Car rental company recommendations

Hi David. There's great info on this topic on this site. Click on Plan Your Trip / Travel Tips / How to Rent a car in Europe. I've had good experiences with Avis and Hertz. Enjoy your trip!

David, Are you aware of the usual "caveats" for driving in Italy? There are some important "do's and dont's" to be aware of. If you need further information, post another note.

So far, I have only heard that travel is easy in the tuscany/umbria region. What should I know?

If you use Hertz, be aware that they don't add in the drop off fee in your estimate! I picked up a rental car from Hertz in Siena earlier this month and that's when they told me it would be an extra 60 euros to drop off the car at another place. I had stated pick up in Siena and drop off in Pisa on the reservation and they quoted me a good price - better than anyone else - then they added this 60 euros on at the end. I won't deal with them again. Try AutoEurope or Europcar and I strongly recommend getting the most coverage you can. Driving in Italy isn't like the U.S.!

We rent our cars from AutoEurope or Kemwell. They are rental car brokers and arrange for a car from companies such as Avis, Hertz and Europcar. You can check their rates online. I call them directly when finalizing my rental. They can help you with pick up/drop off locations, upgrades, etc. With AutoEurioe, if you return the car in the same country, you are not charged drop off fees. For an easy pick up point outside of the city, I would take a one hr. train ride to the hilltown of Orvieto. There is an agency, I believe it's Hertz, at the train station. From there it's an easy access to the AutoStrada. If you have the time, I recommend spending at least a day, and maybe a night, in Orvieto. It's a small, quaint hilltown with a beautiful Duomo. Read about the town in Rick Steves' Italy tour book. Like you said, drop the car in Venice. Otherwise, the parking fees are very high in the parking structure. Before you leave, visit your local AAA office and obtain an International Driver's License. All you need is $15 and two passport type photos. No test is required. At your local Barnes & Noble, pick up a Michelin, or similar, road map. Familiarize yourself with your route on the red roads and study the international road signs. It's also helpful to have a GPS. Check with AutoEurope to see if it's available. If you are going to Florence, do not take the car into the city. We stay outside the city and take public trans in. If you enter the dreaded ZTL zone, you will get a ticket later in the mail which can be hundreds of dollars. As the previous poster said, also check this website for more info. For me, renting a car and driving in Tuscany is fun. Have a great trip!

I always use AutoEurope when I need a car. As previously suggested, taking the train to Orvieto and getting your car there is easy. We actually had to walk a block or so to get to the rental office. We were then able to put our bags in the trunk and leave the car at the rental office, then go into town for 6 hours or so. Orvieto was really nice and I wish we had more time there. We returned our car at the airport in Florence in order to avoid driving there.

As well as Florence you can/will encounter ZTLs ("Zona a Traffico Limitato" - Limited Traffic Zones) all over Italy, even in the smallest towns. Learn how to recognise the traffic signs that warn you that you are approaching a ZTL and act early. We find that most places will have a car park outside the zones for visitors to use and then either walk or take a bus/other public transport (some places have elevators or escalators!) to the centre.