Car Hire Verona Airport

Whether you’re heading to Verona itself or making a beeline for the lake and beyond, Verona Airport is ideally placed to get an exciting adventure underway. From here you can join an autostrada – an Italian motorway – north, south, east or west, or head to Verona on Via Statale 12 and be in the centre of the city in around 20 minutes.

You’ll need to drive on the right-hand side of the road in Italy, with overtaking on the left. In Italy, it’s advisable to drive with dipped headlights on during the day, when outside of cities and built-up areas.

Speed limits are typically 50km/h in towns and cities, 90km/h on state roads and 130km/h on autostrade, but these can vary so always check the signs for the route that you are on. Toll roads are common, both in Verona and the rest of the country, and there are various ways to pay.

Driving in Verona is relatively straightforward, but there are a couple of restrictions to be aware of. The historic centre is a ZTL area – or limited traffic zone. This restricts access during certain hours unless you have a permit. Look out for signs with a red circle on a white background and be aware that these areas are camera-monitored.

Fortunately there are plenty of parking spaces, with a mixture of multi-storey car parks and metred areas, so you can park up and explore the centre on foot, the best way to ensure you don’t miss any of the sights. One of the handiest parking spots is based on Piazza Cittadella, where parking costs €1 per 20 minutes or €18 for a full day.

Outside of the city, you can be on the banks of Lake Garda in less than an hour by driving west along the A4, while taking the same road in an easterly direction carries you to Venice.

Old city walls encase the historic heart of Verona, a place where dramas large and small have been played out for thousands of years. Today, you can relax over a world-class coffee in a sun-drenched piazza, eat delicious local fare at one of the many restaurants, and seek out Shakespeare’s most iconic story.

Culture under the stars

Verona’s Roman amphitheatre is truly impressive, older even thanRome’scolosseum – and in superb condition given that it was constructed almost 2,000 years ago.

The ancient marble still carries a hint of pink, and the theatre seats tens of thousands of people for the open-air opera that it holds during the summer months. It’s almost entirely enclosed, so you won’t truly appreciate its splendour until you’ve entered – at which point it becomes simply breathtaking.

Life on the lake

The famed Lake Garda is a scenic drive from the city, so with a hire car to hand you can make the most of this fabled area. The vibe shifts as you move further north, where you’ll find the beautiful resort towns of Bardolino and Sirmione, with plenty of places to eat and stay, plus spa facilities if you’re really looking to relax.

Look out for Grotte di Catullo, a splendid, crumbling Roman villa from the 1^st century AD inSirmione, while Bardolino has a charming harbour and an annual food and wine festival held every Autumn. Just north of here isLazise, perhaps the most photogenic town hugging the lake’s shore – and it has some stiff competition. Find aharbourside restaurants and watch the fishing boats bobbing up and down on the lake’s water – chances are they caught what you’re eating.

In search of Shakespeare’s lovers

Romeo and Juliet are purely fictional creations, but that doesn’t seem to deter tourists from making a pilgrimage to Casa di Giulietta.

A highlight here is undoubtedly the balcony, which represents where the wooing went on, but the real fun to be had is in the way generations of visitors have turned the courtyard into a shrine to romance, lining the walls with love letters. Shakespeare’s tragic heroes live long in the imagination of all those who come to Verona.

The historic town

There’s plenty more to discover for culture vultures and lovers of architecture in Verona. Head to Via della Costa to climb the Torre deiLamberti, an arresting bell tower that has stood proudly here since 1463. There’s a lift inside, although you have to climb stairs for the final stretch – the spectacular views are worth it.

The city’s finest church is arguably the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, a Romanesque gem filled with frescoes and an astonishing altarpiece by Mantegna. On a sunny day, meanwhile, don’t miss the Giardino Giusti, lovingly tended gardens that were first opened to the public in the late 16^th century.

Studded with Renaissance statues and sculpted topiary, it’s a place that has served as a tonic to the soul and a muse to the poets – and you’ll no doubt find tranquillity here too.

When you choose car hire at Verona Airport, all of these stunning sights and attractions will be at your fingertips.