Recommendations for car sizes

7 large bags and carryons

Does this mean 7 bags in the 25-29" range plus 7 carry on bags of the 20-21"?

When looking at the car rental sites and the "typical" vehicle for the class , be sure to check what it shows for luggage capacity as well as number of passengers. You may need two 7 passenger vans to haul your group andall your bags, (or a 7 passenger and 5 passenger van)

Two vans appears to be what you need to accommodate the people and baggage you have as well as give you the flexibility you need when the 'split up' happens

Sorry for the confusion. 7 large 29” and 7 personal bags like a backpack.

The car rental sites give vehicle details on the number of passengers and bags for each car. The “compact” class is not consistently defined but includes a Ford Focus Wagon which may be large enough for four adults with bags - if some of the bags are smaller and you are all good friends.

Enjoy the planning and the trip!

I'd be surprised if any "normal"-sized European rental car can accommodate four 29" bags. That is huge.

I would suggest two compact cars, as they perhaps would be cheaper than a larger van. And your group would be allowed to go in different directions to cover more turf.

Two (2) Fiat Tipo wagons should work fine.

Two "compact cars" for seven people with 7 full size bags plus 7 carry-ons? That will not work even when a "compact" car was bigger than a today's Ford Focus.

Autoeurope defines a "compact" as:
Small car suitable for 2-3 people with limited luggage.

Icons indicate capacity as seating for 4-5 people + 1 small suitcase + 1 large suitcase

Two compacts MAY work IF you could squeeze four of your group into one compact along with two large suitcases in the trunk (soft sided duffle bags may fit better than hardside cases) AND fit the remaining three in the second compact, with two suitcases in the trunk and three suitcases on the back seat next to your smallest passenger. Carry-ons will need to be carried on passenger laps. Bring bungee cords and rope to tie the trunk lid down if it doesn't close with your luggage.

You could try a compact plus a SUV using the SUV to carry three plus the large suit cases.

Keep in mind that if you stop for meals or sightseeing en route to a new hotel, all of your luggage must fit in the trunk of the vehicle(s) to avoid being a theft-magnet.

Thanks for all your help 😀

Most rental car companies let you browse their fleet to see what cars are in each class. And, most European rental car companies carry at least one model that is sold in North America. Volkswagen and Ford seem to pretty well represented and are selling/renting cars in Europe which are sold over here.

An average "mid-sized" sedan in Italy is a Volkswagen Jetta. Anything larger (VW Passat?) is a full-sized car. And, manual transmissions rule in Europe and you may not be able to get an automatic.

I recommend surfing the inventories and looking at the vehicles available here to see if they'll fit your needs. I will say that in my experience, large North American style 3 row SUVs and minivans aren't well represented in Italy. One of the larger vehicles available in the rental fleets is a Fiat sold in America as the Dodge Journey.

To get anything much larger you may need to move up to a people mover like a Mercedes van...

You need 2 midsize cars, preferably wagon The midsize with 4 people may not accommodate all four large luggage pieces, but if not, the other car, having only 3 passengers, can carry the exceeding luggage, by reclining the unused back seat to extend the cargo area.
If the car with 4 people is a large size, it should fit all 4 suitcases.

Is there a reason or need for that much luggage? We recent rented a mid-size for four of us and we had four carry-on size bags that just fit in the truck area and four small day bags that barely fit between the two back seat passengers. 29" bags are absolutely huge.