Car Rental Locations and Routes - La Spezia/Vignmaggio/Rome

There are Hertz and Europcar locations at which you can pick up a rental in La Spezia. Generally, credit cards don’t include coverage in Italy. You have to check to see if the particular card that you would use would give you that coverage. If you check for rentals on AutoEurope.com, you’ll see that quotes include CDW with a deductible and also offer $0 deductible insurance. I always opt to pay for the up charge. It’s worth the peace of mind and reduces stress.

To check routes, use viaMichellin.com or Google Maps. A lot of folks return their cars outside the Rome and then take trains into the city. I prefer the convenience of returning my cars at the offices near Tiburtina train station. It is close to the Autostrade and there’s very little actual city driving. Definitely visit Orvieto which is midway on the drive to Rome. And make sure each driver has an International Driver Permit.

Great suggestions.

Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; avoid leaving anything of value in a car when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

Be sure to get the IDP. As above, we arrange our cars through Autoeurope with zero-deductible collision, which covers any damage to the body of the vehicle. Here is where to store bags at Orvieto:

https://www.orvietoviva.com/en/orvieto-train-station/

https://wikitravel.org/en/Orvieto [handy site for all cities]

The funicular across the street does not go all the way up, so take a bus up and the funicular back down.

Returning a Hertz car to Tibertina, navigate to Circonvallazione Nomentana, 532, 00162 Roma.

In La Spezia, Avis/Budget is the most convenient as it's a walk from the train station. Hertz & Europcar are about a 10 Euro taxi away. You can see a map and more detailed info about renting from the Cinque Terre area and alternatives here: https://bit.ly/2WNOQUG
Pay attention to the hours as they all close for lunch and Sundays, Avis closes all day Saturday, and the others are open a half-day on Saturday.

Returning an Avis car in Rome IME your best bet would be the Termini Station.

We arrange our cars through Autoeurope [for which we have a toll free nunber]; get zero-deductible collision, which covers any damage to the body of the car.

rach,

As noted above, when renting in Italy each driver listed on the rental form will also require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are easily obtained at any AAA / CAA office for a small fee and are valid for one year.

You'll also have to be very careful to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many towns in Italy, as there are hefty fines for each pass through them. Also watch for the automated speed cameras on motorways.

RE: 5) In Italy, the rental rate you are quoted includes CDW with a deductible of (usually) around 1,000 Euro. Most credit cards will cover the deductible. The debate around whether to get add-on insurance is endless and depends on your genes. Many people use autoeurope.com and get the full insurance. Either way do not select the cheapest - select a reputable car provider, which in Italy means only Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar or Sixt.

Thank you so much, to everyone who replied. All super helpful info, and I'm very appreciative. When I posted the same questions on TripAdvisor, all I heard were crickets. I will post back if I have follow-up questions!