car size from rental agency

If you go to expedia.co.uk, click on rental cars,and pick a compact. When the screen changes showing the cost, there will also be a list with pictures of cars to upgrade to along with cost and what it will hold. Be aware that a compact in Italy is not the same as in the US-in fact, it's more likely that it would be considered an intermediate.
Best bet is to limit everyone to one 22" bag each with a folded backpack to carry on excursions.

I just checked the fleet of cars for AutoEurope. In their compact category, they have a Ford Focus Wagon and a VW Golf Wagon. Both of these cars show a luggage capacity of 2 large bags and 2 smaller bags. I would think that either of these cars would be adequate. You don't necessarily need a trunk. We rent cars that are hatchbacks where the trunk is covered. In this way, you can still hide your luggage which, as you know, is very important. Have fun!

I'm planning to go through gemut.com. because their prices are great and they've been very helpful. I just wondered if a compact was even feasible for a family of four. I assumed a wagon would be open in the back and the luggage would show. Not true?

When four of us adults were in Portugal we rented a Ford Focus wagon. It was wonderful...roomy, but easy to drive on the narrow streets. We have also rented an Opal wagon in Sicily, and prefer it to the Ford. No problem with the luuggage...it is covered by a roll-up cover.

You want to stay as small as possible in Italy, but whatever you do, do not pick te smallest car....they are "dogs"!

Go to the autoeurope.com web site, plug in your pick-up and drop-off location, pick out your car and check out the prices.

Especially in Tuscany with its narrow streets and small parking spots a smaller car works great. A station wagon offers more room but is also more difficult to navigate/park. A compact car with a hatchback does offer good luggage room. The hatchback is a bit more flexible and usually fits more than a trunk. We had a Fiat Bravo for the 4 of us and even though we had more than just carry-on luggage (hubby also had an extra week in Italy for business with extra stuff) it worked out just fine. Golf would have worked as well as it's a similar size.

btw part of our trip was spent on the Sorrento peninsula. Streets are even narrower than in Tuscany Around there the Fiat Bravo was one of the largest cars we saw ...

We had a VW Passat last time and it had lots of room for four. We requested a compact and was upgraded to the Passat and I was surprised by its size and it was bigger than we (two) needed. It would easily accomodate 4 adults in comfort but luggage space would depend on how light you pack.

Cindy:

In 2004 we traveled for 28 days with our kids (13 and 8). We were very concerned about storage space, comfort and ease of driving.

We rented a Renault Kangoo. It was better than perfect. It drives easy. There is gobs of storage. It is easy to get in and out of the back (it has minivan like sliding doors in the back).

As the driver I never felt it too large or too wide on the narrow roads like I have when we rented a minivan in Europe.

It was just the ideal vehicle for our travels.

I know that Pugeot has a very similar vehicle to the Kangoo. I think that Fiat also has one.

Have fun.

I rented a Chevy Equinox (European version) from Europcar in Florence last May. It was not listed as one of the vehicles on their website, but it was what I ended up with. I was supposed to get a small BMW hatchback. It's kind of a crap shoot as to the car that you actually end up with. I rented a Mercedes B Class in Salerno two years ago and ended up with a brand new C Class. Rent the class of vehicle that you think you will need and hope for the best. You won't be downgraded, but instead you might be upgraded as I was.

I really hate to spend over $100 to go up from a compact to an intermediate if I don't have to. I just figured out our luggage situation. We'll be taking two pieces of luggage that are each 30x15x15 for the four of us and then will probably have a couple small daypacks. Sorry this is such a picky question!! Thoughts?

Cindy:

Sure, you can cram yourselves into the smallest possible vehicle. But you aren't taking a three hour day trip. You are renting the car for 11 days!

The roads in Tuscany are twisting and winding (and beautiful). You will seldom get out of third gear on the secondary roads.

Your memories of the car portion of your journey should be of the picturesque countryside and the crazy Italian drivers - not how uncomfortable you were stuffing yourselves into a subcompact to save $100.

Being comfortable in the vehicle also allows you to take slightly longer drives - those drives are then adventures - not ordeals.

Just my humble opinion.

Have fun.

Having driven in Italy a couple of years ago, the smallest car you can fit into comfortably is your best bet. Go with the compact. It isn't the roads that were so bad for me, it was the parking garages that were a nightmare. I did great until the last day we had the car and managed to scrape the driver's side quarter panel on a wall. Thankfully not on another car! We also used gemut.com and I used them again for my trip to Ireland this last fall. Andy is the best!

Thanks everyone, for your great feedback and suggestions! Today I reserved a car from gemut - a compact, which I think will work just fine and I can use the $100 I save to help pay for that GPS I'll need! : )

Thanks, again, everyone!