We are dropping off our rental car in Florence. The map where Europcar is located is filled with ZTL signs of all colors. Can anyone tell me how to get to the Europcar office on Borgo Ognissanti without incurring traffic tickets. The rental car office was not very helpful. Thanks!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8309 posts
Just change your reservation to have a drop off location at their airport location. It's not very far out there, and you won't have to risk the ZTL's at all.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1653 posts
Well, it is not easy. Borgo Ognissanti is (ideally) divided in two section. It is a one way street, running from piazza Goldoni to Via Il prato. The section between piazza Goldoni and via Melegnano is in the ZTL area, you have to pass a radar machine and ask the office to notify the local police your access (it costs a couple euros, so office may "forget"; be sure to remind them). The section between via Melegnano and Il prato can be accessed from via Melegnano, no controls, no fine. [You have to arrive from Il prato, via Curtatone, Lungarno Vespucci, via Melegnano].
The Europcar office is in the first section, within the ZTL. So if you have to leave the car there you must be sure that the office is notifying the police. But may be they will ask to leave the car at a nearby garage that is in the second section, so just drive the above itinerary. Without this information it is impossible to give a clear reply.
But: at present the Vespucci bridge is closed for maintenance, so the ZTL access point is temporarily disabled and you can drive Lungarno Vespucci and turn back at Piazza Goldoni into Borgo Ognissanti without control. I guess maintenance works will last a few months, so if you visit is early enough there is no control even to the Europcar office location.
Posted by
OP
Virginia
18 posts
Thanks so much for the info. We picked this drop off because we needed to drop off the car and pick up a smaller car. We wanted to have a point near the train station since we are dropping off our friends at the train station and continuing on in Italy for another three weeks. Thanks agin for your help!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15900 posts
Don’t worry. The drop off location is not the same as the office.
The drop off location is at the Garage Europa where all other companies also are. Make sure to take a Via Melegnano then turn left on Borgo Ognissanti.
If you use Google Maps choosing Piazza Gaddi as departing point and Garage Europa as arrival point, Google somehow routes you correctly.
https://goo.gl/maps/i2ZMjTmshayazXRR6
In any case, as lachera said, the ZTL camera on Lungarno Vespucci, east of the bridge, is currently disabled due to the bridge closure and rerouting of all traffic to the Carraia bridge.