Travel Warning – Driving in Italy and Paying for Fuel by Credit Card

Beware when filling up your car at a service station in Italy and paying by credit card.  In Milan there has been a rash of credit card skimming operations targeting service stations, and it is likely that other areas of Italy will be affected too.

Petrol, or gas stations, as Americans will know them, in Italy are often left unattended after a certain hour.  Motorists who need fuel can still use the pumps and are able to pay in cash or pay by credit card.  It is safer to pay in cash, as credit card skimming gangs have been targeting Milan’s service stations, and are continuing to do so.  These service stations make much easier targets than bank ATM machines which are generally in more secure locations.  Credit cards used to pay for fuel are cloned and then the cloned cards are used for all manner of purchases.

Foreign motorists in Italy need to pay particular attention this summer, as they may not be aware of illicit credit card usage until they return home, or when they try to settle a hotel bill only to find that their credit card has run out of credit.  Not nice.

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How To Make A Claim Against a Wild Boar in Italy

Yes, while it may be somewhat difficult to believe, the huge, black and grouchy wild boars which inhabit Italy can sometimes be made to pay.  Indeed, in Italy compensation for wild boar induced damage to cars may sometimes be successfully claimed.

This fact was ascertained from Twitter via a Tweet by Gloria of the Casina di Rosa vacation house down in Tuscany who had had a close encounter of the car damaging kind with one of these big pigs.

Despite having caused damage to Gloria’s car to the tune of some 3,600 Euros, the wild boar in question, which Gloria’s car ran over, managed to get up and run off.  Snorting loudly, presumably.  Must have been quite a sore boar though.

A typical wild boar

Hunters in the area at the time did offer to track down the car-wrecking boar, but said boar managed to avoid ending up as delicious wild boar ragu.

While the boar in question was able to evade the hunters, it was unable to escape the attentions of the sharp eyed Italian lawyer engaged by Gloria who effectively took the boar to court, and tried it in its absence.

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How to Make Restricted Traffic Areas Fairer.

Restricted Traffic Zone Sign in Italy

Italy has many cities in which ZTLs exist.  These Zone Traffico Limitato areas are designed to prevent thousands of cars clogging up Italy’s city centres, and to help reduce pollution levels.  But they are causing major headaches for tourists in Italy.

As is evidenced by my fast becoming infamous Speeding, and other traffic fines in Italy post and its accompanying 400 odd comments, many tourists are being caught out by such zones in Italy.

Receiving a fine often a year or so after a visit to Italy is leaving a bad taste in many people’s mouths, not to mention their wallets.  Many are vowing not to return to Italy, which is a shame, and are telling others not to go to Italy either, which is even worse.

Here are a few ideas which could make these problematic restricted traffic zones in Italy a little fairer, and stop Italy from potentially losing millions in income from tourism too. … Continue Reading

Milan’s Ecopass is back from its Vacation

As Milan crawls slowly back to life after the summer recess, its Ecopass traffic congestion charge comes back on-line.

A map of Milan’s Ecopass zone is shown in the following post.

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Speed Cameras in Italy

If you are coming to Italy on your holidays this summer, then watch your speed, otherwise you will end up on camera, and this particular snapshot will result in a fine dropping through your letterbox at some time in the future.  UPDATED with information on the ‘Tutor‘ system and speed limit for certain sections of Italy’s autostrada.

The term for speed camera in Italy is ‘autovelox‘, and the Italian police use both fixed and mobile speed cameras to check that you are staying within the limits.

To help you watch your speed, here are some photographs of some of the types of speed camera you will see around Italy. … Continue Reading

Traffic fines

Back in September 2006 I wrote a post about how to settle those pesky speeding/traffic fines you may end up with either during or after a stay in Italy. I did not imagine that my little post would end up being viewed more than 2500 times and commented on around 100 times, but it has, and this seems to indicate that there is something of a problem.

Well, guess what. Someone from the European Parliament has been having a look at my post. Now, I did know that one of the commenters was planning to write to an MEP, but I had not heard anything more. So now, possibly, something may start happening and that something may even be done to clarify the situation – at least in so far as convincing those who receive the fines that they are indeed genuine and not, I hope, part of some elaborate scam.

If anything develops, I’ll let you know.

IMPORTANT UPDATE 17 February 2010

Revised: 18th February 2010

Reader Peter has very kindly drawn my attention to the called EC -v- Italian Republic, case no C-224/00.  The text of the case which is available in English and other European languages, can be seen here:

Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 19 March 2002.
Commission of the European Communities v Italian Republic.

Failure by a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Article 6 of the EC Treaty (now, after amendment, Article 12 EC) – Difference in treatment of persons contravening the highway code according to the place of registration of their vehicle – Proportionality.

In essence, it does look as though the fines European Union citizens have been receiving are, and always have been invalid.

Again, I would reiterate that I am not a lawyer, so I cannot be sure, but I would repeat Peter’s suggestion that if you are a European Union resident and you have received a fine more than 210 days after an offence, you should write back quoting case no C-224/00, and saying you will write to MEPs etc about this.  If this does not get the Italian authorities off your back – then speak to a lawyer (class actions are possible in Italy now -and I know a good firm of lawyers too!).

In summary – if you received a fine for any motoring offence after 210 days, and you are an EU citizen, you may be able to refuse to pay on the basis of C-224/00.

End of 17 February 2o1o Update