Car Insurance

As I understand it, credit card coverage is not acceptable within Italy. Check your own credit card details; many cards exclude Italy, Ireland other countries.

And do be aware of one way cross border drop charges

os,

I assume you're aware that there can often be a hefty fee for renting a car in one country and dropping in another. Are you also aware that you'll need the compulsory International Driver's Permit for driving in Italy (and Austria if you'll be passing through there - you'll also need the compulsory Highway Tax Vignette for Austria, or you'll be subject to hefty fines collected on the spot). The IDP is used in conjunction with your home DL so you'll need to pack both. Finally you'll need to be vigilant to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) zones in Italy, as again, hefty fines which you may not know about until several months after you return home.

Regarding insurance you might make a call (toll free) to the folks at Gemut.com They also have a downloadable PDF car rental guide on their website, and there's a section there on insurance requirements in Italy.

Thanks..yes am aware of drop off fee etc. Just was unsure regarding Credit card coverage. Thanks everyone!

Second what Time says. Make sure you get a quote including the multi-country drop off charge.
Driving to another country and then returning it to its home country is not usually a problem; returning in another country can be very expensive as someone has to drive it back.
And tell the company all the countries you will be visiting, so they can make sure you are insured in them all. This will include one of Switzerland or Austria (or both) as they are in the way.

And don't forget about motorway tolls -"Vignette" toll stickers in Austria and Switzerland, normal "per Km" tolls in Italy.
And, if you have a non-European licence, you will need an "IDP".

Some credit cards cover Italy and other absolutely do not. The only way to know is to call your credit card issuer and ask.