Defending Italian Roads

We took a 10-day driving trip in Italy just a couple of weeks after the appearance of the article, “Those Italian Roads Can Really Drive You Crazy,” Aug. 11. We are happy to report an entirely different impression.

In more than 800 miles, a circuit from Florence through the nearby provinces, we never had anything that could be described as a close call. The roads were well-maintained and well-marked, the traffic was relatively light and the Italian drivers were skillful, conservative and polite.

Our rented car ran like a clock (as has been our experience in Europe the last 15-20 years). We never paid for overnight parking since most of our reservations were in hotels on the outskirts of towns or in the country. The main annoyance was walking uphill from parking at the hill towns--which, in a way, was good for us.

In regard to your practical information, the auto rental agency was happy to accept a California driver’s license. But we found that the Carabineri, in one of its routine check of documents, want the international one.

WILLIAM M. KAULA

Los Angeles