# Car Rental in Italy - Recommendations



## neilr (Jan 5, 2010)

Last fall we used Carjet for a trip to Spain and it worked well.
The rates in Italy are substantially higher.
THe challenge is trying to get automatic in compact or economy size
thanks


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## Jimster (Jan 5, 2010)

*Nooooo*

You have that wrong- the challenge is driving in Italy-especially the cities.  The difference in driving in Italy as opposed to driving in Spain is the difference between night and day.  I have driven in Spain-that's a piece of cake.  I've driven on the left hand side of the road in other countries and I am quite adept with a stick shift.  I do not recommend driving in Italy, at least in the cities.  The truth is there is very little need to drive in most of Italy because the train system works fairly well.  If you are going to drive in Tuscany, perhaps that is doable.  As for driving in Rome- I'd rather play Russian Roulette with 5 chambers loaded.  Driving in Florence is not as bad but there is no where to park.  Of course, you are not driving in Venice??  Also, why do you need automatic transmission?  No one drives an automatic there.  That is why it is hard to get.  If you can't drive a stick, you will find that those that do drive much differently.  If you choose to drive, I hope you have good insurance.  I would seriously consider public transportation.


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## Carolinian (Jan 6, 2010)

I cannot think of any major European cities that I would recommend driving in, although I have driven in a few myself like Paris, Edinburgh, Prague, Berlin, Munich, Salzburg, Bern, etc.  In those cases it was mainly driving into the city and finding a place to park, then using public transportation.

I agree that Italy is challenging as to driving, and especially the cities.  I usually use the train to get around there.

In the past, I have found the best car rental deals at www.europebycar,com and www.autoeurope.com but in the last couple of years www.economycarrentals.com has consistently beaten them on price for European rentals.


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## Jimster (Jan 6, 2010)

*Driving*

I live in Chicago so I know a bit about traffic.  My daughter lived in LA which I have driven in often and that is bad.  As for Europe, I have driven in Greece (an unmitigated mistake), Scotland, Spain, England, Ireland and several others, but i still prefer the train.  If you flush out your plans a bit more maybe we can give you suggestions.  How many are going?  What you want to go and do? etc.  Certainly, there are times the train can be cost prohibitive when you compare it to putting 5 people in a car, but there are so many deals and so many rates, there is usually something out there that will work.


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## neilr (Jan 6, 2010)

thanks for the advice
im a big boy and not worried about big bad european cities
try living in brooklyn NY for 30 years ( and California thereafter)
Going to Tuscany and need to have a car. Assume that ill use the train if we venture into Sienna or Rome.
The automatic is in case my wife needs to help with some driving so I might opt for the manuel to save money and gas and do all the driviing

Has anyone booked a car rental using the European web sites.  The rates are much lower and curious if your paying with credit card do they adjust it when you pick up your vehicle

Thanks again


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## nalismom (Jan 6, 2010)

We used Auto Europe in 2007 - paid for it in US dollars not Euros.  Picked the car up at Rome airport and drove to Assisi...drive wasn't too bad but our hotelier told us we could drive to the B &B and drop off bags and he would show us where to park for free....problem was there was only one way into the village and one way out...drove in and out 3 times before we finally located the B&B and then fretted over the cameras that track cars driving in a no traffic zone...Many of the walled cities have these and are notorious for sending you a traffic ticket a year later.

We had the car for a week and drove to Gubbio and then onto Siena via Montepulciano..You definitely need a car if you plan to tour the villages in wine country....having a driver makes it more fun though.  Turned the car in in Siena and headed onto Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence, Rome and Pompeii via train...wouldn't recommend a car for visiting the bigger cities...trains are fast and less worrisome


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## Jimster (Jan 7, 2010)

*try this*

Here is a site that is generally cheaper and I believe located near you in NY.  http://www.kemwel.com/rental-car/  I started to rent from them once and then changed my mind when my plans changed.   Carjet's rates are so high because they often include complete insurance and with so many accidents, car thefts and break-ins in Italy the rates they have to charge are sky high.  BTW never leave anything of value in you car when you are not in it-ever. BTW I have driven in NYC too- piece of cake.  Tuscany is not so hard though because of the lesser traffic.  As pointed out above, watch out for the walled cities. Lucca is one of my favorites but it has some unbelieveablely narrow streets with building obstructing any kind of view at cross streets.


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## Laurie (Jan 7, 2010)

I like AutoEurope.com too, we've used them several times - you can generally pick up and drop off in a different city within Italy with no surcharge, if you wish. They're easy to deal with if you have a problem. 

One caveat - they're a broker who books for you thru a variety of local companies. One we didn't like too well was EuropCar, we had 2 not-great experiences (one was with billing, and AutoEurope did take care of it later for us) - but they'll go with a different company if you request, tho rates are sometimes higher.

The extra insurance is mandatory, which is why prices seem so high, your cc won't cover that. We once avoided higher rental costs by flying into Nice and using our French rental car to tour NW Italy.

BTW, we found driving in Tuscany to be no problem (except in Florence - but you're already assuming you'd take the train in), and a car to be a necessity. You can drive into Siena and park w/o much problem - it's a giant soccer field, follow the signs with a soccer ball.

Enjoy your trip!


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## Carolinian (Jan 8, 2010)

Be careful to read your rental contract before driving a car rented elsewhere into Italy.  I have rented cars in both Germany and Austria that specifically stated in the contract words to the effect ''this car cannot be taken into eastern Europe or Italy''.  




Laurie said:


> I like AutoEurope.com too, we've used them several times - you can generally pick up and drop off in a different city within Italy with no surcharge, if you wish. They're easy to deal with if you have a problem.
> 
> One caveat - they're a broker who books for you thru a variety of local companies. One we didn't like too well was EuropCar, we had 2 not-great experiences (one was with billing, and AutoEurope did take care of it later for us) - but they'll go with a different company if you request, tho rates are sometimes higher.
> 
> ...


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## 225chs (Jan 12, 2010)

Surprisingly enough, after searching all the sites mentioned and comparing available prices I ended up getting my best price from Hertz. I joined the Hertz #1 club and their quotes were the lowest.
I rented from them this past April. Picked up in Sorento and returned to Rome Airport. Do not remember the price. It was an automatic


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## riperoo (Jan 12, 2010)

I travel to italy about 5 times a year on buisness, Milan, and the Lombardi section, I have been to Tuscany, the Itialian riviera (totally nuts driving there!!) and north of Milan, Turin and such, and I would NEVER drive there, it is insane. in the years i have traveled there it is almost a given that you see one catostophic wreck on the road, loss of life almost guaranteed. We did rent a large van one time, a Mercedes, over here a Dodge sprinter, and the guy that volunteered to be a driver had pretty much been going over there for about 30 years and was pretty comfortable, I at least felt a false sense of security being in the big rig. I have driven with locals and it is an expierence to say the least. I consider myself pretty competent on the road, I have driven Harleys in the states for 30 plus years, all sorts of cars and trucks, and I would much rather rent a car AND driver than drive in Italy. If you plan out your hotels and such, you would probably save money by using a service, and I have found, in the smaller towns, that most locals have no porblem offereing up a local lift to somewhere, and the bulk of the cities are made for walking anyway, you park your car on the outskirst and walk in, it is getting from city to city that you need a ride, they do have a really great train system too. But if you are determined, Good luck! Be careful! and buy lots of insurance!


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## gresmi (Jan 13, 2010)

One quick word of advice you may note or discard. IF you are planning on renting a car and driving around Tuscany to go Siena, Rome, Lucca, wherever, I HIGHLY suggest you bring a GPS with European maps on it. You will thank yourself for it later and save a lot of time on your trip. We did it and were extremely thankful we had.

Have a great time!


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## gresmi (Jan 13, 2010)

Also, I agree with riperoo. Park the car on the near outskirts of a city and walk or take public transportation in. We did that all through Tuscany and Umbria. Enjoy!


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## 225chs (Jan 14, 2010)

While I wholeheartedly agree with riperoo and gresmi about driving in the cities and in the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, and the GPS has great value, some of my best days in Tuscany and Umbria were days I got lost, ended up in small towns and meeting the locals. "Lost rides" can be a lot of fun


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## gresmi (Jan 14, 2010)

So true. We just didn't have the time in Tuscany to do that. We were on our last couple of days.

We did do that in Hawaii when we had more time on our hands. We started a strategy and joked about it. When we'd see a "dead end" sign, for fun we'd actually turn onto the road and go as far as it would take us. We saw a lot we'd have never seen. For example, on Kauai, there is one road about 4 miles long, at the end of which it turns into a dirt road. Once you get to the end, you are on the beach, directly adjacent to the beginning of the Napali coast. Absolutely mesmorizing.


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## Talent312 (Jan 15, 2010)

I've rented from Thrifty twice in Italy -- in Rome for driving outside the city, and in Florence for touring Tuscany.  I'm not a fan of Thrifty in the U.S., but in Italy, they offered very good rates for good cars. 
-- _I would've rented in Venice, but the streets were flooded._

It pays to shop around using a meta-search engine like, www.kayak.com or www.sidestep.com


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## 225chs (Jan 15, 2010)

Talent312 said:


> I've rented from Thrifty twice in Italy -- in Rome for driving outside the city, and in Florence for touring Tuscany.  I'm not a fan of Thrifty in the U.S., but in Italy, they offered very good rates for good cars.
> -- _I would've rented in Venice, but the streets were flooded._
> 
> It pays to shop around using a meta-search engine like, www.kayak.com or www.sidestep.com




I rented from Thrifty in Pisa. Never again. They had only about 10 cars. Two were automatic. The one they gave me was held together by duct tape (not kidding). I demanded the other, they said it was reserved. They told me to take a manual and teach my wife to drive one as we drove. I refused to leave the counter and they finally gave me the other car with a comment they would have to stiff the driver who they reserved the car.


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## Talent312 (Jan 15, 2010)

225chs said:


> I rented from Thrifty in Pisa... They told me to take a manual and teach my wife to drive one as we drove....



Ruh, roh! Back in '82, I taught my 1st wife to drive a manual B4 we left for Italy, and outside San Gimignano, I put her he behind the wheel. We nearly rolled off a hill backwards. I ended up driving the whole two weeks.

As I said, I'm not necessarily a Thrifty "fan", but IMHO, this issue is more likely the result of dealing with a small town agency, than a particular brand.


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