While we have read plenty of cautionary tales about renting a car in Italy, we will be spending a week in a house in Sarteano - a small town in southern Tuscany. While there is a bus from the train station in nearby Chiusi into town, the service (we are told by the house's owner) is spotty, and in any case she says we will need a car to see the surrounding countryside. So since we are flying into Rome, we're guessing we should pick up a car at Rome airport, not with the idea of driving in Rome, just with the idea of driving out and back in a week later. Would you advise using AutoEurope or some such service and ordering before we leave the US? Their rates apparently include the total insurance package we have been advised to get.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Autoeurope is a great company and very easy to work with. Picking up and dropping off at the Rome airport would be easy. Insurance is completely a matter of what your credit card and personal auto insurance cover. If you want peace of mind, buy the CDW from Autoeurope, but you may not have to. Call your insurance agent and credit card company to confirm what you are already covered for. Be clear you'll be in Italy.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10609 posts
I use AutoEurope for my car rentals. In Italy you will want to be as insured as you can get!! I also recommend a GPS.
Posted by
OP
Portland
38 posts
Many thanks to each of you for your replies. - really helpful!
Posted by
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
Offer them $50 to pick you up and drop you off at the train station. We visit a place in Tuscany and that is what we do. Our favorite place has a great restaurant about 1/2 mile down the road, and when our hosts go into town we tag along. After riding around Tuscany with them, I was SOO grateful I was not having to navigate. ...and I've driven in Los Angeles most of my life, also NYC, Paris, Amsterdam. ....but on my second trip to Italy, I'm not driving..again. It's not that Italians are bad drivers. I just don't want the hassle of navigating. Beware of the cameras around towns and the restrictions about entering. You'll see plenty of notes about that on this board.
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
I have used Autoeurope many times and would recommend them. You could pick-up the car at Fiumicino Airport and return it there. As for insurance, I would recommend checking with your credit card and auto insurance companies BEFORE reserving because most will NOT cover car rentals in Italy. In fact, most will not cover rentals in Ireland, Italy, Israel, and Portugal. We always buy the inclusive package from the rental company. Also, make sure you obtain an International Driver's Permit from AAA. The cost is $15 or $18 and easy to secure. You will not need it to rent, but if you are stopped by the police you will need one. The recommendation for using a GPS is a good one.They are invaluable, but not infallible. You also need a good map. We bought ours from Amazon at a nice discount, no taxes, and free shipping. Buon viaggio,
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2302 posts
We flew in and out of Rome last summer, but we rented our car for Tuscany in Chiusi to avoid driving in Rome. We used AutoEurope. I wouldn't be surprised if the rate would also be lower from Chiusi than from Rome, but I didn't check that.