no cars, etc. There are big fines associated with driving in a ZTL when you’re not supposed to be there, and you’ll likely get that fine without ever being pulled over (there are cameras in many city centers now). Check out maps of ZTL zones for some of Italy’s major cities on this AutoEurope page.
No Parking or Stopping
No parking signs are blue circles with a red border and a red slash through the middle. No stopping (which, one assumes, also means no parking) signs are blue with a red border and two red slashes through the middle like a red X.
creative commons images by Flanker
No Passing
No passing zone signs are white circles with a red border and two cars in the center of the circle. The one on the right is black, the one on the left – in the passing lane – is red. The red color is telling you that what the car is doing is a no-no. You may also see similar signs that have a car and a big truck, with the truck in red on the left. That’s telling you cars can pass, but trucks can’t.
creative commons image by Flanker
One Way
Italian one-way signs used to say “SENSO UNICO” on them, but the new version of the sign has no words (you may still see some of the old ones, of course). Now, one-way signs are blue rectangles or squares with a white arrow telling you which way the traffic is supposed to go. Somewhat confusingly, there are circular blue signs with similar white arrows that just indicate that you’re to drive straight or left or whatever direction the arrow is pointing… These don’t mean it’s a one-way street, only that you’ll need to follow the arrows to avoid things like a pedestrian-only street. The end result is the same – you’ll turn in the direction of the arrow – so it’s not too much of a worry, but just be aware that the rectangles and squares in this case are the true one-way signs.
Right of Way
Right of way signs are yellow diamonds (a square on one corner, really) with a white border. The concept these signs are communicating may be a little confusing, so bear with me. Let’s say you’re driving along something other than a big highway and you see a right of way sign. That means any cars turning onto your street from any intersecting side streets would have to yield to you – you have the right of way, and they have to wait their turn. When you later see that same right of way sign with a black slash through the middle (remember the “end of zone” section above?), that now means you’ll have to do the waiting, because cars coming in from the side streets now have the right of way.
creative commons image by Flanker
Yield
Another sign telling you that you’re the one who has to wait and give other cars the right of way is this one, an inverted white triangle with a red border.
creative commons image by Flanker
Parking Area
Parking areas – including parking lots and garages – are indicated by a blue square with a white P in the middle. Keep an eye out for these, as sometimes parking garages are tough to spot (especially if they’re underground) and parking in historic city centers can be nightmarish.
creative commons image by Flanker
City Center
When you’re driving in from the countryside and heading for the heart of a town, look for the white circular sign with black concentric circles inside it. It almost looks like a black and white bullseye, with a black dot at the center. Note that, again, parking in this part of a town or city can be problematic, but at least you’ll be able to take the right highway exit and then find a parking lot or garage that’s close to the town center once you’ve driven to it.
creative commons image by Rupertsciamenna
Italian Road Signs in the Wild
So many signs! You can see here green Autostrada signs for Trieste, Travisio, and Belluno, a city center sign for Mestre (plus an additional street in Mestre that doesn’t have the city center bullseye), non-toll highways for Venezia and Ravenna, and even a gas station sign on the lower right.
creative commons photo by Luca Fascia
On this sign you can see a brown indication of a point of interest – in this case a national park – as well as the word “uscita,” which means “exit.”
creative commons photo by Ra Boe / Wikipedia
This collection of signs is especially fun, since it’s in the north of Italy and therefore in a couple languages. There’s a non-toll highway toward Courmayeur, the city center for Aosta (or Aoste, in French), Autostrade toward Genova, Milano, and Torino, as well as toward Monte Bianco (or Mont Blanc, in French). The last is a customs sign (the red-bordered circle with the word “dogana”).
.JPG "Driving in Italy: Italian Road Signs :: Italy Explained (17)")
creative commons photo by Tenam2
Do not enter this street; instead, turn left.
creative commons photo by Michael Turk
No stopping pretty much anywhere along this street. They are serious about it.
creative commons photo by Conan
Here’s one of those ZTL signs.
creative commons photo by Simone Ramella
Sometimes signs will come with time limits – no stopping between certain hours, for instance. This no parking sign is amusing because the time limit sign has been added, but it’s a 24-hour prohibition. I’m not sure why the no parking sign on its own wasn’t sufficient.
creative commons photo by Amelie
And now, for some fun…
It’s far too tempting to resist, so here are some Italian road signs with my own made-up meanings. (Their actual meanings are listed below, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.)
No trumpet playing!
creative commons image by Flanker
(No use of car horns)
No cars on fire!
(No carrying of explosives)
No invisible motorcycles!
(No motorcycles)
No soccer playing!
(End of “Home Zone;” these are usually neighborhoods with reduced speed limits)
Caution: Half a Death Star ahead!
(Tunnel ahead)
FAQs
What do the road signs mean in Italy? ›
THE COLOURS Just keep these three colors in mind: Green for Highways (Autostrada),which are toll roads; Blue for non-toll roads; Brown signs usually suggest historic or tourist attractions.
What do stop signs in Italy look like? ›'Stop' sign
Although the Italian for stop is 'fermare', the road signs in Italy opt for the English instruction: 'STOP'. The words appear in white on a red octagon, but you might notice some older signs where the word STOP appears in a red triangle inside a red circle.
Highway signs that are green are for the Autostrada, and indicate toll roads. Blue highway signs are non-toll roads. Brown signs point you toward historic or tourist attractions.
Why are stop signs in Italy in English? ›While the Spanish "PARE" or "ALTO" are used on stop signs in Spanish-speaking countries once colonized by Spain, "STOP" is used in the mother country of Spain (the result of European Union rules specifying English as the language of road signs in order to standardize road travel across E.U.
What do yellow parking lines mean in Italy? ›It is important to note the different coloured spaces when parking in Italy: Yellow lines are for disabled parking; once again you must display the appropriate pass. White lines mean the parking space is for residents.
What does BIS mean on Italian road signs? ›Bis is a Latin term that in Italy we use a lot and means "due volte". In this case it means additional because it is a street that originally was one and then was duplicated, or to distingue it from the original one. Thus 79 bis is the name of the new street and you will find this on the maps or as signs.
How do you cross the road in Italy? ›Crossing at the Green Traffic Light
Keep in mind one basic rule: it's always advised to cross the street where it is allowed, meaning you should always cross on the white stripes or at the traffic light. Do not cross randomly, you could get a fine or – worst – cause an accident!
You can't make a right turn on a red light.
Though Italy has far fewer traffic lights than roundabouts, there are traffic lights and it is illegal to make a right turn on red.
What is the national speed limit in Italy? The national speed limit on Italian motorways is 130km/h (80 mph). If you're driving on a main road outside a built-up area, the limit varies between 90km/h and 110km/h, and for built-up areas it's between 50km/h and 70km/h.
What is a priority road in Italy? ›Priority road signs in Italy are designed to clarify who has priority at the junction / road ahead. If driving in a country where you drive on the other side to the road, priorities are likely to the opposite of what you are familiar with, roundabouts being a notable difference.
What is a ZTL pass in Italy? ›
What is a ZTL? The ZTLs are zones of restricted circulation, situated in Italian cities that have historic centres. Only the local residents and registered vehicles are authorised to drive there. These zones are therefore prohibited to outside vehicles during certain hours that would not have the right of paid access.
What does 🤟 mean in Italy? ›Che vuoi? (Italian pronunciation: [ke vˈvwɔi]; transl. "what do you want?"), alternatively described as ma che vuoi?, ma che dici?/ma che stai dicendo? ("what are you talking about?"), or simply che? ("what?"), is one of the best known hand gestures of Italy.
What does blue circle with red line mean? ›The no waiting sign is a blue sign with a red stripe and a red border. This sign means you're allowed to stop to drop off or pick up passengers but you can't stay for any longer. In some cases, a no waiting sign might be seen with single yellow lines.
What do blue speed signs mean? ›These blue signs with white writing indicate that vehicles must maintain at least a minimum speed (in this case 30mph). Once a minimum speed limit has ended, then a blue sign with the limit and a red line through it will be shown.
Is it hard to drive in Italy? ›Italians have a reputation for fast and dangerous driving; along with the narrow and cobbled streets in the historic towns, you'll need to have your A game on.
Why do stop signs say Alto? ›"Alto" Defined
The word Halt in German has the same meaning as the word "halt" in English. According to the Spanish Royal Academy's dictionary, the second reference to alto with "stop" as its meaning is commonly found on road signs in Central America, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, and it comes from the German halt.
Bis is a Latin term that in Italy we use a lot and means "due volte". In this case it means additional because it is a street that originally was one and then was duplicated, or to distingue it from the original one. Thus 79 bis is the name of the new street and you will find this on the maps or as signs.
What is ZTL zone in Italy? ›What is a ZTL? The ZTLs are zones of restricted circulation, situated in Italian cities that have historic centres. Only the local residents and registered vehicles are authorised to drive there. These zones are therefore prohibited to outside vehicles during certain hours that would not have the right of paid access.
Can I turn right on red in Italy? ›You can't make a right turn on a red light.
Though Italy has far fewer traffic lights than roundabouts, there are traffic lights and it is illegal to make a right turn on red.
Road toll can be paid in cash (Euros), with an Italian account card, by credit card or with a prepaid card (Viacard). Viacards are available with an initial credit of 25 or 50 Euros through the automobile clubs or at the Italian toll stations and service areas.