My group will be in Italy in June 2010. We will be in Rome and moving on to Panzano, then to Florence. We will be renting a car on a Sunday to travel to Panzano. I am concerned that most rental agencies will be closed on that day. Besides leaving from FCO, are there any other choices out there for us. The answer will make a difference as to which agency we book with.
Thanks....Leslie
Great idea....thanks
Take Steve's advice and you will have no trouble finding, and renting a car for a good price.
We left Rome on a Sunday from the large auto rental garages under the Spanish Steps.
Make sure that you take along your GPS, and a good Michelin map.
Good to know. I was worried that we would have very few options on a Sunday.
Leslie,
One point to note is that to drive in Italy, you'll need an International Driver's Permit. You can obtain this at reasonable cost from any AAA office.
Failure to produce an IDP if requested by law enforcement can result in fines on the spot!
Cheers!
Thanks for reminding me about the International Driver's license. Actually, my son will be the one doing the driving. I'll mention it to him. We are so looking forward to our trip.
As far as I know, the only car rental locations that would be open on Sunday would be at the airport or train station. I'll ditto on the GPS (with European maps), and see AAA for your international driving permit. Since you will be ending in Florence, be aware that you need to return your car at the AIRPORT and DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE CITY CENTER. There are tons of posts on this site regarding the ZTL, limited traffic zones, in Florence (Rome has them as well). Do not drive into the city center or you will be fined heavily. Please see other posts on the helpline regarding the ZTL and traffic fines.
Leslie, the neat thing about the Autoeurope website is that you can plug in the city where you want to rent your car, and the date, and then see which rental offices are open.
They are also easy to deal with. If you find a lower rate elsewhere, they will meet or beat it.
And the best thing; they are located in Maine. You call call them, and ask any question, and they will answer it with a smile.
They are a broker, who use many of the other auto rental agencies. This allows them to be able to shop around and find you a good rate. And many times, if you sign up for their web site announcements they will of offer free GPS rentals with the car. We prefer to bring our own TomTom. It speaks English!, and we know how to use it!
John and Steve,
Thanks so much for the information that you both provided. I will certainly look into the Autoeurope website mentioned. Since they are based in the US, any questions that I may have will be easily handled. As for returning the car in Florence, I have read horror stories about being fined after driving in restricted areas. Many people comment on the delayed notice of the fines, often more than 12 months after the fact.
