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Dropping rental car in Florence-location ?

We are dropping our rental car in Florence to train up to Venice. Is it easier to drop a rental car at the Florence airport or the Hertz office two blocks from the train station (driving into Florence ???!!!) ?
And, why or why not for either option ?

Posted by
1127 posts

I would drop the car off at the airport and take a bus to the train station. Why? To avoid the many ZTL's in Florence. The bus only takes 20 minutes and cuts out the worry of receiving a ticket in the mail six months after you return home.

Posted by
1163 posts

We have done that before ! But if the Hertz office is 2 blocks from the train station, shouldn't one be able to drive to that branch office without hitting the ZTL zones ?? Why would they have the rental office there ?? I just have never driven anywhere CLOSE to Florence !! Has anyone used this drop off rental office ?

Posted by
11294 posts

The rental office locations were established before the ZTL's were. And, this being Italy, they don't seem to have tried to harmonize the situation (i.e. it's not fair to give tickets to lots of tourists who are genuinely confused rather than deliberately driving in the restricted zones, when the car rental offices are in or near those zones). If you search for posts by Roberto, he has directions for returning a car in Florence and avoiding the ZTL's. He says it's not hard, but in the same sentence he explains how you must drive on EXACTLY the route he gives, or you will be in the ZTL.

Posted by
1163 posts

It may be easier to drop off at the airport !!!

Posted by
8094 posts

Check to see if you're charged more to drop the car off at the airport than in the city. There are often some surcharges/taxes doing business with airport locations that city locations don't assess. An advantage to leaving the car at the airport is bus transportation back to the train station. There is also a Hertz location at 60 Sansovino, which is about 2 miles north of the train station. It'll cost you about 10 euros to catch a cab back to the train station. Sansovino goes north out to the "interstate". Look at online maps to track the address. And it's not close to any ZTL. That's where we picked our AutoEurope.com up last Easter week at a lower price than Hertz's rate.

Posted by
1626 posts

Dropping off the car at the florence airport was easy. Fairly small airport, and due to some construction it was a bit confusing as to exactly where to drop it off, but not a big deal. Be sure to have a GPS, as the "to" airport signs were few and far between after we got off the autostrada. If we were following signs to the airport, we never would have found it.
Also, there's usually an extra cost if you PICK UP a car from the airport, and sometimes major train stations, but no extra cost to DROP OFF at an airport. Or at least that was our experience when we rented a car last trip.

Posted by
1163 posts

I think I like the airport idea !!

Posted by
337 posts

The post replies from Roberto were spot on, I also suggest you use google maps and simply have a look. Via Michelin directions will also direct you so as to exclude the Zones.

Posted by
10178 posts

I dropped my car at the airport and took the express bus to the train station for 5€ per person. It was very easy and I didn't have to worry about missing a turn or driving down the wrong street to find myself in a ZTL.