int'l drivers license in Italy and misc car insurances

We have been to Italy twice, and ALWAYS get the SUPER insurance. This way you are completely covered. Our first trip we got in a minor traffic accident(in Naples where laws do not apply). The car had a little bit of damage. When we returned the car, the rental company said we were completely covered, even if we had killed someone. Yes, you will need the Int'l Drivers Permit. We had to provide it when we rented the car. Be aware that some CC companies do not cover you in Italy. I think its better to be safe than sorry. $4-500 is not expensive if the car gets stolen(this does happen!) or there is a huge accident!!

Amy, Just to clarify, you will need an Int'l Driver's Permit, which is compulsory for driving in Italy. While not all travellers choose to obtain one, it should be noted that you can be fined on the spot for failure to produce an IDP. If the traveller refuses or is unable to pay the fine, authorities may impound the vehicle. It should also be noted that this is not a license, but must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. You can obtain an IDP easily at any AAA office for about $20 (two Passport photos required), and is is valid for one year. Regarding the CDW, I prefer to pay for the absolute best coverage provided by the rental firm, as that provides some "peace of mind" and I don't want ANY hassles should an "incident" occur. Using the "least expensive way" would not be my choice, especially in Italy! I've used credit card coverage for rental cars in the past, but I've found this is often complicated with numerous exclusions and conditions, so I'd rather pay more for more comprehensive coverage. You'll also need to ensure that any coverage from the credit card provides coverage in Italy, and includes PL & PD. It would be a good idea to do some research on the subject of Zona Traffico Limitato areas, which are especially prevalent in Florence. Each pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! You may want to have a look at Ron's excellent website concerning driving in Italy, as there's a wealth of information there. I tend to use public transit when possible and limit rental car uses. Good luck and happy travels!

Going the Cheap route in Italy can be very expensive. Yes, you need the IDP, it's a whole $15 or $20 why risk not having it. There are 3rd party insurers for rental cars, and they can be much lower cost than the rental companies policy. I would fully understand the claims process if using one, you will not want to figure it out as are trying to drop off the car and catch your flight. Even using your CC coverage, understand what you are getting and what the claims process is. Make sure they cover you in Italy, many do not. Just beware that if you do have a claim, usually you pay, then deal with the CC to get reimbursed. In the end, like many, I too, when travelling abroad, just swallow hard and get the Super CDW. You also give no details of how or why you will be using a car, but for the majority of Italy, it tends not to be the best mode of transport.

Do I absolutely need an int'l license in Italy? Can I do without it? Do you absolutely need to carry your drivers license in San Diego? What would happen if you didn't carry it? What about if you were stopped by the police and asked for it? What if you were involved in an accident? Same questions for Italy, where there is a law which requires it. Maybe the same answers. Except - what would happen if during this encounter with the Italian policeman they decided they were unhappy. Is your Italian good enough to convince him/her to ignore you? Are you OK with going to an Italian cop shop? BTW - what will you do when you rock up at the rental car counter and leave without the car? All to save $15?

Strongly recommend getting the best insurance for Italy, France, eastern Europe., though I haven't always before. Was fortunate enough when we rented a car from Sixt in Brussels in August that I fell for the super CDW sales talk. They warned me about French thieves (('huh?") and the insurance was more than the rental. When a charming man backed into me in the Netherlands and caused a good $1800 damage to the grille and hood, there was no problem at return or later.
Could have been an expensive way to 'save money". Don't think your credit card helps much, but if you have trip insurance, maybe someone else has experience with that? Have not used AX flat fee car insurance outside of the US.

Amy, RB had some great points. You should also note that in Italy, basic CDW is part of your auto rental. Period. You don't have any choice. (What I should say is that it is not required by Italian law; but all the rental agencies won't let you reent without buying it.)And it can be pretty good; i.e. you may not need to buy super expensive "super CDW." When we rented our car for Italy the basic CDW had very low decutibles; $350 EU for theft and $200 for collision. Rent your car here. Go to Autoeurope.com and get a quote. "Let your finger do the walking.' Go to their web site and play with the varous pick-up locations. MANY times it is cheaper to take a short taxi ride to an innner city lot, rather than rent at a train station or airport. (It usually makes no difference where you drop it off.) After you buy a rental car, read the fine print in the policy. If you have any questions; call AE at their headquarters in Maine. They are awesome to deal with. They are an auto broker that only uses the majors, and they (and Gemut.com, another awesome US based broker) stand behind their quotes, and provide all info "up front". If you got a great price on Kayak, don't be afraid of renting; IF you can cancel at any time "no charge", and if you can read the final quote HERE. But, if the quote is for a rental that must be consumated in Italy, you may find that the contract is written only in Italian, and you may have no idea what you are paying for. Amy, our Italian 14 day car rental for a Puegot 207 4 door was $695; plus another $2-3 day. Renting here from a US company that specializes in EU rentals gives us great piece of mind.

Just to add to the chorus...you need the IDP, so go and buy it. Also, most credit cards DO NOT provide rental insurance in Italy, as well as Ireland, Portugal, and Israel because of the high number of accidents. Generally, we rent the car with the inclusive package which includes a deductible of between 200-400 euro. Additionally, we use autoeurope.com for the automobiles because they are generally cheaper and use the large rental companies. Buon viaggio,

Thank you all..lots of good advice. My daughter and I will be in Italy for 3 weeks...14 days will be spent taking a lot of day trips... from Caserta and then up to the hill country of Umbria and Tuscany. When I started adding up train and bus tickets, it was getting very expensive. That's when I decided to rent a car. I've gone back and forth on this for months. I will definitely get the Int'l Permit..Thanks. I want to be smart about the insurance, I really do....just not sure I can budget in $450 for the car and another $400-500 for insurances. I will call the CC companies and see if there is coverage in Italy....thanks for that tip. I was given a website through Kayak that states that CDW is included. Does anyone know if that holds up when I actually get there? Will they honor that statement? network.expressitech.com/car-italy-and-tours-corp/policies Rick says in one of his books, NOT to go with Italian companies. Has anyone had experience with them? Can anyone quote what they paid after all was said and done? for a period of 2 weeks, for example? Any other comments....appreciated. I want to do the best thing.....have the best vacation ever.....but still within budget.

Yes get the IDP, it takes less than a half hour at a AAA office and isn't expensive. I drove in Italy without a scratch, but not without CDW. Driving (and parking) is an adventure. If you use your credit card coverage, know the terms of the coverage inside and out. Expect to pay, out of pocket, up front and spend many hours working to get reimbursed (and not be reimbursed at all if you don't comply, to the letter, with the terms). Assuming you have adequate insurance coverage isn't a good idea in Italy.

We have used autoeurope.com many times in Italy and Ireland with much satisfaction. They are brokers, as Steve pointed out, and they deal with the large rental companies. If you pick-up your car at a train station or an airport you will pay an additional 20% tax, but there is no tax for drop-offs at these places. Sometimes it is just easier to find your car at a train station or airport instead of looking for an office in the center city. That's your decision. In 2009 we used autoeurope.com and took the car from europecar from Stazione Termini in Roma with the inclusive CDW. The autoeurope deductible was 200 euro and the europecar deductible was 400 euro. As luck would have it, I damaged the car in a tiny beautiful, town called Nusco about 1.5 hours outside of Napoli on a remote mountain top. Anyway, when I returned the car to Fiumicino Airport near Roma I had to pay the 400 euro deductible. When we returned home I called autoeurope.com and explained the situation with their customer service dept. and they refunded the 200 euro difference to me converted to USD. It was no hassle-no muss-no fuss. I will always contact them first for a car rental in Europe. Buon viaggio,

Amy, not to be rude, but, if you can't budget $400-500 extra for insurance, your budget is way too tight. Your cc or third party insurer may require you to pay the claim up front and be reimbursed later. Can you budget for that? Someone earlier this year posted about not paying for CDW and getting a cc bill for damages from a fender bender. Consider the CDW as just a European driving tax, like the ones applied to airline tickets, they double the cost of flying , you don't want to pay them, but if you don't you stay home.

About CDW: Italian law REQUIRES that all Italian-licensed cars (e.g., cars with an Italian plate) have insurance. Period. It is that blue card displayed on the right-side of the windshield next to a parking disc (usually). There are exemptions for older cars and other circumstances that do not apply to any rental. You can't runaway form mandatory insurance (theft, collision, fire and third-party damages caused) in Italy, you can at most choose the loosest possible one (with higher deductible). Make a quote via an Italian website for major rentals. Often, they have much lower prices than their American counterparts (hertz.it vs. hertz.com). Even beloved Autoeurope (I use them often) has different fares in their American and Italian/French/German websites! I guess that is because Americans are used to have a hefty insurance fee added to their rental quotes, so they replicate the process, whereas here in Europe the "defautl" quote usually includes basic insurance anyway.

Fully comprehensive insurance is a requirement for all rentals in Italy. So no, there isn't a third party alternative. Amex credit card insurance does not cover Italy. Shop around, as others have advised, to look for lower rates.

As noted by someone else, an IDP is required. Along with a valid drivers license from the USA. For less costly insurance to cover what the mandatory coverages do not cover, check out www.worldwideinsure.com. I found their rates quite reasonable in 2010 and it filled all the holes in what the rental agency ( Hertz) coverage did not cover