Within the ancient city
Only Rome can house the controlled chaos that surrounds you, like an explosion of Italian passion, confined within the ancient city. The streets are seemingly always alive with the sounds of scooters and cars frantically racing to the next roundabout along with hordes of people weaving down sidewalks, around endless parked cars and across flowing traffic.
credit Keane Li / keane.li
The Italian driver always needs to be somewhere in a hurry, no matter what. Tailgating and radical maneuvers around what they perceive to be a slower vehicle are comical and drivers often just escape total disaster colliding with other cars or people.
No scooter rider worth his salt is content to cue in traffic and will force their bike at any angle through stopped traffic, cutting perpendicular across your bumper and wedging themselves into the tiniest openings forcing the other drivers to nudge their cars over a few inches so they can squeak through. Contact is inevitable for many and choruses of horns and yelling often will follow the boldest of moves.
Although there are lines on the road they are merely suggestions and a true Roman driver will exploit any opportunity in order to move forward, forcing their vehicles into impossible places to get ahead because obviously his or her house is on fire or they are about to give birth.
Shy or timid drivers should walk because progress through the city streets of Rome needs the proper balance between opportunism, aggression and confidence with a repertoire of as many defensive moves as offensive. It’s an awesome piece of vehicular choreography set to the music of the city on one the most beautiful stages you will ever visit.
photo credit Keane Li / keane.li
So, waking up early from a delightful rest at the wonderful Beehive Ho(s)tel, I had a little anxiety and a lot of excitement to go and pick up our rental car smack dab in the middle of Rome in order to make our way up towards Orvieto for our next house sit.
As we bid farewell to Steve, co owner of the Beehive he said “…you’ll find your way out of Rome eventually but your main goal is not to get hit.” A couple of girls who were checking in overheard Steve and he turned to them and said “..they are picking up a rental car!”
“Seriously, oh my god, that’s insane!” the girls said and with that boost of confidence we headed out nervously laughing about what we may have gotten ourselves into.
We walked the few blocks to the AutoEurope office to pick up our rental. Paperwork and inspection (to note the many scratches and crunches adorning our car) complete we sat in the parked car and had a quick pep talk.
Remain calm at all times, stay attentive and check your mirrors. Nat would call out the navigation loud and clear and there would be no time to look at anything else but the road and traffic around us. We would work together like a rallye team with our goal to make it to the city limits unscathed to the relief of the A1.
The time had come, I dropped the car into gear and we poked our head out of the parking garage and then plunged into traffic.
When in Rome do as the Romans do, so I was not shy with the gas and brake and held my ground not to be intimidated by the other drivers since my progress was as important as theirs. Nat deftly called out the turns and directions and when a road blockage or unseen obstacle held us back she would consult the Ipad and say “…just keep moving I am working on rerouting us!”
My confidence took over and I was now acting like a Roman driver. Hand gestures and conversations with other drivers through car windows let them know I would not be pushed around and soon the pulse and erratic rhythm of traffic was flowing through me and I started to enjoy it.
Accelerating, braking and strategic moves are all things I love about any driving but even more so I love the fact that Italian driving is kinetic. The stop and start of hesitating drivers unable to merge or round a corner without coming to a stop are rarely present here and although caution may sometimes be thrown to the wind, progress is almost always made. Driving in Italy is like their language; dynamic, passionate, flowing and fast.
“If you want to live and eat like a local you have to drive like one too!” I said to Nat as the light turned green and I hammered it in order to avoid a swarm of scooters and beat an old lady who raced me to the onramp.
Finally we saw fifth gear while merging onto the broad and straight A1 with the city now disappearing in our rear view mirror. We let out a victory cheer with a fist bump and then I started to laugh, buzzing with the adrenaline of escaping Rome by car.
I continued to chuckle occasionally, thinking about the mayhem we conquered, as we cruised leisurely into Orvieto and wound our way up into the stress free hills of Umbria.
It will be three months until we reverse the process to return the car to the same spot in the middle of Rome but we will be ready, willing and able.
This: “The Italian driver always needs to be somewhere in a hurry”
made me laugh out loud…and think “and he always wants to be in front of you!” I’m sure arriving in cozy and much-calmer Orvieto was a pleasure after surviving your Rome exit!
We’ll be in Orvieto for our New Year’s Jazz in Italy tour – perhaps we’ll bump into you on a cobbled lane!
We were thinking of going to the Jazz festival, will keep an eye out for you!
You are braver souls than I! I admire your spirit & fearlessness navigating the streets of Rome ~
Thanks Nancy! Brave maybe but more likely we didn’t think it through.
Loved this post but all the while I was reading it a voice kept saying, “NOT me!” In smaller towns and villages I might welcome the added independence of a car but I’ll have to leave the big city driving in foreign countries to the daring and the professionals while I just squeeze my eyes shut when it looks like a head-on collision is imminent!
It does take a strong stomach, and nerves!
I like the comment “Driving in Italy is like their language; dynamic, passionate, flowing and fast.” I don’t know that I would be able to remain calm and be aggressive enough at the same time to take every opportunity to move forward.
Tim must have been a race car drive in another life because I don’t know a better driver, especially in situations like this.
Oh you are very brave! Braver than me! I commend you for it. I think driving up the hills into Umbria sounds a lot more peaceful. Good luck on the way back 🙂
Thank Johanna, hopefully the way back will be easier haha
That sounds like a fun experience to drive in the countryside, I’m more of a train person and getting into the central part of town is always easy with no parking requirements.
The train doesn’t pass by where we’re staying. Had we the choice, we would have chosen the train for sure!
Kudos! You are a much braver person than I am. I would have taken the bus! 🙂
That’s not a bad idea but we’re staying in the country so really needed a car.
I love this “If you want to live and eat like a local you have to drive like one too!” Italians (I am one) drive crazy (I don’t drive crazy however)! There is no such thing as a lane! I am glad you made it safely! The country roads are fine, but the major cities (like Rome) are crazy!!
Yep, next time we’ll probably pick up the rental from a small town 😉
Apparently, maneuvering through Rome is a two-person job. Well done, you two! Such a fun read! You have my admiration for driving with (and like) the Romans. I haven’t been there yet, but certainly have heard the stories. I’ve been a big city driver for many years, but not sure I’m brave enough for Rome.
Rome is a whole other world, those lines in the road, they’re just a suggestion 😉
I agree “NOT Me” – when it comes to driving in Rome. We drove to our hotel in Sevilla Spain and barely avoided getting killed. After searching fruitlessly for out hotel for an hour or two, we finally gave up, parked the car and walked to the hotel. A bellhop managed to locate it and park it for us. We’ll be in Rome in May so will try to manage car-less. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures!
Michele, if you’re in Rome and want to stay near the train station, check out the Beehive http://www.the-beehive.com, great place!
Used to drive in Italy a lot back in the 90s. Best description of driving in Rome I ever heard was that every red light is like a game of Tetris. Every available spot must be filled, then the light turns green and it all starts again. Naples is even crazier.
We’ve driven all over Italy every time we’ve been but this is the first time (and probably the last) we picked the car up in Rome.
I remain afraid to drive in Rome. I remember driving once on the outskirts of MIlan and traffic came to a standstill. Italians opened their car doors and looked miserable in the heat. I have driven in London and NYC but I have no desire to add more big cities to the list. When I visited Ireland last year, we deposited our car at the airport before we entered Dublin.
Sounds like a wise thing to do. We used to live in NYC but only drove twice, once when we moved there and the second time when we moved away.
So, I guess the main reason to drive in Rome is to get out of town! 🙂
For us it is 🙂
Your descriptions are excellent. And no, I’ll leave the driving to someone else!! Great post!
Thanks Marilyn!
It’s always good fun to watch the Italian traffic but I really would not fancy driving in Rome. You’re braver than I am!