help with rental car plans

Where are you staying in Tuscany? Might be better to travel there by train then pick up car.

Makes no sense to park and pay to park a high priced rental for days you will not need it, nor does it make sense to drive to Venice where you can’t use the car either. Take the train.

Rental rates are exceptionally high this year, only pay for what you need.

We always book our rentals thru AutoEurope.com- a US base consolidator with stellar customer service and usually the best rates.

Be sure to do your homework on driving in Italy— insurance, ZTLs, speeding, alcohol limits, parking etc

All drivers will need an IDP International Driving Permit that you can get from your local AAA

We also use Autoeurope, preferring to call toll free; get zero-deductible collision. I suggest you pick up a Hertz rental in Rome at the Via Sardegna location, return it in La Spezia.

Something I ran across while doing other research was a one way rental from Rome to Venice ( or Milan?) had a $200 one way drop fee. In years past there was no or very little one way fee when dropping off at a different location within Italy. Research the costs to avoid a surprise expense.
It may make more sense to rent in Florence for the areas of Tuscany that need a car for access, return it there and continue by train to all your other locations

@N_Kingdom:
Reading through Rick‘s book, he suggests picking the car up in Orvieto rather than Rome. Since you are suggesting a specific location I assume you have used this location before? What’s the advantages of using this location versus the one Rick recommends

Your only option in Orvieto is Hertz. AutoEurope no longer deals with them due to unsatisfactory service..
Another option for pick up is Chiusi also on train line, Hertz and Europcar are both located there.

Christine H
to answer your previous question we will be staying at a villa with friends in a more “remote” area in Tuscany so definitely will need a car, plus we want to explore the countryside. I appreciate your comment about not spending 100+ euros just to have the car sitting in a parking lot! It sounds like either way the trip from Cinque Terre to Venice is going to be a little painful whether it is on the train system or rental car, so might as well let someone else do the “driving” and just take the train

FL doc-
I encourage you to start monitoring car rental rates now
I had been watching them closely since last summer- we had a trip planned for last Sept that we postponed. The rates thru the fall/winter months were so high we changed our plans and took out the Tuscany part of our trip. Then about 6 weeks ago I happened to look and found that rates had dropped significantly- we grabbed a 4 day rental- pick up in Florence, drop in Lucca- about $100/day with all insurances for an automatic and redid our itinerary once again.

I have continued to monitor rates and just today noticed that the rental we booked is now $260 more.

You will save money if you can drive a manual but be sure you get a car big enough for your family and your luggage!

I would suggest renting with Avis and dropping it off in La Spezia. The Avis office is walking distance to the station and both Hertz and Europcar are a taxi ride away. However, watch the office hours on all of them. Last I checked the Avis office ( a franchise) is not open at lunch or weekends. Taking the train to Venice is best as much of the drive is featureless after the Apuan alps.

@Mike
Thanks for the tip about Avis being close to the station. Which train station are you referring to in this case?

Avis is the closest rental office to La Spezia train station. There's a map on this (pre-Covid) web page https://www.apathtolunch.com/2015/11/where-to-rent-car-from-cinque-terre-la.html

Quick update to this thread…
Several folks suggested AutoEurope. What are the benefits of booking thru them? They require payment upfront and cancellation policy was rather obtuse (mentioned that vans or SUVs could not be canceled if rented during July or August but this was buried in the fine print).
Seems like rates are cheaper on KAYAK or Expedia for rental through Avis, free cancellation is clearly stated, and payment was not required upfront.
Anyone with direct experience using one or another of these platforms?

@christineH, I just rented a car for July from Hertz via AutoEurope last week, pick up in Florence, drop in Orvieto. So it looks like they are still partnering with Hertz.

@FL doc, we dropped our car in La Spezia before spending a few days in CT. Note: the train station is about a six-minute cab ride from the hertz office. I would definitely take the train to Venice.

Re: AutoEurope, I’ve found their prices competitive, often better than the major car rental companies. I would be reluctant to go through kayak or Expedia in case there was an issue. AE is well known for their service. For example, we needed to add a day to our rental in Italy. I made a call to their toll-free number, a real person answered in two rings, the rental was extended at the original day rate I was quoted, I received immediate email confirmation with revised paperwork…all in less than five minutes. I can’t imagine trying to navigate that at a local office or especially via Expedia.

Rental rates are outrageous for this summer…3X what we paid a few years ago…and rising everyday. I would book asap.

Your plan is good.
I see no advantage in picking up the car in Chiusi (or Florence) instead of Rome. There is no savings, and you will need to deal with taking your luggage on and off the train, then walk to the car rental agencies (whether in Chiusi or Florence). There is also no time savings. The drive from Rome to Tuscany is not that long (2-3 hours depending on where you are going).
Returning the car in Spezia makes better sense than keeping the rental for extra days parked in a garage. The garages at the Cinque Terre or Spezia are not cheap (at least 20 euro a day) and that is on top of car rental rates which, since the pandemic, are outrageous ($100+ a day). I know that taking the train from Cinque Terre to Venice is a long journey with at least 2 train changes, but the drive is also long and boring.
AutoEurope is good. I recommend to select the "no deductible" coverage option as well

Returning the car in Spezia makes better sense

I may be completely wrong about this but I had read somewhere that returning at the Pisa airport may make more sense than at La Spezia. Reason was that the rental car locations (dropoffs) in La Spezia are a bit away from the train station and the taxi is not easily found from that location. Also read that Pisa airport to Pisa train station is much easier.

ksinclair

That’s good news about AE/Hertz/Orvieto

I think I did see that I could do a drop off in Orvieto but not a pick
I looked at so many combinations, can’t remember exactly!

OP
We always use AE for their excellent service
I have booked/canceled:rebooked many times without issue but never booked a van

I’d be hesitant to book with Kayak or Expedia etc for the same reason I wouldn’t book a flight with them either
AE deals with car rentals and they deal directly with the agencies
If you have any problems you will get help immediately as mentioned above

If you have questions now about their cancellation policy call their toll free number
They are super helpful and knowledgeable

Just an update on this, and thank you all for your helpful feedback...
I went ahead and called AutoEurope and a helpful, English-speaking representative answered promptly and explained everything. She was able to explain the cancellation policy and direct me where to rent the vehicle. Additionally, their zero-deductible rate sounds like it will be one less headache and well worth the extra cost (not to mention excellent pre-sale service)

At the end of the day, a small automatic SUV will be ~$250/day (!!!) for 4 nights and one way rental with the zero deductible rate. Its a good thing we've been saving for 2 yrs now for this trip ;)