Reggio Emilia is one of the easiest cities in northern Italy to visit by car, because you do not have to pay to park. Seven park-and-ride car parks are free and connected to the centre by a free minibus, Piazzale Europa by the station is free too, and the main paid car park, Caserma Zucchi, costs a flat €6 for 24 hours. This guide explains the free options, the limited-traffic zone you must not enter, the blue lines and the car parks at the AV Mediopadana high-speed station.
Driving in? Still choosing a car? Our Italy car rental guide compares the local desks and prices – pick the car first, then park it cheaply with the tips below.
The historic centre of Reggio Emilia is a limited-traffic zone (ZTL) enclosed by a ring of avenues. Visitors do not drive into it: you park on or outside the ring and walk, or you leave the car in one of the free park-and-ride car parks and take the free minibus (minibù) into the centre. Compared with most Italian cities of its size, Reggio Emilia is generous with free parking.
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| Option | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Park-and-ride car parks with free minibù | Free | Volo, Cecati, Ex-Polveriera, Foro Boario, Le Querce, Funakoshi, Viale Luxemburg |
| Piazzale Europa (CIM) | Free | About 850 spaces by the central railway station, always open |
| Caserma Zucchi | €6 for 24 hours | The main paid car park on the edge of the old town |
| Piazzale Marconi | Tariff displayed on site | Underground, 267 spaces, always open, at the central railway station |
| Blue lines on the street | About €0.50–1.50 per hour | Typically Monday to Saturday, 08:00–13:00 and 15:00–20:00 |
This is the simplest way to visit Reggio Emilia by car. The park-and-ride car parks (parcheggi scambiatori) are free and always open, and a free minibus takes you to the centre: take the travel ticket from the machine at the car park.
Free car park for 270 cars, open 24 hours. Minibù E runs to the centre from Monday to Saturday between 06:45 and 20:45, about every 12 minutes.
Free park-and-ride car park with 219 spaces, linked to the centre by minibù H, which is free for users of the car park.
Three free car parks to the south and north-west of the centre, all served by minibù G.
Two more free car parks on the east side, on the same minibus line as Volo.
Large free car park with about 850 spaces on the far side of the central railway station, always open and connected to the station by a pedestrian and cycle underpass. City bus lines 1, 2, 4 and 9 and minibù H go to the centre; line 5 runs to the high-speed station.
The former barracks car park on the northern edge of the old town, close to the public gardens and the Teatro Valli, is the usual choice for a day visit: a flat €6 for 24 hours, paid at the machine (the car park is unstaffed). It returned to municipal ownership in July 2026, so check the tariff board when you arrive.
Underground pay car park with 267 spaces and video surveillance in front of the central railway station, always open. Holders of a disabled badge park free.
For a full day at no cost, use a park-and-ride car park and the minibù. For the shortest walk, pay €6 at Caserma Zucchi. Arriving on a Sunday? Piazzale Europa is free and the blue lines are generally not charged.
Paid street parking is managed by SostaRE. Prices depend on the zone: roughly €0.50 per hour in the outer zones, about €1 per hour around the centre, and €1.20 for the first hour and €1.50 after that in the high-rotation streets. Charging hours are typically Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 20:00, and Sundays and public holidays are generally free. You pay at the meter with coins or card, with the SostaRE app or with Telepass, and you enter your number plate – there is no ticket to display. Check the sign in each street.
The Calatrava-designed high-speed station is about 4 km north of the centre, beside the A1 motorway. It does not have a single car park but several, with about 2,400 spaces in total and different operators and prices.
| Car park | Spaces | Price |
|---|---|---|
| P1 and P2 | 600 and 400 | First hour free, then €1.50 per hour; €7 per day |
| P3 | 115 | €10 for one day; multi-day stays cost considerably more per day |
| Private car parks (Terminal One, Mediopadana Parking, Kingparking) | — | Bookable online: open-air from about €7 per day, covered from about €13.50 per day |
Minibù M links the high-speed station with the centre, and city bus line 5 runs to the central station.
Reggio Emilia parking cost estimator
Pre-filled with a typical blue-line rate near the centre (about €1 per hour). Caserma Zucchi costs a flat €6 for 24 hours, and the park-and-ride car parks are free.
For a free day, use one of the park-and-ride car parks such as Volo (270 spaces) and take the free minibù to the centre. For the shortest walk, Caserma Zucchi on the edge of the old town costs a flat €6 for 24 hours.
Yes, plenty. The park-and-ride car parks Volo, Cecati, Ex-Polveriera, Foro Boario, Le Querce, Funakoshi and Viale Luxemburg are free, and so is Piazzale Europa, with about 850 spaces beside the central railway station.
No, unless you have a permit. The old town is a limited-traffic zone controlled by cameras and bollards. If your accommodation is inside, ask it to register your number plate in advance.
Local media report €83, reduced to €58.10 if you pay within five days. A rental company will add its own handling fee for passing your details to the police.
In car parks P1 and P2 the first hour is free, then it costs €1.50 per hour or €7 per day. P3 costs €10 for one day. Private car parks at the station can be booked online from about €7 per day.
At the meter with coins or card, with the SostaRE app or with Telepass. You enter your number plate instead of displaying a ticket. Prices range from about €0.50 to €1.50 per hour depending on the zone.
Disclosure: Auto Jardim participates in the Parclick affiliate programme. When you book a parking spot through our links we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This article was fact-checked on 8 October 2026 against the Reggio Emilia tourist office (reggioemiliawelcome.it), Telepass, Parclick and local news reports. We could not confirm the official ZTL timetable or the tariff of Piazzale Marconi, so neither is quoted: the signs on site are what count.
See also: Parking in Italy (all cities)
