Car rental companies

The only rental car company I've had a problem with is Sixt in Italy; when I returned the car to FCO on a Sunday evening(no one there, of course) they tried to bill me for about 150E in additional charges(road tax, fuel, dirty car). It took me and Amex about six months to get the charges dropped as I had pictures and rented through Expedia.uk.co.
My error was picking the cheapest of the rental companies offered; have used Hertz, Avis, & Budget on different occasions with no issues.
As an aside, I have used Sixt in Germany, the Netherlands and France with no issues.

Interesting, I've used Sixt on several occasions in different countries in Europe and had no problems whatsoever. I always check the rates for a few different rental car companies by using their own company websites, and I check the details about damage waivers, deductibles, extra driver fees and drop-off fees. I think the drop-off fees can vary widely from one company to the next. Some companies have a very high deductible for damage, even if you take the damage waiver, so pay attention to that detail. Even though some credit cards include insurance for rental cars, I've heard that it can be a nightmare to get them to cover any damage costs (e.g., they require some documentation that you can't easily get once you come home). So, I always pay for coverage with the rental car company for my peace of mind. I always book the car rental online at the rental car company website.

Hi
We used Hertz in Florence , took a 4 door lancia, straight forward rental just like home. Though took the full cover
even though we had travel insurance cover, I simply didn't want a problem later. Paid in cash. I'd suggest you either pre book or go to the offices a couple of days before you want the car. Both times we were there, off the street inquiries were being turned away as they were fully booked. Just have someone who can navigate for you in the city, road rules are just guidelines, four lanes can fit into 3, but in saying that it seems everyone deals with the traffic , and we did not see a single accident. regards

I've had problems with all rental car companies in Italy and also in the US. Avis, Europcar, Sicilybycar (now part of Sixt). You name it.
The practice to slap you with some extra charges (especially fuel even if you return it full) is a common practice. I was charged $250 cleaning fee (in California) after coming back from a ski trip to Tahoe. I was also charged $20 for each Bridge toll entry in the SF Bay Area (which costs $5), just for the privilege of using the rental car Fastrak transponder (a remote toll collecting device which the California Dept of Transportation provides for free to anybody who wants). Had I known that, I would have used my own Fastrak transponder, since I have two. Just be prepared. Keep receipts, take pictures of the car with your cell phone if they try to charge you for dents you didn't cause. Buy full no deductible insurance too, since your home based insurance won't cover you overseas and credit cards don't cover you in Italy. It's a little more expensive but it is for your peace of mind. Best of all, keep your rental car to a minimum. Most places in Italy do not require a car, actually having one is often a hassle due to traffic restrictions inside historical centers of most cities and towns.

I would say that you need to heed all the advice given so far. We had a really galling experience with Hertz in Sicily. Though I declined the additional insurance, the agent managed to slip it onto the paperwork. He put me off guard by saying that I had it included through my Autoeurope rental, so I didn't scrutinize the papers carefully enough. He also lied about the proximity of gas stations to the Catania airport, saying there was none close by - - there are two - - in an attempt to get me not to refill before returning the car. I didn't fall for that one. Finally, when I looked over the receipt after returning home, I saw that they had charged me in US$, with a note in tiny print saying I had agreed to that. I wasn't asked, and I would not have agreed. (That practice is called dynamic currency conversion. If you don't know why it's bad, search this site.) The receipt had a customer service email address; but when I tried it, it didn't work. What a surprise! Hertz in the US is a separate company and will not deal with any problems from Hertz in Europe. As a result of all this, I won't ever rent from them again.

I have twice used the In Italy Online web site which as a deal with AutoEurope. It gave us good rates and included the collision insurance. Try this link
http://www.initaly.com/info/rentcar/carrent.htm

We used them in 2011 and 2012 with out any problems.

www.gregsitaly.com