Hello,
I want to rent a car when leaving Matera, to drive to Monopoli. Has anyone rented a car in Matera? How far is the rental agency from the Sassi? According to MapQuest, it is only a 7 min drive, but another source said it is 28 miles.
I have asked the B&B where we are staying but have not heard back. I appreciate any information on this subject!
Also, Expedia seems to be a lot less expensive than going through the rental car company directly. Has anyone used Expedia to rent a car in Italy?
Thank you!
Posted by
6317 posts
Would you mind sharing your complete itinerary? It might just be easier to pick the car up in a larger market depending on where you want to drop it (and where you all want to go), but I am sure it is possible to get one in Matera. I'd check with AutoEurope, as they provide a table comparing several options (even if you go with the individual provider like Hertz instead of them).
I would not use Expedia, too many complications could arise and I would not want to deal with Expedia if one were to occur.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17117 posts
If you are staying in Matera for a very short time and your AirBnB has parking availability, maybe you can rent a car from where you come from (Bari?), keep the car in Matera, then depart to Monopoli when you are done.
However if you are staying at a place at the Sassi, then there are traffic restrictions there and you can't drive in. In that case a car wouldn't be a great idea to have, also, while in Matera, a car won't be needed, so if you stay multiple days, having a car while there would be a waste of money (rental charges and possibly parking charges).
In Matera there are the following major rental companies' franchises:
AVIS-BUDGET
This one looks like an actual Avis-Budget agency rather than a franchise.
ENTERPRISE
It looks like it's a franchise operated by an IVECO dealership. This is what it looks like in this image.
HERTZ
This also appears to be an agency, or maybe a franchise operated by a car dealership, I can't tell. This is what it looks like from the street, as you can see from this image.
All three rental locations appear to be located in the same general industrial area, where there are several car shops and dealerships. They are about 4 km (2.5 miles) from the Sassi area, so a taxi should get you there in about 15 min, even with surface street traffic. I doubt there is bus service that would take you close enough to an area that is mostly industrial warehouses. Be aware that all those locations are closed on weekends, except for Saturday morning, when they open maybe 4 hours before lunch time. So schedule your pick up on a weekday, preferably.
I also use a broker, called www.autoeurope.com, when I rent in Italy. See what they have available with the above companies for those Matera locations on your dates.