I've read that Rick Steves reccomends leasing a car in Italy if spending more than a month there. Then turn it back in. Any companies suggested? Any pitfalls to worry about?
I will be there 2 1/2 months in Umbria area.
Grazie
Susan
You definitely want to lease a car. Read this thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/leased-vs-rental-car-very-different-experience
You can save the out-of-France pick-up and drop-off fee if it makes sense for you to fly in and out of France.I have found the lowest quotes on the Kemwel division of AutoEurope at www.kemwel.com
its worth reading the earlier post.
you might find there are limited pickup and drop off points, likely to be something like Milan ( both airports) and Rome airport. check this and perhaps plan your trip accordingly. that is what we do.
also read the fine print regarding if you have an accident and the car is off the road being repaired. ( which may or may not be an issue to you, depending upon if you need the car to move on to another country etc, sounds like your not?)
otherwise there is definite advantages for leasing, depending upon your circumstances. we pick up our third lease car in May in Milan and drop it off in Paris works out great for us.
big advantage for us, is getting an auto with factory GPS, fully insured, no excess, minimal drop off fees, multiple drivers etc.
sometimes the different country drop off fee is waved or reduced, also look for early bird offers.
hope this helps
See more links at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-leasing. You technically own this car for the duration.
- If it needs repair, then you normally need to take it for repair and wait for that to be done, rather than the agency swapping out a different car. However, the insurance is fairly comprehensive to cover costs.
- Milan airports and Rome airport are the Italy options with Peugeot. You're making an appointment to pick it up and drop it off at specific times, since they don't take walk-in customers, and have prepared this one (new) vehicle for you.
In the paper work you fill out for the lease, you provide your arrival date and time and when you want to pick up the car. At Milan (MXP) you give them a call when you arrive and they will send a van to pick you up at Terminal 1 then transport you and your luggage to the lot where the car is located. They will also give a quick demo of the controls and GPS functions of the auto. It is a really well run, fine tuned outfit. (AutoEurope)
But are there other sites besides kemwel.com so I can compare prices? Thx
Yes, autoeurope.com and autofrance.net are two, assuming you're from the US and there are others. The program will steer you to the authorized brokers in your country. You can search using the manufacturers programs names: Peugeot Open Europe and Renault Eurodrive and there's a Citroen program as well that no one seems to promote. All of them are implemented by the same company, TT Car.
Another advantage is you can get an automatic and a GPS for little more. A breakdown in a new car is unlikely and it is an even bigger pain with a rental car. I recommend Diesel as it's much more economical to operate and better on hills. If you just want a basic car the Peugeot 208 is fine for a couple and a small child. A Peugeot 308 for a couple with adult guests or medium to large kids.
I sent you a PM.