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European breakdown cover in Italy

Instant cover available with RAC’s Roadside Assistance in Italy

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • 5 star Defaqto rated cover
Buy now
Defaqto Expert Rated 5 Star
European Breakdown Cover

Breakdown cover in Italy

Breaking down is stressful enough – imagine if you don’t speak the language? Don’t head to the continent without breakdown cover in Italy.

Help is at hand 24/7 with our English-speaking helpline. We’ll always try to fix you at the roadside first. If your car can’t be fixed, we’ll get you to a garage and arrange alternative transport. We’ll even get you and your car back to the UK if needed. Make sure your holiday’s in safe hands with the RAC.

24/7 English-speaking helpline

European Roadside Assistance in 48 countries

5 Star Defaqto rated cover

Levels of breakdown cover in Italy

We offer two types of breakdown cover in Italy for you to choose from. Both levels offer Roadside Assistance, 24/7 English-speaking helplines and free European legal help, so you know your holiday’s in safe hands with the RAC.

Read how else they compare against each other below.

Comprehensive

For £4.58 a day

Roadside Assistance in Europe

We’ll pay up to £150 towards garage labour costs. Provided repairs are completed on the same working day

Get up to £500 accommodation expenses or up to £1,500 to continue your journey

We’ll pay up to the market value of your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair

If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home up to £1,500

Get 2 days’ UK Roadside Assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home

24/7 English-speaking helpline

FREE European Legal Care

Replacement train/ferry ticket for up to 1 missed connection, if the delay is caused by a breakdown

Best cover you can get1 – Comprehensive Plus

For £7.58 a day

Roadside Assistance in Europe

We'll pay up to £1,000 towards garage labour costs. Provided repairs are completed within 7 working hours

Up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and/or up to £3,000 to continue your journey

We’ll cover all costs to get your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair

If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home up to £3,000

Get 7 days’ UK Roadside Assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home

24/7 English-speaking helpline

FREE European Legal Care

Replacement train/ferry tickets for up to 3 missed connections, if the delay is caused by a breakdown

Above prices are based on European breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 2.

What our members are saying

We had the unfortunate incident of breaking down in Italy. The RAC were excellent they responded efficiently, professionally and solved every problem that occurred. Communication was excellent throughout. Highly recommend.

Susan W

I have been a member for over 40 years and value the security of knowing that if things go wrong with one of my cars the RAC will help whether it is at home or on the continent. An excellent service.

H Firth

RAC said they would be there within the hour and they were. They gave me regular updates before their arrival, and, after fixing my puncture, phoned ahead to a local garage to check they had the correct tyre available. Excellent, friendly, efficient service. Thank you.

Christopher

What to do before your trip to Italy

In Italy, it’s important to have the right driving kit in your car. If you break down, you could receive a fine for not having the right items with you. Also, make sure you have the right kit if you’re driving through another country to get to your destination.

Before you set off, check what you need and follow the steps below to reduce the risk of a vehicle breakdown.

Follow these steps

Documents and paperwork

When driving in Italy, you're required to carry your driving licence, passport, a copy of your car insurance documents and your V5C (vehicle registration) document.

Check your tyres

It’s important to check your tyre tread before setting off on your trip. Looks for any signs of wear and tear, as well as the tyre depth. If any are in poor condition, get them replaced.

Check your oil and coolant levels

Check your vehicle’s levels of coolant, oil and screen wash. Carry extra to top up during your journey, especially if you’re driving long distances or over a longer period of time.

Get your vehicle serviced

Before you travel, book your vehicle in for a service. A professional can fix any issues ahead of your trip to Italy. Book a car service with one of our mobile mechanics today.

Buy a European driving kit

You could get a fine for not having the right driving kit in your car. Make sure you check what you need before heading off on your trip.

What do you have to carry in your vehicle?

When driving in Italy, it’s the law to carry certain items with you while you’re on the road. It’s worth knowing what you need to avoid a fine.

If you don’t have all the items below, take a look at our European Driving Kits, which include many of the items you’ll need when driving in Germany.

Read our guide to driving in Italy to find out more about the laws and requirements during your trip.

Documents

When driving in Italy, you’ll need to carry your full UK driving license, proof of ID (passport), motor insurance certificate and V5 registration document.

Reflective jackets

While it’s not law to carry a reflective jacket in Italy, you could receive a fine if you walk down the road or hard shoulder without wearing one.

Warning triangle

In Italy any vehicle with 4 wheels or more must carry a warning triangle. These are used to alert other drivers of upcoming hazards.

Headlamp beam deflectors

These will redirect your vehicle’s headlights, so they don’t dazzle oncoming drivers. Depending on your vehicle, you will need deflector stickers or adjust the beam manually.

A UK sticker

If your vehicle doesn’t have a UK identifier on the registration plate, then you’ll have to display a UK sticker (previously known as GB sticker).

Crash helmets

Crash helmets are compulsory for motorbike, moped, trike or quad bike riders in Italy. This is unless your vehicle is equipped with seatbelts. Motorcycles must always ride with their lights on, even during the day.

What are the driving rules in Italy?

It may sound obvious, but the rules of the road in Italy aren’t the same as in the UK. Like the majority of European countries, Italy has some road laws that motorists need to be aware of when driving there.

Drive on the right and overtake on the left

Unlike the UK, in Italy you’ll need to drive in the right hand lane and overtake using the left hand lane.

Drivers approaching on the right have right of way

In Italy, drivers must give priority to vehicles approaching from the right, unless road signs indicate otherwise.

Seatbelts are compulsory

Like many other European countries, wearing a seatbelt is compulsory for all passengers in a vehicle.

Right hand lane is for slow drivers on motorways

On three lane motorways in Italy, the right hand lane is reserved for vehicles that are driving slowly.

For more information on road rules in Italy, read our extensive guide here.

Important contact numbersIt’s really helpful to take a note of all the contact numbers you need when driving in Italy ahead of your visit. That way you’ll know exactly who to contact in the event of a breakdown or road emergency. For example, save these numbers in your phone’s directory:

RAC European Breakdown from anywhere in Europe

0033 472 4352 44

British Embassy in Rome

0039 06 4220 0001

Emergency Services

112

What to do if you break down in Italy

If you break down in Italy, having European breakdown cover makes it much easier to get the help you need. Here’s what to do if you break down, depending on whether or not you have breakdown cover in Italy.

If you have RAC European cover

• Call the RAC’s English-speaking helpline on 0033 472 4352 44 – lines are open 24/7

• Our team will arrange Roadside Assistance for you

• When help arrives, they’ll try to fix your vehicle at the roadside

• If we can’t fix you there and then, we’ll tow you to the nearest garage for further repairs

• Depending on the level of cover you have, we’ll also pay towards garage labour costs, onward travel expenses and accommodation fees while your car’s being fixed

If you don’t have cover

• You’ll need to find a recovery company to come out to you

• That company will need to be able to tow you to a garage if needed

• If you need repairs at a garage, you’ll need to find a garage you can trust

• You’ll also have to pay all recovery and labour costs yourself

• If you did not buy European breakdown cover before leaving the UK, we will be unable to help you

Can you help if I break down on the motorway in Italy?

Motorways in many European countries are privately managed. If you’re on a private motorway and your vehicle breaks down, or you’re in a road traffic collision, you must use the roadside emergency telephones before contacting us.

They can tell you whether the RAC can attend, or if they need to send their own recovery vehicle. If your vehicle is recovered in Italy by the police or authorised motorway services, you may have to pay a charge on the spot.

We will reimburse these charges if the vehicle is towed to the recovery company’s depot. If they refuse to send a recovery vehicle, you should contact us.

Can you help if I break down on the motorway in Italy?

Motorways in many European countries are privately managed. If you’re on a private motorway and your vehicle breaks down, or you’re in a road traffic collision, you must use the roadside emergency telephones before contacting us.

They can tell you whether the RAC can attend, or if they need to send their own recovery vehicle. If your vehicle is recovered in Italy by the police or authorised motorway services, you may have to pay a charge on the spot.

We will reimburse these charges if the vehicle is towed to the recovery company’s depot. If they refuse to send a recovery vehicle, you should contact us.

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Driving in Italy FAQs

If you’re driving in Italy, you’ll need to carry a:

  • Passport or ID card
  • Driving license
  • Motor insurance certificate
  • V5 registration document
  • UK sticker (unless your number plate says ‘UK’ on it)
  • Reflective jackets
  • Warning triangle
  • Headlamp beam deflectors (if you can’t adjust your headlamps manually)

The best way to make sure you’ve got everything is to buy a European driving kit.

Yes. You can now drive a UK-registered car for up to 6 months of the year in Italy, as long as you have a full, valid UK driving license. If your car doesn’t have a UK national identifier on either the registration plate, you’ll need to buy a UK sticker.

Find out the full rules for driving in Italy.

As long as you’re 18 or over and have a full, valid UK driving licence, you can drive in Italy. But if your license was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, you might need an International Driver’s Permit.

Learn what other documents you’ll need to drive in Italy.

You need a UK sticker, unless your numberplate has ‘UK’ on it already.

Yes, if you’re crossing north or north west into Austria, France, Lichtenstein or Switzerland, as these are covered in Zone 2 with Italy. If you’re going east, for example into Slovenia or Croatia, you may need to get Zone 3 cover, which includes these countries.

You can keep a car in Italy for up to 6 months in every 12 months (in other words, if you’ve had a car in Italy for the full 6 months, you can’t return with it for another 6 months).

If you have a full UK driving license issued in mainland Britain or Northern Ireland, you don’t need an international driver’s permit (IDP) to rent a car. But if you don’t have a British or EU driving license, or you have a driving license issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, you will need an IDP.

No, you don’t need a green card to drive in Italy. All you need is an EU or UK driver’s license, your passport as proof of ID, and your insurance and V5 documents.

The speed limit on motorways in Italy is usually 130km/h. On other roads outside built-up areas, it can range from 90 to 110km/h. In built-up areas it’s usually capped at 50–70km/h.

For more information, please refer to our speed limits in Italy article.

Yes. If we take your car to a garage for repairs, we’ll get you a replacement hire car, or money towards public transport or overnight accommodation.

Page reviewed by: Andy Baker

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