I posted this thread earlier and it was closed so I wanted to update it a bit.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/rental-car-prices-in-2022
This year I've paid the highest prices I ever have for car rentals anywhere. It's affected my decisions, for instance, I'd thought about a trip in July to Lake Maggiore and Lugano but I waited too long and airfares were crazy and car rental quotes were over $2000 for about a 7-11 day rental.
Back in May, I booked an 11 day car rental, in and out of Venice, to visit Trieste and Cortina d'Ampezzo. I paid over $1400 then.
About a month ago, the news was about all the crazy problems people had -- lost luggage, cancelled flights, long queues, etc. -- on trans-Atlantic flights, particularly transiting through LHR or CDG or FRA. Big shortage of baggage handlers among other reasons.
Airlines canceled flights and airports had them book fewer people.
Some reports that the situation has eased but I noticed in the last couple of weeks I'm getting more emails from airlines and car rental brokers to book a fall trip.
So now I'm exactly 1 week out from departing for Venice and I checked the car rental rates again. They're way down, even from the same agency I had booked back in May.
I canceled my original booking and made another booking for the same 11 days for $700 less!
Still on the high side compared to other trips to Europe.
But if you made a booking a couple of months ago for end of August and start of September, may be worth checking the prices again.