Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrade - designated A roads), the main north-south link being the Autostrada del Sole (or A1), which links Milan with Reggio Calabria, in the toe of Italy. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more, and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars. All motorways are tolled. The Autostrade information centre in Rome provides advice on tolls and traffic (tel: 840 042 121; website: www.autostrade.it). Those on a budget may prefer the strade statali (SS), which are often fast, have multi-lane carriageways and are toll free.

By law, both driver and passenger must wear their seat belts or face an on-the-spot fine. Random breath tests can be imposed, and the penalties for drink driving are severe - the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%. Speeding fines follow EU standards, dependent on the speed. Car lights must be switched on at any time on autostrade and strade statali. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit. EU nationals taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate, also known as a Green Card (Carta Verde).

Automobile Club Italiana (ACI) (tel: (06) 491 115; website: www.aci.it) can provide further information.

Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club Italiana: (tel: 803 116).

Routes to the city: Milan is a major crossroads for traffic heading north, south, east and west. The busiest roads are the A1 and A4. Italy's central artery, the A1 (Autostrada del Sole), travels due south from Milan to Reggio Calabria via Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. The A4 (Turin-Milan-Bergamo-Brescia-Verona-Venice-Trieste) forms the ring road skirting the north of the city. Named Autostrada Serenissima after Venice's nickname, this is the trouble spot where north-south and east-west traffic meet and drivers often feel anything but serene. Traffic from Varese and Lake Maggiore on the A8 and from Switzerland and Como on the A9 can also get tied up here. Genoa, to the southwest of Milan, is reached by the quieter A7.

Approximate driving times to Milan: From Turin - 1 hour; Bologna - 2 hours; Florence - 3 hours; Venice - 3 hours; Rome - 6 hours.

Coach services: Milan has no coach station. Coaches for the airports run from the Air Terminal at the Stazione Central (see Getting There By Rail), while the principal intercity and international coaches depart from Piazza Castello, next to Castello Sforzesco. The coach company Autostradale (tel: 02 7200 1363; website: www.autostradale.com) provides information on connections to the rest of Italy. The Azienda Transporti Milanesi (tel: 800 808 181; website: www.atm-mi.it) office in Stazione Centrale also offers advice.

The international departures, operated by Eurolines (tel: 899 325 264; website: www.eurolines.it) from Piazza Castello, connect with services to most European cities. Direct services from Milan include Warsaw, Prague, Vienna and Istanbul.