renting a car in italy?

[lilghallinsf]

We will be in Rome for seven days and are considering renting a car to leave the city for a night possibly. Can anyone give us details or web links of good info on renting a car in Italy? I have found them on Spain but not Italy.

[LadyStone50]

http://www.autoeurope.com rents all over Europe - fairly decent rates

 

and an excellent Route planner http://www.viamichelin.com

 

You will also need an international driver's license and you need to get it before you travel.

 

Also, be aware that the autostrada is filled with crazy fast and aggressive drivers.

[bobalink]

This is a great website for traveling in Italy:

Slow Travel Italy

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/

 

Driving in Italy:

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/index.htm

 

I did a great deal of research before we rented a car in Italy. We used Auto Europe to rent our car.

 

We took the train from Rome to a small town Chiusi, where we rented a car for our week in the Tuscan hill towns. I specifically reserved an automatic transmission, otherwise you get a stick shift.

 

Driving on the Autostrada is an experience! FAST drivers who don't ever use turn signals. Oh, and the roundabouts and toll roads... fun times!

 

You must be careful when driving in big cities like Rome and Florence, because of the zones where driving is prohibited near the city center. The ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitado) You can get a hefty fine, and you won't even realize it. Cameras take a photo of your license plate, and they track you down through the rental agency and send you the fine, perhaps 3 months later.

 

Where do you want to visit outside of Rome? It may be more practical to take the train. There is a lot to consider before renting a car for one night.

 

The train is fast, easy and efficient. However, if you are going to visit the Tuscan hill towns, you really need a car.

 

Rome to Florence is easy, and you don't need a car in Florence.

 

If you give more information on your travel plans, others will chime in and help you.

 

Have fun!

[slidergirl]

I'll chime in here. I haven't found the drivers in Italy to be any more aggressive/crazy than anywhere else. I found it easy to drive on the Autostrada (just be sure you have cash to pay the toll if you don't have a Chip&Pin card), even by myself. I've driven Rome to Florence, Venice to Austria, St. Moritz to Milan, and all over Tuscany from a base just outside of Pisa. The Touring Club Italiano maps are very good - you can find them on Amazon. This last time, I forgot my map, so I decided to try to use my iPad Mini and the Maps app (using the GPS feature) to navigate. It was perfect!!! Got me out of Rome, on the Autostrada, and through the winding roads of Chianti (it even found alternatives quickly when I messed up).

 

I've used AutoEurope many times in Europe with good results. This last trip, I was just doing day rental between Rome and Florence. Hertz had an office at the hotel I was staying at, so I just went with them. I got a VW Turbo Golf, and it was fun to drive.

[euro cruiser]

I always check prices with both Auto Europe and Kemwel before renting; one often has better pricing than the other.

 

The problem for the OP is that both AE and Kemwel usually require a three-night minimum for a rental. I'd check anyway, just in case.

 

As has been pointed out, a car is good if you want to go somewhere outside of a city and see the countryside. It's not what you want for city-to-city transportation.

[LondonTowner]

I have driven all over Europe including in Rome and Italy in general. There is no problem driving on the Autostrada, it is a motorway like you find all over Europe. However, driving in Rome itself is not that easy. I was normally with my friend who had lived for over 30 years in Rome, so had directions. I would go as far as to say that Italians are some of the most erratic in Europe. If you are in the wrong lane, they won't let you out and they have never heard of using an indicator.

 

There are also many restrictions on where you can drive. I would say that having a car in any major city is a hindrance rather than a help. I would either stay outside Rome or I would take public transport to visit places outside Rome, which is fairly easy.

[TMLAalum]

There are also many restrictions on where you can drive. I would say that having a car in any major city is a hindrance rather than a help.

 

We really got unlucky in Lucca...we knew we had a parking ticket when we returned to our car last October. Our hotel owner told us how to pay it promptly at a nearby Post Office. Well, the computer was down at that one, but we paid it enroute to San Miniato.

 

Just last week we received TWO citations- evidently we drove into a restricted area on our way into, and our way out of Lucca, and were caught on camera. We were tracked down through our rental car agency and, in addition to adding to Lucca's lucrativeness, we have to pay a finder's fee to the car rental company! Believe you me, we did not intend to violate any regulations. I blame it on Malevolent Missy our GPS who has messed us up on other occasions- this was the worst!

 

We had no issues in San Gimignano, Siena or Volterra because those cities have clearly marked directions to visitor parking. And we didn't even think about keeping our rental car for our days in Florence!

[Hlitner]

Having driven more then 10,000 miles all over Italy we never recommend folks rent a car within the city of Rome unless you are very comfortable driving in a complex city where drivers follow their own rules :). One must also be very cognizant of the ZTLs (Zona Touristo Limito) which are limited traffic zones that exist throughout Rome and in many other cities. These are Limited traffic zones which are marked by oft small signs (not seen by many tourists). If you drive into one of those zones you will have a nasty fine added to your credit card by the rental car company. It might be many months until you see the charge and it is often about 90 Euros plus an additional administrative fee charged by the rental car company.

 

So if you do pick-up a car inside Rome make sure you ask for a map and directions to get outside the city without penetrating a ZTL.

 

As to prices, as has been mentioned, Autoeurope and Kemwel do not handle rentals of less then 3 days. So you need to just shop around among the majors (Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget, etc) for the best price. Keep in mind that most credit cards that include rental car insurance DO NOT PROVIDE INSURANCE IN ITALY! So you will probably want to rent a car with an "inclusive rate" which includes collision insurance. You also need to carefully read the fine print as many of these policies will have a collision deductible in excess of 1000 Euros. There are usually options to get the deductible down to a low amount (or zero) but you might pay more for the insurance then the car.

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

Having driven more then 10,000 miles all over Italy we never recommend folks rent a car within the city of Rome unless you are very comfortable driving in a complex city where drivers follow their own rules :). One must also be very cognizant of the ZTLs (Zona Touristo Limito) which are limited traffic zones that exist throughout Rome and in many other cities. These are Limited traffic zones which are marked by oft small signs (not seen by many tourists). If you drive into one of those zones you will have a nasty fine added to your credit card by the rental car company. It might be many months until you see the charge and it is often about 90 Euros plus an additional administrative fee charged by the rental car company.

 

So if you do pick-up a car inside Rome make sure you ask for a map and directions to get outside the city without penetrating a ZTL.

 

As to prices, as has been mentioned, Autoeurope and Kemwel do not handle rentals of less then 3 days. So you need to just shop around among the majors (Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget, etc) for the best price. Keep in mind that most credit cards that include rental car insurance DO NOT PROVIDE INSURANCE IN ITALY! So you will probably want to rent a car with an "inclusive rate" which includes collision insurance. You also need to carefully read the fine print as many of these policies will have a collision deductible in excess of 1000 Euros. There are usually options to get the deductible down to a low amount (or zero) but you might pay more for the insurance then the car.

 

Hank

 

That's why I used Hertz this last time - it was for a 1 day rental.

Yes, I wouldn't recommend driving in the cities unless you are comfy with it. I'm not one to panic and I always can just take the next alternative if I miss (which I do occasionally ;) ) I rented my Hertz at the Rome Cavalieri, so I wasn't in the Storico Centro. It was still a tad "interesting" to get from there to the A90. But I knew that if I kept heading in a certain direction, I would eventually run into it. It was in Florence that I almost lost it - I kept going around in circles for probably 20 minutes before I FINALLY found the little street to the airport rental car drop off. It wasn't traffic or anything, just my stupidity...

[euro cruiser]

It was in Florence that I almost lost it - I kept going around in circles for probably 20 minutes before I FINALLY found the little street to the airport rental car drop off. It wasn't traffic or anything, just my stupidity...

Siena was nearly my undoing, I refer to it as the black hole of Italy. We went around and around for a half hour looking for a way to get on the road going south but I couldn't seem to find it. There were three different ways to get on the damn SR2 northbound - it became like a bad Italian comedy after a while because I had three cars following me, so each time I went around in a circle again, so did they. Edited March 26, 2014 by euro cruiser

[cruisemom42]

While I'm enjoying all the stories, they are also reinforcing my feeling (and experience) that driving in Italy is not for me. ;) To wit:

 

"We went around and around for a half hour looking for a way to get on the road going south but I couldn't seem to find it."

"It was in Florence that I almost lost it - I kept going around in circles for probably 20 minutes before I FINALLY found the little street to the airport rental car drop off."

"We never recommend folks rent a car within the city of Rome unless you are very comfortable driving in a complex city where drivers follow their own rules :). One must also be very cognizant of the ZTLs (Zona Touristo Limito) which are limited traffic zones that exist throughout Rome and in many other cities."

"Just last week we received TWO citations- evidently we drove into a restricted area on our way into, and our way out of Lucca, and were caught on camera. We were tracked down through our rental car agency and, in addition to adding to Lucca's lucrativeness, we have to pay a finder's fee to the car rental company!"

"I would go as far as to say that Italians are some of the most erratic in Europe. If you are in the wrong lane, they won't let you out and they have never heard of using an indicator."

 

Nothing against driving -- I applaud all of you who have done it. But I'd be very stressed and don't think I'd enjoy the experience half as much if I was worrying about navigating all these literal (and cultural) obstacles...!

[CathyCruises]

Siena was nearly my undoing, I refer to it as the black hole of Italy. We went around and around for a half hour looking for a way to get on the road going south but I couldn't seem to find it. There were three different ways to get on the damn SR2 northbound - it became like a bad Italian comedy after a while because I had three cars following me, so each time I went around in a circle again, so did they.

 

We had some adventures in Siena too, but since we were staying in san gimignano, north worked for us. ;)

 

DH wanted to go to his church while we were there, we got the address and directions, but it was impossible to find. The street name changed three times in about three blocks. We finally parked and walked up and down the street to no avail. Just as we had given up, I saw a brass plaque on a high wall, mostly covered by ivy. And back in behind those walls was the church. Good thing we scouted it out a few days ahead of time or he would have missed the whole service!

[CintiPam]

We will have our very first car rental (from Hertz, who will supply my required automatic) in Italy in May when we spend our Livorno port day in Volterra. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated!:)

Edited March 26, 2014 by CintiPam

[CathyCruises]

We have driven all over Tuscany and environs when we stayed there for a month; it will be a spectacular drive with the iconic scenery we've all come to associate with Tuscany. Although we've never driven in Rome, we have managed to navigate through lots of other larger cities and really never had a problem. As long as you have a good navigator, it's pretty straightforward. There ARE exceptions. To be on the extra-safe side, you may want to rent a car with GPS. We found that it was most useful navigating in the cities rather than to them. We didn't have it in Italy, only in France. We got by easily.

 

You could also include San Gimignano in your plans--that's a great combo for a port day.

[TMLAalum]

We will have our very first car rental (from Hertz, who will supply my required automatic) in Italy in May when we spend our Livorno port day in Volterra. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated!:)

 

Volterra's parking garage is clearly marked and if you use a GPS or follow Rick Steve's directions you will find it easily. Even if the sign says full, just line up and before you know it a spot will open up! We had a great meal at La Vecchia Lira, which is a deli during the day, but a restaurant in the evening. Be sure to visit the Etruscan gate and the Roman amphitheatre. We had an evening guided walking tour with Annie Adair that was excellent-http://volterrawalkingtour.com/index.html. Have a wonderful visit!

[Hlitner]

I want to emphasize that I only counseled against driving in the major Italian cities! But outside off those few large cities, a car is the best way to see and experience the charms of this country. DW and I have actually spend months driving in Italy and managed to totally avoid Rome (not among our favorite places in Italy). You cannot truly experience the real Italy without having a car....as the trains do not go to many of the best places outside the cities.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

If the trains don't get you there, the buses often can. Or failing that, a train or bus ride followed by a short taxi ride will often do it.

 

Suggesting that only in a one-horse town without either train or bus service can we experience the "real" Italy strikes me as odd. I'm sure the Italians who live in cities like Milan or Naples or Genoa would be surprised to hear they don't live in the real Italy...

[slidergirl]

While I'm enjoying all the stories, they are also reinforcing my feeling (and experience) that driving in Italy is not for me. ;) To wit:

 

"We went around and around for a half hour looking for a way to get on the road going south but I couldn't seem to find it."

"It was in Florence that I almost lost it - I kept going around in circles for probably 20 minutes before I FINALLY found the little street to the airport rental car drop off."

"We never recommend folks rent a car within the city of Rome unless you are very comfortable driving in a complex city where drivers follow their own rules :). One must also be very cognizant of the ZTLs (Zona Touristo Limito) which are limited traffic zones that exist throughout Rome and in many other cities."

"Just last week we received TWO citations- evidently we drove into a restricted area on our way into, and our way out of Lucca, and were caught on camera. We were tracked down through our rental car agency and, in addition to adding to Lucca's lucrativeness, we have to pay a finder's fee to the car rental company!"

"I would go as far as to say that Italians are some of the most erratic in Europe. If you are in the wrong lane, they won't let you out and they have never heard of using an indicator."

 

Nothing against driving -- I applaud all of you who have done it. But I'd be very stressed and don't think I'd enjoy the experience half as much if I was worrying about navigating all these literal (and cultural) obstacles...!

 

OK. Let me add one from the US: In Washington, DC, I was trying to get on the George Washington Parkway from Crystal City to get out to Dulles airport. I kept missing the little turnoff, going over the 14th street bridge, back to the Key Bridge, missing the turnoff, etc….

Don't get me started on trying to drive in Jerusalem or (back in the old days) Bethlehem…

Part of the success of driving around anywhere is to not stress out. But, maybe the drivers where I live are bad enough that driving in Europe, even in cities, it not that bad ;)

 

About Volterra - I did find the parking lot well marked and easy to find. In Siena, I remember parking on a "normal" street and walking up to the old area. The people I was with didn't want to pay again to park.

[LondonTowner]

Driving in Italy or any European county outside the large cities is easy. However, remember that many of the small towns were built before the invention of the car. I have experienced extremely narrow streets all over Italy and Spain, but the worst must have been last year in Spain.

 

I wanted to show my OH the Parador in Arcos de la Frontera. I had been there before, so knew the only place to park was in the square outside. I couldn't park further away due to limited mobility. When we got there they were digging up the whole square and there was nowhere to park. All traffic was directed one way down. The streets were so narrow I didn't think the car would get through and there were lots of scrapes on the walls where other cars hadn't quite made it. As I was driving my Spanish friends own car, I had to take extra care.

 

So, it does all depend where you want to visit. If I was holidaying in Italy I would hire a car to go to the small places. Public transport is fine, but it doesn't get you to places off the beaten track which may well be worth seeing. Just avoid the big cities. it is all well and good to have a GPS, but they don't always recognise the one way systems in towns and cities and often don't take you on the correct route.

 

Happy motoring.

[Hlitner]

We would add one piece of important advice. Although we have done a lot of driving throughout Western Europe and the UK, we would no longer do this without the aid of a GPS! That little black box (we have our own Garmin with European maps) has contributed to saving both my marriage (DW is not a good navigator) and sanity :). So if you do not have your own GPS, it might be a good idea to reserve one along with your car :).

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

We would add one piece of important advice. Although we have done a lot of driving throughout Western Europe and the UK, we would no longer do this without the aid of a GPS! That little black box (we have our own Garmin with European maps) has contributed to saving both my marriage (DW is not a good navigator) and sanity :). So if you do not have your own GPS, it might be a good idea to reserve one along with your car :).

 

Hank

 

Another way to go is to use your tablet as your GPS. I had bought my iPad Mini (with the wifi AND cell capability) before my last trip. I bought a cheap data package at the TIM store in Rome so I could do some other things on the Mini without having to search out a Wifi hotspot, plus the Wifi at my hotel was snail-slow… I had not even thought of using it as my GPS; when I realized I forgot my Tuscany road map at home (:eek:), I ended up using it. The Maps app that comes already installed with the Mini was amazing. It gave me step-by-step directions via a voice and detailed map, just like my Garmin (at home) does. It got me from Rome to Florence, with stops in Orvieto and off to Chianti and a stop in Panzano in Chianti. I didn't have to buy any special map packages like I would have to with my Garmin. I will never travel without my Mini, so I guess I'll never be traveling without my GPS ;)

Another "feature" of the Maps app is that it will also give you walking directions - I didn't use it, but it could be helpful for those who are trying to get the most bang-for-the-buck on walking around any unknown town!

Edited March 27, 2014 by slidergirl

[CintiPam]

Volterra's parking garage is clearly marked and if you use a GPS or follow Rick Steve's directions you will find it easily. Even if the sign says full, just line up and before you know it a spot will open up! We had a great meal at La Vecchia Lira, which is a deli during the day, but a restaurant in the evening. Be sure to visit the Etruscan gate and the Roman amphitheatre. We had an evening guided walking tour with Annie Adair that was excellent-http://volterrawalkingtour.com/index.html. Have a wonderful visit!

 

TMLAalsum, thanks for the helpful information. I have copied your post into my trip notes.

[swoonx]

We have been to Rome several times. I can confirm what some guys said before, the traffic can be very chaotic and driving there is not so easy.

 

For how many days you stay there? Rome has many sights and is a fantastic city, you can spend there several days without being bored. (And I'm bored of the most places after some hours.)

 

If you want to leave the city for a day trip you could also use the train, e.g. a trip to Tivoli to visit Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana - I really loved those two places (1 hour by train).

 

But if you stay for a longer time, renting a car to see more of the area is a good idea. Italy is a beautiful country and has many, many amazing places to see.

[slidergirl]

I am not a fan of Rick Steves. But, my friends (who I went on a trip to Tuscany with) are. The one thing that I did like was that he pointed out several good, cheap or free parking area in most of the major hill towns throughout Tuscany AND in La Spezia (for those taking the train to Cinque Terre). For that alone, it may be worth buying his books.

[Karennella]

We believe that Italian drivers are very skilled and my husband finds it easy to drive there even though we normally drive on the other side of the road.

But we did get a fine for driving in the wrong zone in Rome and it turned up a full year later. I challenged it (long story), they dismissed the challenge but when I went to pay the fine I was told the case was closed and the money wouldn't be taken!