Parking in Italy is of different colors and purposes. Most of Italy's cities are tourist-oriented, and all of them have private paid and free parking. Parking lots are located in close proximity to shopping centers and administrative buildings, so when you go on a trip and plan to visit stores, you should know in advance what colors mean in the parking lots.
The color of the lines indicates the color of the parking: features of each city
White is free parking, blue is paid, but each commune or village has its own rules, and parking is no exception. In Italy, there are many attractions, tourist places, shopping centers and hotels. Everywhere there are parking spaces with their own color scheme. A typical case with blue and white should not be taken as a rule - they differ everywhere. Many features, as well as local dialects. Therefore, next to the color there is always a sign - it plays the basic definition for parking a car.
For example, there are such parking rules in Italy that will tell you if the owner is obliged to pay for the downtime:
- The blue line on the asphalt is accompanied by a sign - paid parking. The indicator shows that there is a vending machine or a kiosk nearby, where you should pay for parking at the hourly rate. The kiosk also sells coupons, which are then attached to the windshield.
- A voucher drawn up by hand should contain information about when the car should be removed. On the dashboard should be a coupon with a number code - it is put in the register of the ticket seller.
- Large parking will always have a machine - it is located in the middle of the territory. You can pay only from 8:00 to 14:00 with the exception of weekends and holidays. An hour costs 0.60 €.
If you do not speak Italian, there is a summary in several languages below the bill receiver. It says that payment is made in the form of coins.
Using the machine to pay the tariff
If you decide that blue parking in Italy is convenient and safe, check the price in advance. On the machine it is indicated which coins and bills are accepted, in which currency and terms of parking. As a rule, the fee is at least 1 hour. There is also a receiver of notes where paper money and coins are inserted. The required amount of money is entered, the green button is pressed and parking is paid. The machine itself considers how much the machine can stand. The coupon is issued after payment, where the time of registration of the car is indicated.
If the ticket is not attached to the windshield, the car may be picked up for a fine parking for a fee. The minimum payment amount should be 60 minutes, even if you are not going to stand for so long.
Underground parking in Italy
Underground parking in Italy is common in Italian major cities. She, as a rule, is near shopping centers. There are multi-level and open parking on the ground in one floor. Upon arrival, there is a barrier in front of which you need to show a ticket to the ticket office. This ticket is also taken at the entrance, after which it is presented to the inspector.
If there are no working personnel, then you can leave the car in another way:
- a ticket is purchased in the machine;
- then you need to drive to the barrier;
- there is another machine for reading information;
- if the coupon is paid correctly, it rises;
- if the coupon is expired or not paid, the barrier will not open.
This kind of parking in Italy does not have color designations, since paid machines have already been installed instead. It is worth noting that in the northern part of the country the price per hour is less than in the one closer to the center. The southern part of the country is more expensive in terms of parking spaces, since there are more tourists there. For example, in Venice parking, located closer to the center of the country, is more expensive, as in the very center of the city. In the southern city, parking is almost the same everywhere, expensive.
Free parking in major tourist cities
If parking lots are marked in white, they are free for all residents and tourists of the country. But they have a time limit, as a rule. Car owners should pay attention to the parking signs in Italy, and if they have a tire image, the car can be on the site for as long as necessary. Some signs indicate that the driver should install a drive that indicates the start time of the stop. Within the specified time, he must return and remove the car, making room for others.
In Florence, white parking lines mean that only local residents can park there, more precisely, cars with local registration signs. Temporary car numbers of foreign citizens immediately get into surveillance cameras, and the vehicle is seized with a fine.
If there is no markup, then such parking in Italy is considered free and unlimited. As a rule, they are located outside the city, near hotel complexes or gas stations.
Yellow lines and special places
There are parking lots for locals and visiting tourists. There are places for them separately, but since the guest of the country rarely arrives in his car, for especially important drivers there are places with a yellow parking sign. If the lines on the sides are obliquely painted over, you can leave the car disabled. Guests should pay attention not only to the colors of the parking in Italy, but also to the signs. Yellow color - allows to leave cars only to residents of the country.
The penalty for such a violation will be from 40 to 80 euros if the car is immediately removed. The fact is that local residents often come to work in their cars, and it is forbidden to keep them near neighboring buildings. If you really need to park, the Italians came up with blue and yellow parking lots - these are allowed places for foreigners from 8:00 to 22:00, except for weekends. Parking, of course, paid, and their cost is determined by the owner of the territory.
Parking discs and signs
If the sign indicates that parking limits you in time, you must use the disk. It will show the arrival time. You need to buy it at a tobacco kiosk (Tabacco) or at a gas station. It is called disco orario. This is a cardboard sign measuring 10 x 15 cm with a rotating mechanism. The arrow on it rotates to select the clock.
It sets the time, after which it is placed under the windshield. The parking police will read information from him, and if the time limit is exceeded, a fine is charged. Separately, "speak" and signs:
- Crossed hammers indicate restrictions - parking is available on weekends or holidays, or vice versa.
- 90 minutes - a sign indicates that the driver can leave the car for an hour and a half from Monday to Saturday. This is possible with a parking disk.
- On Saturday, parking will be prohibited from 7:00 to 15:00, as this is considered a market day.
- A sign indicating "1 hour" - indicates that the driver can leave the car for 60 minutes from 9:00 to 12:00 on weekdays, from 15:00 to 19:00 on Saturday.
- On Friday from 6:00 to 14:00 (market day) parking is prohibited, and the car will be towed to the parking lot with a penalty charge.
Also, tourists often come across a sign indicating the zone of limited traffic (zona traffico limitato).
The cost of parking in different cities of Italy
As an example, we give several indicators of the formation of the cost of parking in Italian cities:
- In Verona, places are always limited. An hour costs 1-2 €. Free parking is available near Porta Palio, on Sergio Ramelli and Arena di Verona.
- In Lucca, near the gate to the Old Town, there is Porta Vittorio Emanuelec parking lot. One hour costs 1,20 €.
- In Florence, the most expensive parking, and a day cost from 20 to 30 euros. There is free, but not everywhere. The largest is considered parking in Piazzale Michelangelo.
- In Pisa, the cheapest parking is Via Alteri Azzurri Pisani. One hour costs € 0.60 from 8 to 14 hours.
- Siena offers parking for € 2.00 per hour just next to the shops. Parking is specialized, and a day will cost 35 €. At Parcheggio Stazione, one hour costs € 0.50, and all day costs € 2.00. However, you have to go on foot to get to the city, and this is an extra hour of parking.
Therefore, you should carefully read the conditions - parking can have a tariff payment for the first and subsequent hours, and nobody wants to pay fines for parking in Italy if the car is incorrectly positioned or for exceeding the stopping time.
Penalty for improper parking
If the driver encroaches on a place that is intended for a disabled person or a pregnant woman, he will face a fine of 100 euros. Yellow parking in Italy for locals cannot be occupied by foreigners. Even an interpreter in a car with local numbers will pay a fine of 270 euros, since the rule applies to people, not to vehicles.
Incorrect parking will cost almost 40 euros, and exceeding the time limit is only 50, plus the cost of a tow truck, penalties and interest for every day while the car is at the parking lot. If the car enters the ZTL zone, then the fine will reach 100 euros and above. But what to do if the hotel is in this sector, and you can’t get to the entrance?
Paid areas of transport
There are special sections of roads in Italy that are paid. These are zones C and ZTL. To enter, you need to purchase special cards. If a tourist reserves a hotel with parking, he will be given a ticket for the entire stay. Tickets can also be purchased separately at special box offices on the territory of the Ring of Bastions. Transport must meet the requirements of the European standard. At the same time, parking markings in Italy remain valid for owners of such cards.
Pink and gray parking
Again, the pink color of the sign indicates that the parking lot is intended for pregnant women. From the first day of pregnancy they should have certificates from doctors who are attached to the windshield. Also, if there are automatic machines, they supplement the "notification" for the traffic police with appropriate cards or discs.
Gray car parks do not always indicate free entry. There are signs for parking lots like Passo Carrabile. This means that you can not leave the car in any case, despite the marks, stripes and other signs. This alert has an advantage. However, before leaving the car, it is better to go out and make sure that the parking is really not forbidden, and no punishment will be provided.