We reserved an automatic car in LaSpezia through Budget car rental. We received a confirmation email and text the night before our scheduled pick up day. when we arrived there the next morning we were told they did not have a car for us. I would not even try to get an automatic car in La Spezia. We ended up taking a train to Pisa airport to rent from there. I would suggest this route, especially if your travels take you south. Hope this is helpful for future travelers!
Posted by
Boston
1814 posts
That is very unfortunate, I'm glad you were at least able to resolve it. There's no guarantee that the same thing would not happen in future at Pisa Airport or Florence or at Hertz. The rental companies don't have complete control of their fleets, but they sure won't admit it to prospective customers. Avis has introduced a guaranteed automatic program, but it's only in Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome at this point.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2213 posts
Sorry. If you asked for an automatic, they should have had one.
Can you not drive a stick shift? I actually prefer them. The Peugeot SUV we got had hill brake assist, it made it super easy to drive.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16203 posts
Unfortunately if one is not able to drive a manual transmission car, it is always best to book at a major airport location or in large cities where fleets are larger and Americans more numerous, since they are the only ones who ask for automatic. All EU drivers must learn how to drive and take the driving test on manual cars, otherwise you will receive a driver’s license that says the bearer can drive only on automatic cars (Italians call that “handicapped person license”).