Need advice for renting a car in Bolzano, arriving at train station

We always go through Auto Europe, which is a broker that shows you the different companies that have rental cars in a city. They also show the different rates, so you can compare. For 3 people without much luggage you will probably need a compact or midsize 4 door car. Don’t forget you International Drivers License and investigating where the ZTLs are in the towns and cities you’ll be visiting.

What is a ZTL?

All you need to know about ZTLS. Download their PDF for more info on driving in Italy including signage.

https://www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/dont-mess-with-ztl-zones

I saw a previous suggestion for Auto Europe and tried it, but it came up with no results for Bolzano. Thank you for the reminder about ZLT's and the international license, though.

I did a quick search on Kayak and found things like rentalcars.com and holiday autos in four different locations. Does anyone have any experience with any of these?

Rent from Avis, Hertz, or Europcar either direct or through Autoeurope.com (not Autoeuropa ending in 'A'). There are numerous new car rental companies that use deceptive low-ball quotes. See these tips https://www.apathtolunch.com/2014/12/car-rental-in-italy-pick-it-up-right.html?m=1.

We rented a car in Bolzano. We rented it through Europecar. The car rental agency was at the tiny Bolzano airport. We took the train to Bolzano and then a taxi to the car rental agency. We had asked for an economy model but they only had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Sad, right. No extra charge to us. Definitely do a search on Kayak.com.

Thank you Mike and Mary. This is getting more encouraging. I went again to autoeurope.com and noticed that I had the United States as a selector. I did get results when I changed that to Italy/Europe! After ready only scary things about rentalcar.com and multiple recommendations for autoeurope, the fare to the airport seems like a good bargain. I will stick with Hertz, Avis or Europcar unless I hear something different. (I have had bad experiences in the U.S. with Budget and don't care to try that in Italy.)

Any tips on using the autoeurope website? When I switched the selector to Italy, I was redirected from autoeurope.com to autoeurope.eu. Is that right?

This is all very helpful advice from everyone who chimed in. We are researching cars trying to figure out the smallest car that still has a reasonably sized back seat for a third person.

Another question: is diesel widely available or should we stick with gas?

Yes, we had a car that was diesel and had no problem getting fuel and it was quite economical (then any way). Be sure to photograph any dings, dents or scratches on the car with your camera before you leave the rental agency with the date and time on the camera set for the Bolzano area. Also take photos of the car when you return. This is so there is no dispute about any damages to the car. As I recall, when we returned the car the rental agent said we had put a scratch on the car but we had the photos to show the scratch was there when we rented it. Also be sure to get and IDP as the rental car agency may request it.

FWIW, Avis and Budget in Italy are the same fleet and management according to a desk clerk I talked to in Sardinia.

Wow, ALL of these replies are extremely helpful! Insurance will be the next nut to crack.

If you rent through AutoEurope, they normally offer Europcar and Hertz vehicles at $0 deductible. The upcharge for this is reasonable and gives peace of mind. Remember that credit card insurance or Amex supplementary insurance is not valid in Italy. You will also need to get an International Driver Permit from AAA to comply with Italian law.