Car Rental in Rome... FCO vs Termini

Have no idea what you mean by crazy or what you have read or where you read it. Our experience at the airport was typical rental via Hertz. Arrived - two, three ahead of us; twenty minute wait ?, normal procedure in finding the car, checking the car, etc. Maybe an hour to an hour and half before we drove away. About the time it would take you to get to Termini. Only one time at the airport but both pick up and drop off was very smooth. That was a Saturday about noon in May pick up and Sunday morning return a week later.

Mostly .rentalcars.com and google reviews - but looking back Hertz at FCO doesn't seem to bad, the Termini locations seem to have worse reviews as well some of the other agencies at FCO.

I also don't understand the use of the word "crazy" in regard to renting a car at FCO. We have never had any problems renting or dropping off cars there including last fall.

Renting at FCO -- if your immediate aim is to drive away from Rome and go elsewhere in Italy, not stay in the city -- is vastly preferable to renting at Termini.

When I picked up from Europcar at Termini in late October, 2015, I think one person was in line ahead of me. Then you walk a block or two to the parking garage. You have to have your escape route planned and to know that a few blocks of city streets before you reach a larger road are without lane markings. Instead of Termini, correspondent Roberto typically recommends Tiburtina station as having the quickest highway access.

Having been to Termini to take train or a bus and just general walking around, the traffic and roads there cannot have any advantage over FCO as a place to rent a car to leave for a distant destination.

When we took the bus to the airport, it was such a winding route to get to the highway to FCO, I had some doubt the driver knew where he was going. The roads are that convoluted.

.......Mostly .rentalcars.com and google reviews - ....... Remember all of that needs to be taken with a "grain of salt." -- whatever that means. Only those who have problems post them. It never occurred to me to post -- "I had a good experience renting a car at the airport." For us an average experience - not much different from the US.

Thanks - I agree only angry people review a car rental, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't a total fool for deciding to rent a car in Rome :)

Thanks for all the info, I will definitely rent from FCO. The reason I considered Termini was partially because its a more convenient drop location on the way back... but it doesnt look like it saves that much time and is probably more trouble than it is worth, may check out Tiburtina though.

In you case I would rent the car at FCO upon arrival.
Every other option would be truly crazy to consider.
The rental car desks are on the upper level or T3, follow the signs often represented by a car with a key above it.
Once you get your paperwork done, you walk across the skyway to the parking structures where the cars are parked. Europcar is in parking tower (silos) B, Hertz and Avis in tower A. After that, just drive away like you would do from any parking structure. Follow the green signs to the freeway toward AUTOSTRADE (freeways) and ROMA (A91). You will be on the A91 toward Rome, then you switch to the GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare, or Grand Ring Beltway) which is A90 towards the A1 to FIRENZE (Florence). Just say focused on the signs to FIRENZE. The green signs to FIRENZE will be your guiding North Star for a while. Once on the A1, it's a couple of hours till you have to exit at CHIUSI-CHIANCIANO TERME, about half way between Rome and Firenze.

Learn and print the road signs. And always keep right on the freeway. The left lane is for passing only.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy
http://italyexplained.com/driving-road-signs-italy/

I've come to the same conclusion re: crazy to rent anywhere else, thanks for the directions, im going to have it pre-routed in Google maps to follow along what you wrote. Also thanks for the road sign link, I have read up on the ZTL signs but seeing everything is useful as well!

One last question not worth its own thread... I've read not to leave luggage in the car, if we were to stop in Orvieto for lunch I had read in RS Italy 2017 there was a bag check relative to taking the train... is this feasible when driving in and parking at the bottom of the funicular or should we just push on to Montepulciano?

In the second link it shows a "no parking sign" like this with the caption 0-24 which means it's valid all day. The author of that blog is surprised and wonders why it needs to specify 0-24.
The reason is that, unless otherwise specified, in urban areas, the no parking sign applies only from 0 to 20 (8pm). So if you see that sign without indication of the hours, you can park after 8pm till .8am the next morning. If that sign is outside urban areas, like in a country road, it's always in effect.

If you park in a parking lot with lots of people around, you can take the risk, assuming the luggage is out of sight in the trunk. Take all valuables and personal document with you in a small backpack.
Not sure about baggage check. Maybe others might know if it exists.

The main issue is that you do not want to leave luggage in sight. Out of sight in a trunk or under a cover is much better.