Rick Steves Says This European Country's Interstate Is As Good As The US, But There's A Catch

When you think about driving in Europe, you might picture tiny cars zipping down narrow medieval streets, scooters weaving in and out, and a slightly chaotic parking situation. But Europe is also covered with interstate highways, joining cities and even countries together seamlessly and making road trips highly enjoyable. Many of these roads are strikingly similar to those in the U.S., including in Italy, according to travel influencer Rick Steves: "Italy's expressway system, the autostrada, is as good as our interstate system".

The autostrade will take you from the towering peaks of the Dolomites in Italy's north to the sun-kissed beaches at the tip of its boot. They even travel across the straits into Sicily, where Steves believes you'll find Italy's best food. But these roads come with a catch. Italy's 36 freeways are all toll roads, so to use them, you'll have to pay.

Steves estimates that "you'll pay about a dollar for every 10 minutes of use". That's a good rule of thumb, but if you want to get more precise, rates are calculated depending on the type of vehicle and where you're driving. In general, ordinary cars pay around $0.08 per kilometer in the plains and $0.10 for the same distance in the mountains (remember, 1 kilometer = 0.6 miles). What does that mean in practice? Driving from Venice to Florence takes around 3 hours, mostly on the freeway, and costs almost $24. Heading onward from Florence to Rome will take you a little over 3 hours, and you'll pay around $21. So tolls can add up, but aren't prohibitively expensive. You can calculate the exact tolls you'll pay here.

Now, let's talk about how to pay. Generally, when you enter the autostrade, you take a ticket from a machine, and when you exit, you pay based on distance traveled. Avoid the Telepass lanes, which are indicated by those words on a yellow background (unless your rental car comes with Telepass). The blue lanes indicate that card payment is accepted — only use these if you're sure your card will work! Otherwise, stick to the white-signed lanes to pay by cash. Look out for an image of a hand on the sign if you want to pay an operator. Otherwise, you'll pay via self-service machine (they give change).

You can avoid toll roads in Italy, but your journey will almost always take significantly longer. That 3-hour journey on the interstate from Venice to Florence becomes a 5-hour drive on non-toll roads. The same goes for the Florence to Rome leg — expect it to take an extra couple of hours.

Aside from speed, the autostrade also comes with unexpected perks: Steves loves the roadside Autogrill restaurants, where he says you can find great food and excellent coffee. It's also worth bearing in mind that non-toll roads aren't necessarily the more scenic route in Italy — the autostrade often offers views of rolling hills, vineyards, and mountain peaks as you cruise, just as ordinary roads do. Of course, you might pick a route in Italy particularly for its beauty, like the awe-inspiring mountain pass through the Dolomites or the world-renowned drive along the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. However, when traveling between cities, the tolls on the interstate are often worth it for travelers.