Car Rental in Naples, Italy: What to Know (2025)

How to Rent a Car in Naples

Luckily, renting a car in Naples is super easy. I recommend you book in advance and save yourself the hassle of finding an available car the moment you arrive.

There are a number of car rental locations throughout the city but for the best prices, I recommend booking from the airport. Some companies will have offices right inside the arrivals terminal but the most affordable companies will be set up just outside of the airport. Don't worry, all of those offer free shuttle services to take you door to door.

If you choose a company that uses a shuttle service, just pay close attention to where they tell you to go to get picked up. There are a number of parking lots just outside of the airport and from our experience, different companies use different pick up points.

Although I understand plans change and this might be a last minute decision, if you know in advance that you want a car for at least a portion of your trip, go ahead and book online.

For added fun, many car rental companies offer the chance to pick up the car in one destination and drop it in another. For example, you might want to grab the car in Naples but drop it in Bari. Just know this often comes with a hefty surcharge but for ultimate freedom to explore between two destinations, the extra price might be worth it.

What You'll Need to Rent a Car

Really, you don't need much in order to rent a car in Italy. You either need an Italian driver's license or an international license. If you're from a country in the EU or EEA, you're able to drive without the need of an international license. You'll also need a valid credit card.

Just know that if you move to Italy like we did, you can only drive on your foreign driver's license for 1 year before you have to switch to an Italian license, even if you have an international one. If your country has an agreement with Italy, this process is pretty simple.

If you're like Raf and me, you have to start from scratch and go through the entire process of getting a license, just as if you've never driven a car before. For reference, I'm from the US and Raf is from Colombia.

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6 Tips to Renting a Car in Italy

Now, onto the specifics. If you're planning to rent a car in Naples (or anywhere in Italy), I recommend you keep a few things in mind. This is based not only from our experience in Naples but renting a car in various cities throughout the country.

1. Smaller is usually better

Often in Italy a small car is a better car. This is simply because parking can be tight and more often than not you'll have to parallel park on a narrow alleyway.

There are of course exceptions to this rule but if you plan on being in a city center or even in the center of towns, a small car is likely the easier option. Given that Southern Italy isn't home to as harrowing of mountains as you'll find in the north of the country, I wouldn't be too worried about renting something without much horsepower.

If you're worried about driving along the Amalfi Coast, know that most often cars can't enter into the center of those towns so you'll park it in the hills above and walk down to the coast or the center by foot.

2. Take pictures of any damages to the car BEFORE you leave

This is a good idea in any country but the moment you're given the keys, take a few minutes to really take a look at the car. If you see any damages (scratches, dents, etc.), go ahead and point it out to the person working at the rental company and take a picture of it. Don't be afraid to take a look under the car or on the roof.

This is simply to ensure you won't get charged for any damages that happened before you.

If you want to be extra careful, especially if you're not able to talk to a person directly upon dropping off the car (sometimes on Sundays offices don't open and you simply drop the keys and go), take a video or more pictures of the car showcasing that nothing happened while you were behind the wheel. This will give you an extra layer of security if later you do get charged for something.

3. Understand a few important road signs

As I've mentioned, driving right in the center of both cities and towns can be a little bit precarious. I'll touch a little bit more on using digital maps for directions in #5 but here I just want to point out that there are specific road signs to indicate pedestrian-only areas.

Pedestrian-only zones are depicted as a blue circular sign with a white stick-man. If you see a white circular sign outlined in red, that also means no traffic allowed. It's possible you'll run into a ZTL Zone. This zone allows cars but only those with special permission - think residents or delivery people. Likely, not you, unless your hotel provided you with a special pass.

There are some parking garages and parking lots around but the most common place to park in Italy is definitely the street. You'll see 3 types of painted parking spaces in the street: blue, yellow, and white.

• Blue Parking Spots: These are paid parking spaces. You'll find a meter nearby or can use the app EasyPark (mentioned more in #5).
• Yellow Parking Spots: These are spaces only for public transportation. Think buses, taxis, and emergency vehicles.
• White Parking Spots: These spaces are free for all. You can leave your car here without fear, as long as you'd like (so long as there's no sign stating any additional rules).

4. Watch out for speed cameras

In Italy, I've never seen a speed trap like we have in the US - where the police sit somewhere hidden and wait for unsuspecting speeders to wiz by.

Instead, here they have speed cameras set up. A good thing about these speed cameras is that they're announced both with road signs and if you're using a map like Google Maps or Waze.

While a police officer sitting in their car could decide you're not worth the hassle or simply miss seeing you drive by, speed cameras are not prone to mistakes. If you're going even 5km over the speed limit, it's likely you'll receive a letter in the mail with your ticket.

It might be tempting not to pay it but if you want to rent another car in Italy on your next trip, I would.

5. Take Google Maps & Waze with a grain of salt

Speaking of digital maps, I wouldn't trust them fully. While they're pretty consistent when it comes to long trips or how to navigate the highways, they aren't always aware of one-way streets or pedestrian-only zones.

This is only to be aware of if you're navigating to your hotel or a restaurant in a city or town center. I'd recommend reaching out to the hotel in advance and asking them the best place to park. For arriving in a town to simply spend the day, I'd navigate to a parking garage instead of your final destination, just to be sure.

For street parking, EasyPark is a great app that's, as the name suggests, easy to use and allows you to add time to your meter on the go.

6. Driving etiquette might be different than what you're used to

Now that we live in Italy, we're more accustomed to the driving etiquette here. That said, driving in the north of the country is far different than driving in the south. Things only get more chaotic when you enter into busy city centers like Naples.

In some countries, using a horn is pretty normal. In Italy that's not the case. Using your horn here is like using it in the US, it's a sign of aggression and equivalent to sticking your head out of the window and yelling.

Do your best to keep your wits about you and understand that the rules of the road are mere suggestions. This might be a good place to remind you to get damage protection when renting your car because unfortunately, small scratches and dents can be commonplace when driving in such close quarters to others.

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A Few Day Trip Ideas from Naples

As I mentioned in the introduction, I wouldn't recommend renting a car simply to explore the city center of Naples. You're much better off walking around, utilizing public transportation, or taking a taxi.

Renting a car is best for those that want to get out of the city center and drive to other towns or across the country by taking advantage of a different drop off point.

While there are endless options if you want to enjoy the latter, here are some ideas of places to visit near Naples that are best seen by car:

• Casertavecchia: 40 minutes from airport: Caserta is a famous city in Italy thanks to its impressive palace. While this one is easy by train, Casertavecchia (old Caserta) is best visited by car. We went to a wedding here and it was the reason we rented our car in Naples. Even without the allure of a wedding, the town is incredibly picturesque and worth a visit for those more in tune with history and ambling stone alleyways.
• Agropoli: 1.5 hours from airport: This is a small town farther south than the Amalfi Coast. For those searching for a historic hilltop town that most overlook, this is a great alternative to busy Amalfi.
• Cilento National Park: 2 hours from airport: Agropoli is at the entrance to this national park and the exact distance from there really depends on your plan within the park itself. The park is home to beaches and mountains alike.

Note that nearby islands like Ischia, Procida, and Capri are all accessible by ferry. Some ferries carry cars but you'll have far less options in the times available if you need a car ferry. To visit the Amalfi Coast, it really depends on your plans if you should rent a car or utilize public transportation. A rental car is best for those that are short on time as it's faster but for those staying a few nights, the ferry or train should suffice.

Famous historic sites like Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii are accessible on the Circumvesuviana train line.

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You're Ready to Rent a Car in Naples

Personally, I think a car rental is a great idea if you plan to explore the area around Naples and want to get a little off the typical tourist route. In all honesty, I'd think twice if your entire trip will be spent in the city center as having the car will simply become a hassle that you likely won't want to deal with.

For exploring more of the coastline, both north and south of the city, and doing it on your own timeline, a rental car will make your trip a lot more fun. Picking up your car in Naples will also be easier than waiting to get one in a smaller town or city later in the trip. Prices here will be more competitive since you have more companies to choose from.

Plus, with the flexibility of choosing a different drop off point, you'll have full freedom to plan your trip to Naples to your heart's content. Just be sure to rent online before your vacation to make sure you get the car, price, and dates you want.