Rome - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
No car, not really needed in the city, especially since many Embassy housing units are within walking distance. And it's Europe, if you bring a car, make sure it is small. Don't bring your F-150 to Rome because it won't fit anywhere. - Sep 2022
Small but solid, otherwise you will not ever be able to park. Driving is a survival sport and parking is a jungle. Your car WILL get dinged and scuffed here... "Romanized." Major highways are private, therefore very good, but tolled per km. - Oct 2014
Small, safe, and already-dinged is best. Otherwise, be prepared to circle the block a few times to find a parking spot and to find a scratch or two upon your return. Double and triple and vertical parking is common! Be prepared to be blocked in in the busiest places. The roads are often terrible (broken, filled with debris, closed off, full of potholes, etc.) but there are many parking garages that are generally safe. And they generally cost much less than in , say, NYC, Boston or Washington (€1-€2 per hour!) - May 2013
Bring whatever vehicle is easiest to park in small spaces, paid off, or already dented. We brought a Chevy Impala, which at 200 inches long and 70 inches wide is too big. But it's paid for, already dented, and great for road trips. Also, car insurance is ridiculously expense, so research that ahead of time. You may decide to not bring a vehicle at all. If you do bring a vehicle, buy a GPS. I recommend a Garmin Nuvi, and don't forget to load the European map ($100 software?). - Apr 2012
The roads here are narrow, the traffic makes them worse, and then people double, triple park or vertically park their little cars which makes just getting down the street a workout in spacial perception and driving skills. Even though we have underground parking, it takes about 10 minutes to jockey our car in and out of the ridiculously tight space. Bring a small car that you don't mind getting dinged, scraped up, but that would be safe in a collision. - Aug 2010
Bigger cars are a problem for parking, narrow streets, but really anything else will work here. - Apr 2009
I have a minivan. It does fine, but when it comes time to parking it, it's a bit of a bear. It's great when we're travelling between towns, but in the city it's tricky. I would discourage bringing a vehicle bigger than that. Also, there are not too many mechanics willing to even *touch* a U.S. vehicle. - Feb 2008
The smaller the better. And make sure it has dings in it because if not you'll leave Rome with lots of them. The best car to bring is a used one that you don't really care about. - Feb 2008
