Prato Car Rental Guide
The following page informs you of the car rental possibilities in Prato and presents a short overview of the car rental and driving restrictions valid in Italy.
Rental Restrictions
To rent a car in Italy, you must be at least 18 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge.
Cars rented in Italy are not allowed into the following countries: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia.
Driving Restrictions
In Italy, traffic is on the right and passing on the left. The minimum driving age is 18 years and the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.8‰.
The use of seatbelts is mandatory for all passengers. Children under 12 years of age must be seated in a child seat.
Headlights for vehicles must be on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and also under bridges and in tunnels. Foglights should only be used in case of poor visibility. You are only allowed to use the horn in cases of extreme danger; at night, flash your lights instead. Outside built-up areas, the horn must be used to indicate the intention of passing. The middle lane of three or five-lane roads is used for passing.
Vehicles are generally parked on the right side of the road.
If you violate the traffic laws, the police are authorised to remove your driving license and to collect fines on the spot. In order to avoid car thefts, the police are increasingly arranging vehicle checks, for which you have to present your vehicle’s documents as well as your own.
Speed limits:| Area | Limit |
| Expressways | 110 or 130 KM/H |
| Outside the City | 90 KM/H |
| In the City | 50 KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police: 112
Ambulance: 113
Fire: 115
Road Tolls
There are tolls on motorways in Italy. Tickets must be obtained upon entry to the expressway system and paid upon exiting. Tolls can be paid in cash or with a Viacard.
Some useful expressions for tourists visiting Italy
Car - automobile
Car rental – affitto di automobile
Road – una strada
About Prato
Prato is the third largest city in central Italy after Rome and Florence. It is a thriving city that is famous for its textile industry and has a vibrant cultural and economic life. The architectural attractions of Prato include a mid 13 th-century castle, a Romanesque Cathedral, the church of Santa Maria delle Carceri and the well preserved Palazzo Datini.
In addition to its historical and artistic heritage, the city also offers numerous cultural institutions such as the Textile Museum and the Museum of the Figline Parish and is home to the prestigious Contemporary Art Centre “Luigi Pecci” and to the highly praised avant-garde theatre “Metastasio”.
Prato offers its visitors a wide range of sports activities as well as great shopping, bars and restaurants.
Population: 180,000
Country: Italy
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Telephone Area Code: 574
Monetary unit: Euro
