Puglia is a region located in the heel of Italy and while I’ve already written a guide on renting a car in the Dolomites, driving in the south of Italy is something completely different.
During your road trip in Puglia you’ll mostly drive on the highway but when you do venture more inland you’ll be surrounded by olive trees and trulli’s dotted around the hillside landscape.
The best way to discover Puglia is by car. This way you’ll get the most out of your holiday. You’ll have all of the flexibility that you can dream of and you don’t need to rely on public transportation.
Within this guide you’ll find all the information that you’ll need to help you prepare for your trip to Puglia and how to safely drive around the country.
Tips For Renting A Car & Driving In Puglia Italy
Why you should rent a car in Puglia
If you’ve followed any of my previous travels then you know that I an absolute sucker for a good road trip.
Renting a car gives you the freedom to go anywhere you want, whenever you want. You want to go on a sunrise mission to Alberobello? You’ll need a rental car! You want to admire the sunset over Ostuni and get back to Monopoli for dinner? That’s right, you’ll need a rental car!
If you don’t have a rental car and you want to see certain parts of the country you’ll depend on taxi’s, busses and tours. These are either very expensive options or simply impossible to do sometimes if you want to visit a place very early in the day. It will take a lot longer to reach several destinations in one day and if you’ve booked a full day tour you’re also stuck if the weather turns out to be a complete disaster that day.
Renting a car will give you the possibility to go more off the beaten path , drive on coastal roads, pass by castles and lavender fields.
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
What do you need to rent a car in Puglia
When you rent a car in Italy you’ll need the following requirements:
- Your driver’s license from your home country as a EU resident
- You must be at least 21 years old or 25 years old (minimum age varies by rental agency). But some rental companies do charge more if the driver is younger than 25 years old.
- You need a credit card in your name
- Your ID (or passport)
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
If you’re a non EU resident you are obligated by law to have an International Driver’s Permit. While the rental company might not ask you for it, you will have to show it if you encounter a police check.
You can arrange your permit here.
Rental car insurance in Italy
Anyone booking car rental in Italy needs to know that basic Collision Damage Waiver car insurance is mandatory. This protects you against any liabilities caused while driving in Italy, such as those resulting in injury to others, property damage, or even death.
Luckily with SunnyCars all of this is automatically included in your booking.
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
💡 TIP – Italy is known for its random police checks, so make sure you always have the mandatory papers with you in the car.
Is it safe or difficult to drive in Puglia?
Like I said, driving in the South of Italy is an entire different story compared to driving in the more northern part of the country.
It seems like, the more south you go in Italy, the crazier people’s driving gets. But if you’re an assertive driver and you’re used to driving, you’ll have no problems at all.
- All speed signs are in kilometers per hour and the Italians drive on the righthand side of the road (same as the United States).
- The road conditions in the south of Italy aren’t the best. There are a lot of potholes, even on the highway. It’s abundantly clear that they don’t invest in any road maintenance.
- The centers can become a little hectic during the day but we were always able to find a parking spot.
- The roads can become pretty small and narrow, especially in the south of Italy. So rule of thumb: the smaller the car, the better!
- Zona traffico limitato – If you see this sign in Italy, under no circumstances drive into this street or square. These areas, sometimes also referred to as ‘Area Pedonale’ are off limit. If you do drive through them you’ll automatically be heavily fined.
💡 TIP – Most of these ZTL’s are located in the historic centers of the towns. It’s best to simply park your car right outside of these and go on foot. In my Puglia road trip guide I have listed all of the parking spots that we used.
Road rules in Italy
Seat Belt – You’re required to wear a seat belt at all times.
Drive on the right side – In Italy people drive on the right side of the road just like in most other places in Europe.
Speed Limit – Within towns you’ll have to drive between 30 and 50km/h while on the highway you can drive up to 130km/h.
Highway – The exits and entrances to the highway in Puglia are very short. You always have to give way to the people already driving on the highway. This means you will sometimes have to come to a complete stop before entering the highway. And make sure to slow down on time when exiting the highway.
The international three-colour traffic light system is used in Italy. However, there is no amber light after the red light.
Parking – Parking spots in Italy are color coded: White spaces are free, blue are paid, yellow spaces are reserved for handicapped permits, taxis or official vehicles, and pink spaces are the domain of expectant mothers or mothers traveling with infants.
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
Tips for renting a car in Puglia
1. Make sure to check your rental car
This is my number one tip when renting a car in Puglia, or anywhere else for that matters. It’s your own responsibility to check your rental car. Make sure to take many good and clear photos and detailed shots if there’s already some damage visible.
You will also receive a check-form before your rental officially starts. Make sure to see if all the damages are marked on the form. If this isn’t the case you need to tell the employee and have them add it to the check list before you sign anything.
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
2. Check what type of gas is needed for your rental car
This may sound pretty logical but it does happen. People put in the wrong type of gas at a petrol station and then of course the car won’t start anymore.
If you’re ever in doubt about which type of fuel you need, try to find the sticker in your rental car that provides that information. This can usually be found on the car key, on the dashboard, or on the fuel door.
There are gas stations everywhere in Puglia. What I like to do is download the map of Italy from before on Google Maps. That way you don’t need any data when you’re searching the map for a nearby gas station.
Where to rent a car in Puglia
There are numerous options but I usually prefer to pick up my car as soon as I land at the airport. But if you’re planning on renting a car in Puglia during high season make sure to do so well in advance.
🚗 Rent a car in Puglia by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
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