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What are ZTL Zones? | How will I know if I’m entering a ZTL Zone? | My hotel is in a ZTL Zone | What happens if I drive through a ZTL Zone? | How can I avoid ZTL fines? | ZTL Common questions
Hiring a car in Italy is probably the best way to make the most of the Italian countryside and mountain ranges. Of course, when driving in a different country, different rules and laws apply. As it is the driver’s responsibility to follows these laws, it can be frustrating to find all the correct and up to date information about lesser known road restrictions; So, we’ve put together some useful information to make them less daunting. If you need more information about driving in Italy, check out our comprehensive guide to driving in Italy.
What are ZTL zones?
If you have driven around Italy before you may have come across road signs with ‘ZTL’ or ‘Zona a Traffico Limitato‘. This simply translates to ‘Limited Traffic Zone’. Italian authorities allocate these zones to alleviate traffic and pollution in busy areas which in turn helps to protect Italy’s historical buildings. Although not located everywhere in Italy, these zones are very common and found primarily in busier Italian city centres like Rome and Florence.
How will I know if I am entering a ZTL zone?
All ZTL zones will have a clear large sign next to cameras on poles, indicating that you are entering the limited traffic area. These signs are all marked with an open red circle on a white background. There will be variations of these signs such as some indicating times that the restriction is in place or types of vehicles permitted. So, it is safer to assume that you are not allowed to enter.
A common belief is that these zones are designed to catch out tourists. This is because by the time you see the sign, due to traffic, narrow or one-way streets, it may be difficult to turn around and therefore you may have to enter a zone in order to leave it. Our advice here is to remain constantly vigilant.
Although you may see other vehicles passing through these zones, it is not advisable to follow suit. Generally, locals will have special permits that allow them to enter at ZTL zone.
What if my accommodation is located within a ZTL zone?
We would advise to contact your hotel before travelling to check whether your accommodation is in a ZTL zone. They will be able to advise you if you can drive to your hotel or not and if not where you will be able to park your car nearby.
What happens if I drive through a ZTL?
If you drive through a ZTL you will be fined automatically. The cameras along the limits will register the vehicle’s number plate and you should expect to receive a fine each time you pass one without a permit. The rental provider will receive the ticket from the authorities requesting your details. The provider may then apply an additional fine on top for passing your details onto the police for them to send you a ticket.
Be aware, this process takes time so you may not receive notice of the fine until several months after it was issued.
If you receive a ZTL fine and believe it was issued incorrectly, double check the date the fine was issued against your car rental agreement to make sure the dates match.
How to avoid ZTL zones and fines.
Due to the fluctuation in Zones and local ZTL rules, GPS systems are not always accurate in advising where these zones are so we’d recommend keeping an eye out and not relying on your GPS.
Italy is perfect for driving and a great way to explore the terrific scenery, however, once you get closer to the towns and cities, it may be advisable to walk, bus or even use the fantastic train system in Italy. ZTL Zones are a pain for cars but give you a fantastic excuse to really dive into Italian culture by leaving the car and walking or using public transport.
- Avoid driving in urban areas if you can
- If you have to, be super vigilant for ZTL signs
- Don’t always trust your sat-nav to be 100% accurate about where zones are
- Don’t follow a car into a ZTL zone assuming it’s ok, many locals have permits
- Use public transport in urban areas if possible
ZTL Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just ignore a ZTL fine and not pay it? No, ignoring them can get you into bigger trouble.
How much are ZTL fines? It varies but normally they’re 50 Euros and up plus the admin fee from the car rental provider.
Are ZTL fines a scam to get money? No, ZTL fines are genuine, Italian government issued fines.
I believe a ZTL fine was issues incorrectly, how can I contest it? Details on how to contest a ZTL fine will be shown on the fine itself.
Italy car rental links you might find useful
We are planning to rent a diesel Audi from Hertz at Malpensa Airport in Milan and will be returning it a few days later at Milan Central Station, arriving from Interlaken on a weekday. Is the Hertz location at Milan Central within the ZTL (Restricted Traffic Zone)? Will we be unable to enter the city if our car is not permitted to access both ZTL B and ZTL C? Is this understanding correct?
Hi Anu,
Thanks for your comment!
If you pass through any active ZTL without a permit, you will be fined. The best thing to do in this scenario is reach out to your provider directly to see what they would recommend you do. They most likely get this question regularly and will be able to work with you to find a solution.
Let us know if you have any more questions!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hey there. Thanks for the info about ztl. However it is still confusing
Attive means active- Means no vehicule except authorized can enter, right?
But when it is close / non attiva : can all vehicule go theough ? Even not registered or authorized vehicules?
Hi Stephane,
Thanks for your comment.
You’re correct – when the ZTL zones are active, only authorised vehicles are permitted to drive through them. But when they aren’t active, they are open to everyone.
If you would like any more clarification on anything else, please let us know!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hi I am in Rome for three days my accommodation is in the ZTL zone, the owner informed me they do not have a permit available but said as I was arriving on Sunday the ZTL is open to drivers. I shall be leaving the car parked for the three days. I will be driving within the zone to pick up my vehicle on the Wednesday to travel around Italy 1) Are there camera’s within the zone that pick you up driving within the zone?
2) Would I receive a penalty charge for exiting the zone as the day we leave is not open for entry to the zone.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for your comment!
Any sort of driving within the ZTL zones will be picked up by the cameras, and drivers will be fined if unauthorised – unfortunately, this also includes exiting the zone.
Depending on the operation times of the zone’s cameras (which are usually displayed alongside the ZTL signs), you may be able to drive and park your vehicle outside the zone the night before if the zone is inactive. If this doesn’t work for you, your hotel might be able to suggest another option.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Thank you for sharing this information. Do you know if EV cars are exempt from ZLT-related fines?
Thanks in advance.
Where would it be a good Idea to rent a car out skirts of Florence to avoid ZTL zones and i can travel to Terma di Saturnia, Bagni san Filipo, Puente Vecchio, Montepuliciano, Punto Panoramico Cipreses en zigzag
Hi Pablo,
Thanks for reaching out to us!
The ZTL zones in Florence are contained within the city’s District 1/Old Town, so don’t worry as there are a multitude of pick-up locations outside the ZTL zones. If you’d like more information on Florence’s ZTL zones, you might find this article useful: VisitFlorence
The pick-up locations you have mentioned are quite far out of Florence, so you might want to consider picking up from cities like Siena or Arezzo. You can find a full list of locations here: Zest Car Rental: Florence
If there’s anything else we can help with, please let us know!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hello I have already reserved a car in Florence would you recommend a place for parking for 2 days as I will spend 2 days at the Duomo, Uffizi, Academia, And where to void the ZTL Zones
Hi Pablo,
It’s great to hear you’ve booked your Florence rental car!
Information on the ZTL zones is available on this website: VisitFlorence.
As for parking, the website above also has an informative page on parking in Florence – you can view it by clicking here.
We hope that helps, and we hope you have a lovely time in Italy!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hi,
Thanks for the blog post, booking car rentals has been taking me much longer than expected and but I am glad I found your blog.
I will be road tripping in Italy next month for my honeymoon, is there a way to check if I will encounter any ZTLs on my route beforehand on google maps?
Also, this is not related to this post but whilst booking my car rental I came across Nel***iare who offer great cars at great prices but I have read terrible reviews on reddit and trustpilot. Would you suggest booking with them?
Hi Alex,
Thanks for reaching out to us.
First of all, congratulations on getting married! We couldn’t think of anywhere more romantic than Italy to spend your honeymoon!
In regards to your first question, when using Google Maps, there is an option to avoid toll roads. Once you have your start location and destination entered, click on options which should open up some checkboxes. Tick the checkbox for ‘Tolls’ which is listed under ‘Avoid’. If you want to know exactly where the borders of the ZTLs are, here are some maps that might help: Milan, Florence, Pisa and Rome.
As for your second question, all of our providers we work with, including Noleggiare, are trusted and consistently monitored to ensure the standards we require do not drop. Currently, Noleggiare have a rating on our website of 3.86 out of 5, based on 221 responses.
Please be assured that, should a rental provider ever show that they are providing a poor rental experience to our customers, we will take action to protect our customers, including removing the provider from our website.
Let us know if you need any more help!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
What if your rental car return location is in the ztl? Grazie!
Hi Megan,
If your car rental return location is in a ZTL Zone then it is likely you will be fined.
We recommend speaking to the car rental provider as they may be able to offer assistance. Alternatively, if you booked through Zest, contact us on 01362 852288 and we can contact the car rental provider on your behalf.
I hope this information is useful,
Nathan
Zest Car Rental
do you know how much is the fine!
I’ve one
Hi Francisco,
It really depends on the city, but the fine will usually be between 50 to 80 euros and can include an additional admin fee from the car rental provider. Be aware, you may not receive notice of the fine until several months after it was issued.
We hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Do hotel shuttles, taxis and Ubers have permits to drive in ZTLs, so that they can take you right to the door of a hotel?
Thanks much!
Hi Susan,
Taxis, transfers, and shuttle buses will all be permitted to enter ZTL zones.
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Is it possible to purchase a ticket/ passport for ZTL for 1 or 2 days, like congestion charge in London? is possible to do so can I buy in advance, and where. My car is only 2 months old and complies with latest EU emission standards.
Hi Charles,
Unfortunately, only local residents or workers can apply for a ZTL permit. If you’re staying at a hotel located within a ZTL zone, you can ask the hotel to have your number plate registered with the local authorities for the duration of your stay. Otherwise, we recommend avoiding driving in ZTL zones within the active times to avoid getting fined by planning an alternative route.
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Hi, just wondering if you know if you pick up a hire car within the ZTL and drive directly out of the ztl, will you get fined?
Hi Colin,
If you rent a car from within a ZLT zone you shouldn’t be fined. It may be worth contacting your Italy provider for more local information on ZTLs.
Hope this helps,
Jake