Restricted access
I like the fact that cars are not allowed through the centre of Rome, except……when I get a fine for inadvertently going through!!!! Most Italian cities have put in place a restricted area in their town centre, known as Z.T.L or Zona a Traffico Limitato, to limit the traffic.
restricted traffic area in Rome
To this day, I must have accumulated the equivalent of more than a thousand euros in z.t.l fines (around 80 euros each) in Rome and other Italian cities such as Bologna, Florence and even Pisa. Not that I do it on purpose, but it is sometimes very difficult to avoid entering the z.t.l. while driving in town. A wrong turn in an unfamiliar city and one gets stuck in a street with no other exit than through the centre. So beware of driving through Italian cities, the discreet cameras are everywhere to record one’s number plate and the fine arrives home pretty promptly. On the upside, the administration is very slow at sending reminders. I still have a couple of 2009 fines waiting to be paid!!
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