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Car Rental in Northern Italy

Posted by (New York) on

My husband and I and our 14 year old twins will be traveling to northern Italy this summer and I was hoping you could provide some guidance on car rentals in the region. We are flying into Milan, heading straight to Varenna for a couple of days, followed by a few days in the Dolomites and then finishing our trip in Venice. Our primary reason for the car is for traveling to and from and around the Dolomites. My questions are:

  1. Does it make sense to start our car rental at Milan airport so we can drive to Lake Como (we have free parking there) or to wait until we are leaving Lake Como and rent just for our trip to the Dolomites? I assume that it is easier to rent a car at Milan airport than in Lake Como but I have never been.

  2. Where is the best place to return our rental car on our trip from the Dolomites to Venice? Does the Venice airport have a large car rental/return hub? How easy is it to pick up boat/train transport from wherever we will be returning our car?

  3. Do we need any special international driver's license, paperwork, etc. to be able to drive in Italy (coming from the US)?

  4. What car rental companies have you had the best experiences with in Italy?

Thank you so much for your guidance!!

Shari

Posted by
317 posts

Your trip sounds fabulous, Shari! We did a similar trip in 2022.

I would rent the car at the Milan airport and then drive to Varenna. You will have a better selection of cars at the airport.
You can return your car then at the Venice airport. It is very easy with great signage. We have rented from Sixt & AutoEurope previously without an issue. We usually get an international driver's license at AAA though we have never had to produce it.
We feel the price is worth the hassle if we were stopped.

From the Venice airport, you have a choice of water taxi, Vaporetto, bus or taxi to Venice. Since there are 4 of you, I would choose the water taxi as they will take you directly to the stop nearest your hotel or rental. And it's pretty cool to go down some smaller canals in a boat! You will have to walk a bit to where the water taxis pick up and let off, but again with good signage at the airport, you should have no problem.

I hope you will stop in the Dolomites for some hikes - we stayed in Ortisei, took the cable car up to the meadow, and had an enjoyable hike. If you have any questions about the area from the Dolomites to Venice, be sure to ask.

Posted by
240 posts

On one of our trips, we arrived in the afternoon, picked up our car and drove to Stresa. We avoided toll roads, and it was an easy drive.
It will be easier to rent from the airport, although more expensive. We have, for the majority of the trips done airport pickup and it has worked well.

I have never dropped off a rental vehicle in Venice, so I cannot be of much help. I would suggest that you return it, if possible to the in Mestre, which is on the mainland near Venice. It is an easy train ride into Venice. I would avoid going out to the airport if possible.

You need an IDP. We have been stopped and having the permit and our local license have been sufficient. Take your chances if you wish, but it is required.

We have used an USA company called gemut.com to assist with renting cars in Europe. They work with you, and I have found them to be helpful. They will select the best deal so the actual car rental company is beyond your control.

Posted by
16362 posts

  1. It makes more sense to rent at the Milan airport and drive from there. There is no rental companies in Varenna (the closer would be Lecco). Milan has 3 airports so I presume you fly to Milan Malpensa airport (MXP). From there to Varenna you will be driving in part on the A36 Pedemontana freeway, which is a toll freeway but with no toll gates. Basically your car license plate will be photographed at the entrance then again at the exit. Then you go on line and you pay by credit card or other digital payment. You will need the license plate number to access the specific payment page for your car.
    https://pedemontana.com/

  2. If you stay in the city of Venice a few days, it make sense to return the car at PIAZZALE ROMA. The rental car companies all use the multistory City Parking Garage. Save the above location in your phone navigator. If you plan to stay at the airport hotel, then it makes sense to return the car at the airport.

  3. Yes, you will need to have an IDP, or International Drivers' Permit (mandatory in Italy). You may not need it to rent the car at the car rental desk (they rarely ask for it), but if you get pulled over for a traffic violation or even a random police check (very common in Italy), they will ask for one. The fine for not having one is 408€. You can get an IDP for $20 plus 2 photos at any AAA office. It take 10 minutes to get it. You can also obtain it online on the AAA website.

  4. I use www.autoeurope.com (a broker based in Maine) for all my rental needs in Europe. They work with the major companies operating in Italy (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, etc)

Posted by
1788 posts

Auto Europe and Kemwel merged several years ago. Just thought I would mention this in case you have heard of Kemwel. So you can google either name, and you will get the same company. They are based out of Portland, Maine. We have used them for at least 10 years, or more, and we have always been very happy with their service. Through Auto Europe/Kemwel, we have used Sixt, Europcar, Hertz and Avis.

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