Hi, has anyone rented a car from Puglia by Car? We will pick up the car in the Bari airport. Unfortunately, with our group of 3 couples we had to rent a larger car. I understand in Puglia a smaller car is best. Those who rented a larger car, how was your experience? Nail biting?
We will try to drive immediately to a parking structure outside of old towns to avoid driving in the towns.
Thank you
Michele
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17394 posts
The rental company was very recently founded (end of 2024), but so far the reviews are stellar.
Regarding renting a large car, I presume you are renting a van for 6 people. That generally costs more than 3 times the amount of 3 economy cars, so, check the price differential for renting 2 compact cars, as you might save that way. Obviously I'm assuming there are at least two people willing to drive.
Recently, in the past couple of years, I've been to Puglia with a large station wagon (4 adults) and a compact SUV (2 adults). It's not nail biting as roads can accommodate vans and even larger vehicles. It might be more challenging if you need to parallel park as it will be harder to find a space for a longer vehicle (I had that problem in Lecce with the long station wagon I had last July). Some underground parking structures also tend to have small stalls, so you need to be careful negotiating the small spaces so that you don't hit some pillars. Outdoor parking lots, with perpendicular parking will present no problem, and there are several of those in all the towns you are likely to visit.
To me the biggest challenge might be to accommodate everybody's luggage. I don't know about the cargo space you will have in your van, but 6 people will require at least 6 carry on size bags plus personal item (back pack). So if the strategy of renting 2 smaller compacts doesn't work for you, make sure you don't pack too many suitcases.
I usually use www.autoeurope.com (a broker) to rent in Europe. Check them out to see their pricing. Be aware that if you choose insurance coverage with deductible, the deductibles might be high (at least 1,000€). A zero deductible coverage generally costs up to $10 more a day. You cannot decline insurance in Italy, but you can choose to have full zero deductible coverage or not.
Posted by
new york
1208 posts
I always rent from SIXT in Italy. Just rented from them two months ago and will do so again in May.
We rent a car that I imagine is medium sized..not a tiny compact and not a full-sized car. (Think BMW 300 series)
I had no trouble driving--in fact, I find driving in Puglia to be a breeze except in the narrow streets of a historic district. So we, also, try to park on streets leading up to the historic core, or in a lot if one is nearby. I've had no trouble doing this on many recent trips to italy with the same-sized car.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17394 posts
Yes, you can decline the 'optional' insurance you will be offered, which often entails zero deductibles. I usually buy zero deductible through AutoEurope so they don't ask me if I want optional insurance (I think AutoEurope gets that no deductible coverage through the rental company anyhow).
I have rented on my own or with AutoEurope also without the xtra zero deductible (and declined the optional insurance that they will offer at pick up in that case). You can do that, but make sure that your credit card covers it in case of damage because the deductible is 1,000 to 2000 euro, and they ding you for the most minor scratch. It happened to me twice, but fortunately in both occasions I had the full deductible coverage, so they mentioned it to me but also told me not to worry about it because I was fully covered.
Regarding renting cars in Italy, Jeep is indeed a very popular brand in Italy. Incidentally the largest (and only) Jeep plant in Europe is indeed near Puglia (in Basilicata). The models made there are Compass, Renegade, and Avenger (I guess Jeep likes scary names), which are popular also among rental car companies. I can tell you that none of them are adequate for 6 people. Their are compact SUVs, and their cargo space is barely sufficient for 4 people packing light (Compass is a bit better). However I suggest that, if you can and if the price is right, you indeed try to rent 2 cars. More likely than not it will be less expensive than one van for 6 people, also they will be easier to park.
Puglia doesn't have the plethora of speed cameras as Tuscany does, but there are some, and for sure all towns have ZTL in the historical centers. Random police stops are also possible, even if you haven't committed any infraction.
Read the articles below, if you have never driven in Italy.
Use Waze or GoogleMaps. Both have speed camera alerts, but for some reason I noticed that Waze is more accurate at reporting all, even though Waze is also owned by Google, maybe because all Italians use Waze religiously (and contribute to the reporting).
https://www.autoeurope.eu/travel-blog/what-are-ztl-zones-in-italy/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy