If you plan to go to Italy consider re-taking drivers ed. In Italy, drivers really love to use their imaginations on the road. For example, on the Amalfi coast the only road to get to anywhere is about the width of an american one lane road. The Italian drivers like to imagine that it is a two lane road and they use it as such. I might be over exaggerating a little bit but driving in Italy was CRAZY!! Having a big car will probably result in scratchest but there were drivers with huge busses going down the tiny roads. Getting a smaller car will probably be very beneficial.
So the lesson here is: 1. Don’t drive, 2. Drive a small car or 3. Use your feet or take a train.