Rental Car Drop-off on Sundays?

Angela, you DO NOT want to drive into Rome. Very easy to drop at the airport, then take the Leonardo Express into Rome.

The obvious question: Isn't there a drop-box in Orvieto? I don't find driving in Rome to be particularly daunting, so no help there. I routinely use drop-boxes all over the world; can't see why that one is any different. The hardest part is finding the sucker - - sometimes they're more or less near the main door to the buidling, other times they're a box on a pole in the parking lot.

Thanks for your replies. I called AutoEurope and they confirmed there is a box in Orvieto. We were quoted a fairly good rate, although I'm afraid of some extra charges that I read about in a lot of negative reviews about AutoEurope online. I can only hope the whole experience proves positive! Thanks again.

You can drop off a car even if the office is closed. Fill out the paperwork, drop it and the keys in the box provided. I've rented with Autoeurope 5+ times and never had a problem. You have to pay attention to what you're buying (e.g. what kind of insurance) and read up on what costs extra -- e.g. additional drivers, additional insurance etc. etc. Most of what I see in terms of complaints are folks who didn't read the documentation and/or listen to the rental people, or who are renting for the first time and are surprised by standard car rental practices. Yes, the rental company will try to upsell you...

Also, if you're using a drop box and need to fill the tank with gas at drop-off, pay for the fill up with your credit card. We had the rental agency put a charge for fuel in Barcelona, which we successfully contested with our credit card co, as they had proof of the fill-up in their transactions record.

Great point from Diane. The other thing to do is very carefully inspect your car before driving off. It's tempting to want to get out of there after a long flight, wait at the counter etc, but this is really important. Make a note of any scratches etc. on the diagram provided and get the rental car people to countersign. Also, if you incurred any damage during the trip, take photographs so you have a record. Most rental companies mandate fully comp coverage in Italy anyway, but still worth doing in case you need to claim on your credit card car rental insurance.

Thank you so much, everyone! This is honestly the best forum I have seen online and I am so grateful about how helpful everyone has been. I've never been to Italy, but I'm going to start reading the Rick Steves' forums on Germany where I lived for 2 years to "pay it forward." I'll be sure to read everything carefully and take photos of the car even if there aren't any scratches, just in case. Thank you again.

I've had the "extra days" problem in the US too. After renting in Houston TX, I got to the airport and there was one person dealing with returns and a huge line. I used the drop box and then got a call from Hertz Loss Prevention a week later asking if I still had the car! I told them the keys & paperwork were in the drop box, they were fine with that and I never heard from them again. No extra charges. When in doubt, document :-)

I'll give you another drop-off box tip: save any proof you have (such as your date-stamped ticket to Rome) of when you dropped off the car. A few years ago I used a drop-off box in the early AM at Edinburgh airport, before the rental office was open. When I got back home & got my bill I learned they somehow hadn't clocked the car in until the following day, and they had charged me for an extra day. Fortunately, I still had my boarding pass showing the time and date I had left Edinburgh. The rental agency accepted that as proof, and the extra day's charge was dropped. I've used after-hour dropoff boxes many a time with no problem, but I still don't trust them.

Just to endorse Autoeurope. I've rented from them numerous times and you can always get assistance in English on a toll-free line 24/7. They make it very easy to book online, but I always call them up to make my final arrangements so I can confirm my understanding of insurance, drop charges and that my drop location has a drop box. They are great to work with. When I drop using a drop box, I take the precaution of photographing the car from all angles just in case. But I've never had trouble. I think local rental agencies who do business with Autoeurope are careful with their reputations. With Internet travel sites so active these days, a local office that engages in bad practices would be noticed on Tripadvisor, Lonely Planet and here. That said, I'm sure a number of people who are used to only renting cars at airports through corporate travel arrangements are quick to assume that the differences in practices in Europe are "rip-offs". Autoeurope enjoys a great reputation on this board.

We also use Auto Europe every year. I can't remember where I read this, but found out that using Auto Europe Canada was cheaper than Auto Europe USA. We did this last year in Italy, got better rates, used our American credit card with no problems or questions (I had called the Auto Europe USA number and asked if it was okay; got the affirmative), AND, most importantly, there are no deductibles. I think this would be quite important when using the drop box in Orvieto. We didn't need to use the drop box, but our drop in Orvieto was very speedy. They didn't even inspect the car since we had no deductibles.

We have rented from AE for years, with excellent support/results. One year we picked up our car, on a Holiday Sunday, at the huge multi agency auto rental lot under the Boughesee park, adjacent to the Spanish steps in Rome. It was piece of cake to get to the freeways from there. I would not hesitate at all with taking a car back to that location, especially on a Sunday, when there is no traffic. I have also heard favorable reviews on the access to the rental yards at the Termini rail station. (great and easy public trans from either location) Check it out on the AE site. Both sites should be open. PS We don't go w/o taking our GPS. This makes either of these spots ideal.