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Car Rental from Rome to Pisa (4 days total)

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My wife and I will be visiting Italy for two weeks in October, and would like to have a car to explore the Tuscany Region. We will be spending a few days in Rome (near Colosseum) about 15 minute bus ride from Termini station prior to getting the car. I grew up in Europe as an ex-pat, so I am fine driving the European roads with a manual transmission. My questions are more about convenience and efficiency/cost, since I haven't lived there for more than 25 years now.

  1. What is the best pickup location in Rome? Appears there are options at the train stations (Termini & Tiburtina) and in the city.
  2. How does on handle the ZTL when renting from an office in the city - we would be leaving straight from the rental office to head north.
  3. Are there maps that show the ZTL areas for all to the little towns in Tuscany? I can find the ones for Florence, Pisa, Sienna, but what about the other?
  4. I've been looking on AutoEurope, which appears to have reasonable rates, but is clearly a reseller. Any issues with AutoEurope? Any difference between the US site (.com) and the EU site (.eu)?

TIA for any and all suggestions. BTW, we will drop the car off in Pisa, and then take a train for the rest of our journey through Italy (Cinque Terre & Venice).

Posted by
16133 posts
  1. The one that has the best price. Check on www.autoeurope.com then select ROME ALL LOCATIONS as pick up location. Then select your choice and it will show the location where you can find that choice at that price.
  2. The pick up locations in Rome are outside the ZTL. As you head away from the city you have nothing to worry about, except for making sure you are not getting on bus lanes.
  3. Yes. However check the signage when you get there. ZTL are well marked and usually they are in the inside of the ancient walls of old cities. Enter the region and town name in the site here: https://www.accessibilitacentristorici.it/
  4. www.autoeurope.com is the way to go, they are among the best with excellent customer service (or also check rates on the other websites of the same company www.autoeurope.eu and www.kemwel.com as deals differ). I also like to select the zero deductible option (called 'refundable excess' in the European websites), since deductibles can be stiff.

PS: If you are going to Cinque Terre, you may consider dropping the car off at La Spezia (the port city next to the Cinque Terre) instead of Pisa airport. It's up to you. It depends on how much time you need in Pisa and Lucca (both of which need no car)..

Posted by
156 posts

On the ZTL situation in small towns - I strongly suggest picking out parking lots in advance (and backups in case they are full) so you don’t inadvertently end up in the ZTL through sheer panic and desperation… also recommend hitting towns earlier in the day before crowds build up.

FWIW Montepulciano was markedly busier than the other towns we visited. Not sure if it was random or typical.

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks so much for the input and advice. Good idea of returning to La Spezia. As as follow-up, has anyone looked at booking rental cars through AMEX Travel? Rates seem comparable. Just curious about experiences.

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