We will be traveling to Italy in late November and we would like to rent a car for about 5 days. Here are my questions:
1) Is it possible to rent a car in Florence and then drop it off in Rome?
2) Where is the pick up point in the city of Florence?
3) Where is a convenient drop off point in Rome?
4) Will it be difficult to rent a car with automatic transmission?
Thank you for your help.
1.) yes
2.) , 3.) and 4.) it depends on your car rental company.
I would highly recommend dropping off you car well before Rome. Orvieto is a good option for Hertz because you can drop off the car at the train station and then take the train into Rome. I have driven in Italy a dozen times, including accidentally returning a rental car in Rome. I would never do that again.
1) Yes, but you will most likely be charged for a drop off fee.
2) Suggest you check AutoEurope.com for rentals. It will indicate various pick up and drop off points for different rental agencies. Many contributors to the Forum use them for auto rentals because of good prices and great customer service.
3) I found it easy to drop the car off near the Tiburtina rail station. It requires minimal driving on local Rome streets. I had the misfortune of dropping one rental near Termini station and would never do it again.
4) You might have to rent your car at an airport location to get an automatic transmission.
I’d also suggest renting with $0 deductible and make sure to get an International Driver Permit at AAA. Familiarize yourself with ZTL’s in Italy to avoid massive fines. Read the “Driving” info in the Travel Tips section.
Happy motoring!
Philip and Roberto,
Thank you for your helpful replies.
