| TIP: Do not drive in Rome if you are a timid and naive driver who believes that everyone follows traffic rules. Romans have a reputation for being skilled but undisciplined drivers. Do not be surprised to see motorini (mopeds / scooters) driving the wrong way up one way streets or ignoring traffic signals. Yes, it's true that "tutte le strade portano a Roma" (all roads lead to Rome), but over the course of 2,500 years the Romans have built so many roads that it can be confusing to actually reach the center. If you are on the A1 highway from the north, take the exit called "Roma nord" . If you are on the A1 from the south, take the exit "Roma est". Both of these exits, after a few kilometers, take you to hte GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare), the ring road around the city linking the highways and the "strade statali" (state roads, marked as "SS").
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The most important for the traveller are:
From the GRA you willalso find the exit for the Autostrada Fiumicino for Leonardo da Vinci airport and the A24 highway to Abbruzzi (Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Pescara).
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Parking
In areas like Termini and the Vatican, as well as in other central areas, there are spaces on the street indicated by blue lines where you can park for L 2,000 (€1,00) per hour. The hours of the day when you must pay for parking are usually from 8am to 8pm, and in some parts of town, until 11pm. The tickets can be purchased either at the vending machines along the sidewalk (coin only), a tabacchi, or news stand. There are also some large public and private parking garages around the city. The most accessible are ParkSI in the Villa Borghese - L 1,800 (€0,92) per hour for the first three hours; L 1,500 (€0,77) per hour from four to fifteen hours; or L 23,000 (€11,87) per day, Parking Ludovisi, Via Ludovisi 60, open from 5.30am to 1.30am, and Parking Termini, in front of the main train station, open from 6am to 1am - L 3,000 (€1,54) per hour or L 40,000 (€20,65) per day. The other option is the "parcheggi di scambio", Parking lots located by metro stations a bit farther away from the historical center (like Anagnina and Cinecittà on line A, or Ponte Mammolo on line B). From there you can simply take the metro into the center. At L 3,000 (€1,54) per day, the parking is very economical, but the lots are unattended. Non-resident cars are not allowed to drive in the historical center. If you are bringing a car to Rome, we recommend that you park it in the Termini or Vatican area and use public transportation (or your own two feet) to explore the historical center. |
