Rental cars in Italy. Why.....

[browneyes7]

We recently returned from vacation where we rented a car and drove for the first time in Italy. I posted this info on another thread yesterday, so I have copied it below:

 

Car Rental:

Auto Europe

http://www.autoeurope.com/

 

I researched everything online and then when I knew what I wanted, I called them. They were very helpful and assured me that they could get an automatic transmission sedan for me. (I haven't driven a stick shift since I was a teen, and I wasn't about to have a refresher course in Italy ;))

 

Going through AutoEurope was easy, fully covered insurance, good email communication, etc. Renting an automatic isn't cheap, I don't have my receipt here, but you can check prices on their website.They upgraded us to a beautiful, black, Mercedes. It was equipped with a GPS but the guy at the rental agency didn't really know how it worked, so I had to figure it out.

 

I did get an International Drivers Permit, but they never asked for it. You can get that at your local AAA office. It was $23. (15 for the IDP and 8 for the picture.)

 

You can read all about Driving in Italy on Slow Travel. There are some things to be careful of. There are places referred to as ZTL - Zona Traffico Limitado - where you are prohibited to drive unless you have a special permit. Those areas are typically in the city center. We did not have any problems in the Tuscan hill towns. Just be aware of them, don't enter or you will receive a ticket in the mail. Just park at the base of the town and walk up into the town.

 

I printed out the Traffic Signs and got familiar with them, purchased some good maps and researched.

 

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drivin...s_speeding.htm

 

Slow Travel website will also explain Parking - white or blue spaces, parking meter/tickets, etc.

 

Driving on the Autostrada was an adventure. Italians drive fast and tailgate. Going through the Toll Booth the first time was a bit scary, but there is an attendant who collects your euros.

 

I know it sounds difficult, but trust me, if I can do it, anyone can. :)

 

Autostrada website has good information:

http://www.autostrade.it/en/

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. This is so helpful, and I really appreciate it!:)

[browneyes7]

There are tolls on most Italian highways, the AutoStrada. There will also be tolls through some tunnels when going to Switzerland and Germany. The highway "taxes" will be part of your car rental fees. You could be dinged extra if you want to take the car out of the Country, you had better check that. You should try and get a deisel vehicle, while fues costs the same you will get a lot better mileage (the European diesel vehices are al ot better than the ones here, they are actually very good and you probablyy would not know or feel the difference between them and gas vehicels)

Like in the US, the cost is dependant on how far you drive on the toll road. Gas prices, well, they will vary quite a bit. Again,like inthe US, if you stop at a highway rest stop, the price will be higher. In towns, villages and cities, gas stations are not as visible as they are at home. They may just be a small cutout on the street with one pump and you have to pay attention to find them.

Plan on gas being at least about 6 dollars per gallon (1.50 euros per litre), probably a bit more though.

Here is a site that may give a bit of an idea http://www.travelmath.com/

 

Thank you, Pete. You are making me feel much more comfortable about doing this! :)

[browneyes7]

Fun thread. We have never driven from Rome to Munich but have done more then our share of driving over much of this route. You are talking about approximately 600 miles of driving (each way) which can be done in about 9 hours (assuming you do not make frequent stops). Personally, we would love to do this drive since it does go through many parts of Italy that we love. In our opinion whether your drive should depend on the amount of time. If you can spare a few days (or even a week) for the drive then it can become a wonderful trip with many interesting stops enroute. If you just want to go between the two points as fast as possible then the train or air makes much more sense.

 

Regarding the ZTLs and signs, the signs that mark ZTLs are relatively small and can be missed. There is also the possibility that a sign on your route will be missing (that is no excuse and you will still be fined). It is wise to pull up a map of the ZTLs online (before your trip) and pay attention to the areas that must be avoided. If you do wander into a ZTL you will probably not be aware of any violation until weeks (or months) late when you discover a nasty charge added to your credit card statement. Most rental car companies also assess an additional "administrative" fee so a single violation can easly cost over 100 Euros.

 

 

Hank

 

Thanks, Hank. You are always so helpful on CC! We will have about 10 days to do this. We fly into Rome late Oct. 14 and leave from Civitavecchia October 26 on a transatlantic cruise home to Galveston. I'm sure it will be quite an adventure! :)

[Hlitner]

I should have mentioned something about both Autoeurope and Kemwel. These are teriffic companies for longer term car rentals in Europe. They are actually sister companies and have their co-located offices in Maine. They provide a toll free number in the USA and also have toll free numbers throughout most of Europe. These companies are known as "consolidators" because they contract with major rental car companies and are able to often provide excellent pricing. However, unless they have recently changed their policy, they do not deal with any rentals that are less then 3 days in length. I should also mention that these companies normally provide cars from either Hertz or Europcar...

 

Hank

[Karennella]

We hired cars in three different places last year in Italy, including Sicily, and we think the drivers are much better than here in Australia. In a month we did not see a single accident or car broken down, whereas on the way home from the airport, a twenty minute drive, we saw three.

But we are having four nights in Rome next month and will collect our rental car on the last day, before leaving for Perugia. My daughter lives in London and they do not own a car, as it also has congestion zones, good public transport and parking difficulties.

We found the autostradas in Italy excellent, especially compared to our pathetic examples of expressways here in NSW.

[RMorningglory]

Our ship arrives in on a Sunday and I see it as a bit of a double edged sword. Some things will be closed ie: Vatican Museums. The plus is that there are no restrictions on driving on a Sunday. With my dad's mobility issues and since I have done the in depth museum thing several times before I figure I'm going to take the bull by the horns and drive into Rome on a Sunday.

 

Can anyone give me specific advice on a "Sunday Drive"?;)

[bobalink]

Our ship arrives in on a Sunday and I see it as a bit of a double edged sword. Some things will be closed ie: Vatican Museums. The plus is that there are no restrictions on driving on a Sunday. With my dad's mobility issues and since I have done the in depth museum thing several times before I figure I'm going to take the bull by the horns and drive into Rome on a Sunday.

 

Can anyone give me specific advice on a "Sunday Drive"?;)

 

You are a brave person. I would not drive in Rome for all the tea in China.

 

For traveling with someone with mobility concerns, contact Romeinlimo and have them drive you CLOSE UP to all of the sites.

 

Last summer we did the City Highlights Tour with RIL, and it was fabulous. They are experienced and equipped to maneuver their small sized Mercedes sedan through the very narrow streets. You will see so much more having them take you than you could on your own. They know the way around, the short cuts and it is comfortable!

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your visit to Rome!

[RMorningglory]

You are a brave person. I would not drive in Rome for all the tea in China.

 

For traveling with someone with mobility concerns, contact Romeinlimo and have them drive you CLOSE UP to all of the sites.

 

Last summer we did the City Highlights Tour with RIL, and it was fabulous. They are experienced and equipped to maneuver their small sized Mercedes sedan through the very narrow streets. You will see so much more having them take you than you could on your own. They know the way around, the short cuts and it is comfortable!

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your visit to Rome!

 

I thought of this... we are 4, too many for a sedan so now if we do that we're in a van and paying a lot. The car is $113.00 total... And its a Sunday. I'm 42 and have driven in Europe a lot... just not in Rome.

[euro cruiser]

I've driven in Rome and lived to tell about it. Sunday makes it easier, unless (and this is a big unless) there is a scheduled march that day. Over the past ten years I've lost track of how many protest marches I've run into in Rome, and they tend to happen around the Colosseum area and usually on Sundays, so the Via dei Fori Imperiali gets screwed up. That's an issue because if you look at a map, you'll see that there are very few "main" street in Rome.

 

You didn't mention parking, are you planning to do that or will you be on the move the entire time?

[RMorningglory]

I've driven in Rome and lived to tell about it. Sunday makes it easier, unless (and this is a big unless) there is a scheduled march that day. Over the past ten years I've lost track of how many protest marches I've run into in Rome, and they tend to happen around the Colosseum area and usually on Sundays, so the Via dei Fori Imperiali gets screwed up. That's an issue because if you look at a map, you'll see that there are very few "main" street in Rome.

 

You didn't mention parking, are you planning to do that or will you be on the move the entire time?

 

I truely appreciate your insite and advice. I know there is a large car parking lot at the Villa Borghese and I thought that could be the ticket for most of the day. Even with a hefty parking charge I'm saving 400 euro from the tour price. That's a lot of lunch! I think my dad would be able to walk one way from the Spanish Steps to Piazza Novona and Hotel Raphael where we plan to have lunch. After that I can walk back, get the car and pick him up along the river bank or we can all take a taxi back to the car park. The car just gives a little more flexability to do what we want and how. On a Sunday I can be patient and drive them by the main stuff. I could never do that on a weekday so that's why I'm leaning this way.

[maryann ns]

I would stick to public transit or taxis. With planning taxis would surely save money over a rental and be much less stressful.

 

My husband and I have driven in Europe many times, including Paris and Florence, but would not drive in Rome.

[iancal]

We drive in Europe, and specifically in Italy, fairly often. Our main reason for never driving in Rome is not the drivers or the traffic (not to say that this is not a pain) but rather finding a parking place and paying for it. It may be my heritage, but I can never see taking a rental car to Rome for a few days. paying the per diem car rental fee AND paying the parking fees when I know the car will simply sit in it's parking stall whilst we are there. We tend to do a lot of one way rentals with a combination of rail and ferry trips mixed into the equation.

[RMorningglory]

The full day tour price on our cruise including lunch is $229.00 PP and we're there on a Sunday so no Sistine Chapel. I rented the car for $119.00 and have been to all the locations at least 3 times before and can give a highlights tour in my sleep. With no driving restrictions on a Sunday I think I'm good. Once again, if anyone has insite specifically about driving in Rome on a Sunday I'm all ears. :D

[Hlitner]

We have driven more then 10,000 miles within Italy but Rome would be my least favorite place to have a car. That being said, you are correct that Sundays make things a lot easier although we would recommend parking your car in a central location (such as near Termini) and using your feet an public transit to get around Rome. Even on Sundays it can be a hassle dealing with parking and traffic can still be an issue near some of the major tourist destinations (especially in the afternoon).

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

Really, truly, the best advice is to park the car and make your way around on foot. Maybe do a drive by first, but then return to actually visit the sites. Even on Sunday you won't be able to park easily, on many streets parking is restricted for residents and the fines are significant.

 

There are large parking garages at the Vatican and at Villa Borghese. Closer in there is parking in Piazza in Piscinula, on the Trastevere side of the pedestrian bridge over the Tiber. There's an attendent who takes your money and you can leave the car there all day.

[agabbymama]

Palermo, Messina, Salerno, Naples and Rome were the absolute pits to drive in on any day. We spent a month driving through Italy. We were almost hit 3 times by vespas going through red lights. At one red light, there was a car stopped in front of us, so we stopped. Then a car came up behind us, and kept honking his horn, even though the light was red. The guy in the front car finally opened his door and stepped out, turned around and looked at the driver of the car behind us, we could plainly see he was a police officer. The guy didn't honk his horn anymore. When the light changed, we all proceeded.

 

Even the locals have problems, on our tour from Naples to Sorrento, the taxi driver we hired got us to Pompeii and on to Sorrento just fine. Upon returning to Naples, the traffic was horrendous. As we drove through town on a mini-tour, the taxi driver didn't stop quite soon enough and bumped the car in front of us. This caused a little delay as he got out of the taxi and walked up to the car in front. Now we couldn't understand a thing they were saying, but there was lot of arm waving, raised voices, and I worried it might come to fistacuffs, but they walked away from each other got in their vehicles and proceeded. He apologized profusely to us that we had to witness such a tirade. Kind of funny, because here our taxi driver would have been at fault for rear ending the car, but he acted like it was the other guys fault.

 

There was a photo of smart cars parked in Rome, and I commented that my photo showed a smart car parked sideways. I'm going to try and post it. The picture is small, but we are on the HoHo bus and this is the street along the river.

[RMorningglory]

Really, truly, the best advice is to park the car and make your way around on foot. Maybe do a drive by first, but then return to actually visit the sites. Even on Sunday you won't be able to park easily, on many streets parking is restricted for residents and the fines are significant.

 

There are large parking garages at the Vatican and at Villa Borghese. Closer in there is parking in Piazza in Piscinula, on the Trastevere side of the pedestrian bridge over the Tiber. There's an attendent who takes your money and you can leave the car there all day.

 

Thank you so much for these specifics. I appreciate it very much. I will take your advice and make my plan as noted. YEAY!!! :)

[vacation fool]

We were planning to fly to Rome and take the train to either arezzo or chiusi where we would then rent a car. I was told by someone that the car rental agenices all close by noon on Saturdays which happens to be the date that most house/villa rentals begin. She said we would have to rent the car at the airport in Rome and drive to Cortona. Now, is this true? After reading many posts not looking forward to driving from Rome to Cortona. :( Any suggestions/information is greatly appreciated.

[bobalink]

We were planning to fly to Rome and take the train to either arezzo or chiusi where we would then rent a car. I was told by someone that the car rental agenices all close by noon on Saturdays which happens to be the date that most house/villa rentals begin. She said we would have to rent the car at the airport in Rome and drive to Cortona. Now, is this true? After reading many posts not looking forward to driving from Rome to Cortona. :( Any suggestions/information is greatly appreciated.

 

Last month we spent time in the Tuscan hill towns. We rented our car through Auto Europe. We flew into Rome, took the train to Chiusi, where we picked up our rental car.

 

The rental agency was a few blocks from the train station, and we walked to it. Arrived around 2:30pm on a Monday. They were on their "siesta" until 3pm. The rental agency is on the second story of a car repair shop.

 

They told me that they would have picked us up from the train station, if I had called them. I wasn't aware of that, so lesson learned. When we returned the car, they took us to the train station. Very easy!

 

I had reserved an automatic transmission car, not knowing what make/model it would be. We got a beautiful, black Mercedes with a GPS unit. That GPS unit was awesome, even though we had some very good maps.

 

Perhaps Auto Europe can give you the hours for the rental agency and you can contact them directly. They may possibly make arrangements to meet you at the agency after hours. Just a thought.

[Hlitner]

Just keep in mind that if you want to use AutoEurope or Kemwel (its sister company) they only deal with 3 day minimum rentals.

 

Hank

[vacation fool]

Last month we spent time in the Tuscan hill towns. We rented our car through Auto Europe. We flew into Rome, took the train to Chiusi, where we picked up our rental car.

 

The rental agency was a few blocks from the train station, and we walked to it. Arrived around 2:30pm on a Monday. They were on their "siesta" until 3pm. The rental agency is on the second story of a car repair shop.

 

They told me that they would have picked us up from the train station, if I had called them. I wasn't aware of that, so lesson learned. When we returned the car, they took us to the train station. Very easy!

 

I had reserved an automatic transmission car, not knowing what make/model it would be. We got a beautiful, black Mercedes with a GPS unit. That GPS unit was awesome, even though we had some very good maps.

 

Perhaps Auto Europe can give you the hours for the rental agency and you can contact them directly. They may possibly make arrangements to meet you at the agency after hours. Just a thought.

I will see if i can find their number and call them to inquire about after hours. Wondering if they close on Sunday?

 

Just keep in mind that if you want to use AutoEurope or Kemwel (its sister company) they only deal with 3 day minimum rentals. no problem with that as we will have it for at least 5 days if not a week.

 

Hank

[bobalink]

I will see if i can find their number and call them to inquire about after hours. Wondering if they close on Sunday?

 

I do believe they are closed on Sundays. I would not hesitate to contact the rental agency directly and simply ask if they can make special arrangements. We found them to be very helpful, and they were able to speak English reasonably well.

 

If you are not familiar with a GPS unit, make sure they show you how to use it before you leave the lot. We had to figure out how to use ours, as the guy at the rental agency was not familiar with that particular one. It was a challenge, but we did it. "She" had a British accent, and by the end of our trip, we had given "her" a nickname.:)

 

Our overall experience with the car rental agencies, tour operators, hotel proprietors, etc. is that they are usually willing to be flexible with your itinerary, regarding arrival time. They are used to working with Americans and tourists coming from all over the world at all kinds of times. We found them to be very accommodating. At least that was our experience.

 

Hope it all works out for you. Enjoy your vacation!

[bobalink]

vacation fool,

 

One more thing...

 

If you have not yet found a place to stay while in Tuscany, I can recommend a wonderful agriturismo (farmhouse/villa). We stayed at Villa Mazzi in Montepulciano. It is about 30 minutes from Chiusi, where we picked up our rental car.

 

Villa Mazzi is flexible with their reservations and do not require a full week stay. The owners, Loredana and Mario, are wonderful. The views are amazing and Montepulciano is a great "home base" convenient for exploring the other hill towns.

 

Their website: http://www.villamazzi.it/azienda.en.php

 

All the rave reviews on Trip Advisor are accurate. The pictures on the website are authentic, too.

 

Happy planning!

[vacation fool]

Well, it is true that rental car offices close before noon on sat and are closed sunday too. So was thinking that if we fly into Rome on friday, we could take train to somewhere in umbria and rent car there, tour a bit and stay overnite before driving to cortona on sat am. What towns do people recommed to stay in for one nite? We will be tired from the flight and would make it an early nite so someplace that is worth seeing for a few hours.....thanks everyone. I like to have a plan A and B :)

Bobolink, thanks-i did check out villa mazzie. Our first choice though is a private villa where we are the only ones staying there. I have not called the rental agency to see if they would stay open for us as i have no idea what our flight times will be this far out. I did notice when looking for flights that unliike flying nonstop to Paris where we got in very early, that most flights to Rome from MIA have layovers and do not get in til early afternoon. Then the train and it could be early evening til we get there. Not sure they would be willing to do that when they close before noon.

So its either drive to Cortona from Rome on sat or fly into Rome on fri so we can get a rental car wherever we decide to take the train to. thanks for your suggestions.

[Hlitner]

You could certainly take the train to Umbria or Tuscany and rent a car. But why not just rent a car at the airport (we assume FCO) and drive. Its actually easy to drive from FCO (you do not go anywhere near Rome) and most of the rental car dealers are located inside one of the large garages attached to the terminals. If booking a rental car for 3 or more days you can often get a pretty good deal from some of the auto consolidators (these are discount companies) such as Autoeurope or Kemwel. While it seems to make sense to take a train to get your car, you may discover that many trains are not so cheap these days, and you still need to manage your luggage. For us it has always been easier to grab a car at the airport, toss our luggage in the car, and then we are off! If you get into Rome early in the morning you could even stop at a place like Orvieto for your morning coffee :)

 

 

Hank