All-clear for holidaymakers in Italy: No new regulations for bicycle transport!

Reports are currently circulating on various online portals that Easter holidays with bikes on the rear carrier are in acute danger. According to this, a new Italian directive has been in force since September 2023, according to which bicycles are classified as "difficult to see cargo" and the tyres may no longer protrude sideways beyond the rear lights of the car. This is impossible for standard cars, rear carrier models and bikes. On its website, the ADAC even advises against travelling to Italy with a rear carrier, as fines of up to 345 euros could be imposed.

BIKE has now enquired with the Italian authorities in South Tyrol and Trentino and can give the all-clear. According to conversations between BIKE founder Uli Stanciu and the police commander of Trento, the change in the law was planned but has already been cancelled by the Italian administrative court due to various points of criticism.

The FIAB, the Italian equivalent of the ADFC, also announced on 19 January that the planned regulations had been contested and temporarily suspended!

Lawsuit by manufacturers suspends new regulation

Several manufacturers of rear carrier systems had taken legal action against the stricter regulations resulting from a change in the law. The following can be read on the FIAB website.

"The regulations were updated on 19 January by a decision of the Administrative Court, against which a group of bicycle rack manufacturers had filed a lawsuit to challenge the legality of Circular 25981 of 6 September 2023, which imposes unlawful size restrictions and the testing of bicycle racks with towbars at Motorizzazione Civile under threat of heavy fines. The Council of State granted the request for a precautionary suspension of the contested circular. Consequently, the information contained in this text is to be considered "tamquam non esset", i.e. as if it did not exist. This represents a leap in time into the past and the situation before 6 September is restoredwhen the free installation and use of the aforementioned bicycle racks was planned."

Massimo Gaspardo Moro, Director of the FIAB Study Centre, explains that "the judge essentially recognised that thousands of users were unable to use their devices from one day to the next as a result of this circular, without even a reasonable period of notice. Furthermore, a regulation that is more restrictive than those of other European countries may constitute discrimination against Italian citizens. And in our opinion, it is!"

In simple terms, this means that the legal situation is as follows: According to EU regulations, the registration regulations of the country in which the car was registered apply to holidaymakers. So if it is permitted to drive with protruding bike tyres in Germany, then it is also permitted in Italy. In other words, the law would only have applied to Italians.

Bicycle transport permitted in Italy as usual

For the reasons mentioned above, the change has been temporarily put on hold. Until further notice, the previous legal situation therefore applies again, according to which illuminated rear carriers with an additional licence plate must also be fitted with warning signs when transporting bicycles. This means that holidaymakers in Italy only need a warning sign and existing rear carriers can continue to be used without any concerns.

The right warning sign for bicycle transport in Italy

The general rule in Italy is that anyone transporting something longer than the car or using a rear carrier must affix a red and white warning sign.

The warning signs must be made of metal, measure at least 50 x 50 centimetres and have red and white stripes ( >> e.g. available here). Failure to comply with these labelling regulations may result in a fine of 80 euros.

Which bike rack is right for me? What do I need to consider during transport? What alternatives are there? Read everything you need to know about bike racks in our buying guide.