Car & Van Hire - Imperia

The Ligurian coast is a popular destination for Italians who want a beach holiday, and Imperia is one of the best spots. With its colourful buildings and peaceful olive groves, this lovely city has plenty of laid-back Mediterranean charm. Take a stroll around the bay and admire the yachts that sit in the harbour before hitting the beach. There are both sandy and pebble beaches here, with something for everyone. Diano Marina, with its long stretch of sand, is a great choice for families. The sea here is shallow for quite some distance, so it's ideal for kids who want to go for a dip. Swimmers will find deeper water at Imperia Oneglia, but this is a pebble beach with underwater rocks, so it's a good idea to slip on some water or swim shoes to protect your feet.

Imperia has the usual set of old buildings you'd expect from an Italian city, including a cathedral and several beautiful churches. However, perhaps the most interesting building to visit is the Grock Villa, formerly home to the Swiss clown Grock who was once the highest-paid entertainer in Europe. Today the building houses a clown museum, but it's worth visiting for the architecture alone. Unusual, curved pillars, stone figures and a quirky layout make it a true, one-of-a-kind experience. The museum inside is also highly interactive and great fun for kids.

Another museum that you might want to visit is the Museo dell'Olivo. Here you can learn about the olive industry and the importance it has played both on the Italian Riviera and beyond. This is a surprisingly fascinating museum outlining the history of olive cultivation that stretches back over 6,000 years.

With a car rental in Imperia, you can see more of the Ligurian coast. The nearby village of Sanremo is ripe for exploration. This became a popular tourist resort in the early 20th century, but it later fell out of fashion, with the trendy crowds looking elsewhere for its holidays. Today, its faded elegance is one of the main attractions, with hotels and villas that once housed famous figures like Alfred Nobel and Tchaikovsky. Be sure to visit the Russian Orthodox church – an unusual sight in Italy, but one that has stood here since Sanremo's glory days.

Another good option for car or van rental in Imperia is Cervo. The colourful buildings, cluttered on narrow cobbled streets high above the sea, make this a quintessential Mediterranean fishing town. This is an extremely picturesque village that does not have a large tourist industry, so if you are looking for an authentic Ligurian experience, it's the place to go.

Most Italian cities, along with many towns and larger villages, have a ZTL. This is a zone of limited traffic in which cars are either prohibited entirely or heavily restricted. If you enter the ZTL without a permit, you will be fined, as there are cameras watching the entrances. As you drive in Italy, you'll soon learn to look out for the warning sign, a white circle surrounded by a red ring, which announces that you are about to enter a ZTL.

Imperia has no less than four separate no-go zones. They are not connected to one another, so you will have to take extra care when driving in the city centre. The restricted Paraiso area has a timetable: the limitations are in effect every day from 01:00-08:00, then again from 10:00-15:00 and once more from 17:00-19:00. The areas around the Borgo Marina are permanently restricted.

There are several options for parking around the port, with a few large car parks. Given that the Imperia ZTL rules can be quite confusing, it is best to leave your car and explore the city centre on foot. Watch out for more ZTLs as you travel around Liguria. They are common in any city or town with a historic centre – which means most cities and towns in Italy!

Imperia is very close to the border with France, and some visitors like to travel to the coastal city of Nice. This is a short trip, and as France and Italy are both Schengen countries, there is no border control. However, if you are planning any kind of international travel, make sure to discuss it when you rent your Enterprise car, as your insurance may be affected.

When driving outside cities, remember to keep your headlights on at all times. This is an Italian legal requirement, even during full daylight. You can turn them off when you enter an urban area.

The roads in Liguria can be steep and narrow, so take things slowly and drive with care. If you park on the street, be sure to tuck your wing mirrors to avoid any nasty surprises when you return to your car.