rental cars

Judi: This is a pretty big topic on the Helpline and you can find a lot of information from previous posts by searching the archives using the instructions above. However, I found that this company http://www.gemut.com had all I needed and great service too. They use AutoEurope (at least they did for my rental) and Gemut's quote was lower than going direct to AutoEurope. Very responsive people, 24 hour service in English should you have problems, etc. On their site, to the right on the homepage, is a link to a very good article "What you should know about renting a car in Europe." Read it! Also, remember you need an International Driver's Permit for each driver, available from AAA in the US. Get it before you travel. Happy driving!
Laurel

I would recommend finding a site to study the Italian driving laws and road signs also. Just to get a general idea of things.

Judi, You're correct in that insurance from the U.S. won't provide coverage in Italy. One exception to that is that some "premium" credit cards will provide some degree of coverage. However, knowing what is covered with these can be a bit complicated and there are often numerous "exclusions". My recommendation would be to accept the full CDW offered by the rental firm, as that should cover all eventualities (however it probably won't be cheap). You may find it helpful to read the section covering rental cars in Europe Through The Back Door. There's good information there that might answer all your questions. One point to note is that for driving in Italy, you'll require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, easily obtained at any AAA office and include a chart showing the various road signs used in Europe. You may want to check other Posts in this section regarding the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas, that are becoming more prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence, if you were planning to drive there). Each pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! Especially for driving in Italy, a GPS along with a good Map would be highly advisable. Cheers!

I have used autoeurope.com to rent in several different European countries. They are a consolidator, they offer cars within the parameters you give them. You choose which one works for you. For example, last September I rented a car in Italy and a car in Germany. The cars I got were from Avis & Hertz. You don't know what company it is until you finish the rental process, but you can always change your reservation with no problem if you don't want what you got. In Italy I suggest getting full coverage insurance. And a GPS is invaluable. I do bring a paper map as a back up, as I have found you can't rely totally on the GPS. Ken is right about the International Drivers Permit. They won't ask for it when you pick the car up, but if you get stopped or have an accident you will be glad you have one, as it is the law and you will be subject to a large fine. Driving in Italy isn't hard, but they do have some strange driving habits. Have fun!!

http://www.usag.vicenza.army.mil/sites/local/DT.asp If you're interested the link will take you to a site that has a drivers test manual. Covers road signs and driving laws.
Just click the blue drivers test manual link and it'll open up as a pdf.

I've rented from AutoEurope and Kemwel both of which you can get rental prices online. I check their prices often as they can change weekly. If you have reserved a car and their prices change, they will adjust the contract. If you want a diesel or automatic, request these cars when you talk to the agent. A diesel gets a lot better gas mileage and this type of gas is easily obtainable at the stations. Have fun on your trip.

Personally, I always rent a manual transmission diesel - they get amazing gas (diesel) mileage. Unlike the diesels here, you won't feel vibration, excess noise or diesel smell - the only difference is the fuel you put in. Diesel is generally cheaper than gas in Europe. Since most Americans don't consider a manual transmission or diesel, supply and demand means they're cheaper to rent as well. Also, get a GPS. From someone who survived Italy without one, just trust me when I say you will really need one.

In 2008, this was my experience with car insurance: We rented through Gemut.they will compare prices for multiple places and get you the best deal based on your needs.(we wanted to add a second driver, and he was able to find the best deal for us) There were 2 ways to go with the insurance coverage for most places: There was an very expensive insurance that had a zero deductible and a more reasonable insurance that had a $1500 deductible. Gemut suggested we go with our credit card "insurance", but neither my brother-in-law or I felt that was a choice we could feel good about (we had both heard some pretty bad stories about them finding little reasons to deny coverage) We ended up getting a umbrella insurance plan from CSA. It included health, trip insurance, lost luggage, and CAR INSURANCE with a zero deductible. The cost was about $200. This was a lot less than what the cheapest insurance was with car rental place (we had our car for 5 weeks and they charge per day). Also, we did have to use our car insurance and we were 100 percent happy. It was zero deductible. If we had gone with the less expensive insurance from the rental place, we would have paid more for the insurance, and been out $1500 after the accident. Look at all your options, and then decide what works best for you. My family laughs at me because by the time I am done planning my trip, I am an "expert" on many things. (research, research, research) but it pays off for me. We have driven a lot in Europe, and this was our first accident. However, all that research paid off and it was pretty painless. No one likes to buy insurance (because you really don't want to use it!) but it does provide peace of mind and when you do need it, wow, you are really glad you have it!!