Modena 2026: 24-Hour ZTL, Then a Winter Euro 4 Diesel Ban
Modena, Italy · ZTL
Modena's ZTL needs a permit 24 hours a day (EUR 83-332). From 1 October to 31 March, diesel to Euro 4 and petrol to Euro 2 are also banned 08:30-18:30 across the city.
Locally the zone is called LEZ Modena (Italy) — that is the wording on the boundary signs, on the official portal and on any penalty notice, so it is the phrase to search for once you are there.
Next
- Check your own car against Modena — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
- Reggio Emilia has a zone too — the nearest one to Modena, and the rules are not identical.
- Where to park outside the ZTL in Modena — which car parks stay outside the camera-enforced zone, and the walk from each into the centre.
- If a fine arrives after you get home — who pays on a hire car, and what is actually enforceable across borders.
The shaded area is the LEZ boundary as mapped in OpenStreetMap — zoom in to see which streets fall inside; the signs at the edge are what counts on the day. Full rules: Modena ZTL.
Modena runs two rules that work on different principles. The historic-centre ZTL asks only whether your plate is authorised, and its 13 camera gates run 24 hours a day; entering without a permit costs EUR 83 to EUR 332. The winter anti-smog ordinance, in force from 1 October to 31 March, asks about your engine instead: across the whole built-up area, petrol cars up to Euro 2 and diesels up to Euro 4 may not circulate from 08:30 to 18:30 on weekdays and Sundays, and a breach costs EUR 168 to EUR 678. The compact core around the Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina tower is best walked once parked.
This page covers driving around Modena. For the interactive zone map, zone boundary and emission rules, see the Modena ZTL details.
Park outside, walk the Piazza Grande
The central ZTL restricts unauthorised cars around the clock; park outside and walk the compact centre around the Piazza Grande and the cathedral. Hotels inside can register your plate. Italy’s limits: 50 km/h urban, 0.05% alcohol (zero for drivers under 21 or in their first three years).
The winter rule, 1 October to 31 March
This one covers the whole centro abitato, not just the centre. Banned 08:30-18:30 Monday to Friday and on Sundays: petrol Euro 0-2, diesel Euro 0-4 (even with a particulate filter), and on Sundays diesel Euro 5 as well. Saturdays are exempt unless emergency measures are declared. Electric and hybrid cars always circulate.
The Ferrari run
The Museo Enzo Ferrari is in town; the Museo Ferrari is in nearby Maranello. Both have parking, so do them by car before parking up.
When the car helps
Keep it for the balsamic acetaie, Maranello, and the Emilia-Romagna food trail toward Bologna and Parma.
Sources
- Comune di Modena, ZTL and Liberiamolaria anti-smog measures
- Codice della Strada art. 7 (ZTL fine) and art. 186-bis (zero alcohol for new drivers), Normattiva
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Full requirements, sticker info & exemptions
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Winter tyres in Italy — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Italy whenever conditions are wintry — 15 Nov - 15 Apr (varies by region and road).
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Italy sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: M+S / MS / M-S / M&S (3PMSF not required)
- Studded tyres: restricted
- Penalty: €87–345 outside built-up areas, from €42 inside, plus an order not to continue
In Italian the rule is pneumatici invernali, and snow chains are catene da neve — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 30 Sep 2026 · Full Italy tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Modena's historic centre is a Zona a Traffico Limitato watched by cameras at 13 gates, 24 hours a day; entering without authorisation costs EUR 83-332. Hotels inside can register your plate. Separately, from 1 October to 31 March petrol cars up to Euro 2 and diesels up to Euro 4 may not circulate in the whole built-up area from 08:30 to 18:30, Monday to Friday and on Sundays (Euro 5 diesels too on Sundays), with fines of EUR 168-678. For most visitors, parking outside the zone and walking is simplest — the centre is compact, built around the Piazza Grande and the cathedral, and easily covered on foot.
There are two: the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena itself, near the centre, and the Museo Ferrari in nearby Maranello, a short drive south. Both have parking on site, so you reach them by car before parking up in town. They're a highlight for any motoring enthusiast, displaying historic and current Ferraris. A shuttle bus also links the two museums.
Use a car park or garage outside the ZTL, then walk into the centre. There are lots around the edge of the historic core and near the station. The compact centre around the Piazza Grande, the cathedral and the Ghirlandina tower is flat and walkable, so once parked you won't need the car for the city itself.
Quite a lot for a small city: Ferrari and Maserati (both based here or nearby), traditional balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico tradizionale, aged for years), the tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and a UNESCO-listed Romanesque cathedral with the leaning Ghirlandina tower. The food and motoring heritage make it a rewarding stop on the Emilia-Romagna trail, all centred on the walkable Piazza Grande.
Not for the city centre — it's compact and walkable. A car is genuinely useful here for the Ferrari museum in Maranello, the balsamic vinegar producers (acetaie) in the countryside, and the wider Emilia-Romagna food trail toward Bologna and Parma — driven out from a peripheral car park rather than used in the ZTL-bound centre.
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