Renting a Car in Rome, Returning in Florence

It depends on which company you rent your car from but in most cases it is possible. You have to be very careful driving around Florence because it is very densely populated by restricted driving zones, ZTL, which are enforced by camera and very expensive fines will result if you drive in the wrong place in the wrong way. That being said if you are very careful depending on the company you rent from you can usually find a route to the returns area that avoids the ZTLs. You do have to be very careful in Florence

The most recommended rental agencies on the forum are the sister companies AutoEurope and Kemwel. They are consolidators so they offer rentals from various rental companies. Some offer no charge returns renting in one city and returning in another, others have started charging a drop fee. By going to the websites, you’ll be able to see the total price. Both of these companies are headquartered in the “other” Portland, the one in Maine, and have great customer service. For rentals in Italy, choose the €0 deductible insurance package and don’t forget you’ll need an international driving permit.

We've had good luck booking thru AutoEurope for our own trips, most recently in Italy last year - collected the car in Pisa, drove around Tuscany for a couple of weeks, and returned the vehicle in Florence without too much drama. The particular company we wound up using was Hertz which has several locations on the periphery of Florence ... well away from the ZTL zones. As I recall there was a one-way drop charge assessed but it was only around 40 Euros or so - worth it for us.
Might add that there are other options for dropping the car if the thought of going anywhere near the Florence metro area is a daunting prospect. There's a convenient Hertz location in Siena, for example, that's only a couple of blocks from the train station, from which it's an easy trip to Florence SMN, which is where you'd transfer to your train to Venice anyway.
I too would suggest opting for the zero deductible cover just for the peace of mind.
If you're not already aware, the default rental in Italy is a manual transmission. If you require an automatic you'll need to specify that at booking. It'll cost more but will be much less of a hassle unless you're already quite comfortable driving a manual shifter.

Thanks for the lovely replies all... now a couple of followup questions: I won't have a navigator as this is a solo trip. So, for ease of navigating's sake, I may follow the advice and drop off in Siena and train from there to Florence. Totally comfortable with manual. :)

Questions: Is getting the International Driver's license done here prior to leaving? Online? Mail in? With the pick up in Rome from the AIRPORT, will this avoid the "zones"? and is it a pretty straight forward/doable route out of town and up to Pitigliano, my first stop?

Get your International Driving Permit (IDP) from any AAA office - you don't have to be a member to avail yourself of the service. Cost is about $20 and it's good for a year from date of issue. I've never been asked to show it, but others here have reported that some rental agencies in Italy are starting to require that you have it before they'll release the car to you. Better safe than sorry.
You may want to do a google search and read up on what the ZTL's are all about. As long as you stick to the major roads and highways you should be fine. They typically come into play if you inadvertantly drive into the center of any of the Italian cities and towns ... the ZTL zone is usually that part of the city located within the old medieval walls. Siena has them too, but they're easy to avoid if you just research ahead of time. For info, the main highway (the SR2 on the map) that goes past the train station (and that the Hertz office is on) is not within the ZTL.

Thanks, Robert. Been wanting to join AAA for a while now and this may be the reason to do it (yes, I see I don't HAVE to in order to get the IDP). I like the Siena option a lot. The less I have to try to navigate busier cities by myself with a car, the better. I'm a pretty savvy traveler having lived in Central Asia for quite a while, just trying to maximize the limited time I have on this trip to get the most bang for my buck. Anywhere I can chop off time in travel, especially backtracking, the better. Thanks, Again!

We arrange our cars by calling up the broker Autoeurope [having the use of a toll feee number]; get zero- deductible collision, which covers any damage to the body of the vehicle. Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; never leave anything of value in a vehicle when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

Note that "2 days touring" yields only one full day.

"Since I'm heading to Venice from there by train, I'd like to save time by dropping the car off in Florence. "

Driving to Piazzale Roma in Venice and dumping the car there from [e.g.] Southern Tuscany will take around 4.5 hours. By Comparison, driving to Florence [1.5 hours], transport after returning the car [?], taking the next train, at the station 15 minutes ahead [minimum2.50]. So no real saving of time and a lot less effort. Going to Siena would be even worse. However this is how you'd proceed:

The safest way to return a car in Florence is by navigating to Via Palagio degli Spini, the big complex near the airport; cab to town.

Hertz and Avis cars can be returned downtown to the Garage Europa on Borgo Ognissanti, access by crossing the Ponte Amerigo Vespucci northbound, then a left turn to BO in a couple of blocks. Approaching the bridge, the ZTL can be avoided by proceeding no further east; just avoid restricted bus lanes. Very handy if catching a train as SM Novella is 3 blocks away.

Agree that best way is to take train to Florence or Siena and rent car from there. You can then return at same pick up point, eliminating one way charges and lots of unnecessary driving.

Just a heads up. You do not have to join AAA to get the permit - just go to their office with 2 passport photos. Another consideration is to go to Pisa for car return. Train trip is only an hour to Florence and you don’t have to change trains.

I drove in Italy back in the late 80s when we lived in Germany. Gas is very expensive and the tolls on the autostrada are outrageous.

We have done more than a few trips to Italy where we took the trains. I highly recommend this option.
Many people driving rental cars in Italy get home and later get outrageous traffic tickets. One poster on this forum got a speeding ticket for going the equivalent of 2 MPH over the speed limit. Parking is a royal pain in Italian cities.

If you want to visit Siena or Pisa, suggest taking the train to Florence and take a tour or train to cities in Tuscany.

Another thought as it occurs to me: if you'll be collecting the car at Civitavecchia it's a fairly straightforward shot from there up to the very pretty hill town of Montepulciano. From there you can drive the scenic route thru the Val D'Orcia, meandering from one hill town to the another at your leisure. The RS guide for Italy contains a very good map of the loop drive thru the area - it's the one we used on our own trip last year.
Another scenic drive is the Chiantigiana (SR222) that basically connects Siena with Florence thru the Chianti wine region ... another beautiful scenic drive if you have the time and the interest. It's made to order for a full day's meander with lots of inviting little places to stop for lunch or just to walk about.
Parking can indeed be a challenge in or near some of the old hilltop villages. One tip I'll offer from our own trip last year: in Siena there's underground parking right in front of the train station. It was suggested to us by another forum poster and turned out to be a great option. Costs 2 Euros per day and we never had any issues finding an empty spot during a 5 day visit last May. That said, others have reported that parking fills up in a hurry on market or festival days so do be aware of that.
I agree that if your only interest is visiting the cities that the train is the way to go. If you want to get off the beaten path and see some of countryside at your own pace then a car is preferred. Others here have posted horror stories about speeding tickets and ZTL fines, but we passed thru unscathed last year on our own 2 week driving adventure, which we highly recommend.

First, when you say "two days" are you talking leave Rome the morning of Day 1, spend 1 night someplace, then get to Venice Day 2? or are you planning 2 nights? 3 nights with two uninterrupted days? makes a big difference.

If you really do not have much time, might be best just to pick a town, get there and enjoy that, likely using Public Transport.

Other options are to pick a town, get there and rent a car locally for your 1-2 days. This could be Sienna, but also a town on the Main rail line, maybe Chuisi or Arezzo

Nigel,

"It depends on which company you rent your car from but in most cases it is possible. You have to be very careful driving around Florence because it is very densely populated by restricted driving zones, ZTL, which are enforced by camera and very expensive fines will result if you drive in the wrong place in the wrong way. That being said if you are very careful depending on the company you rent from you can usually find a route to the returns area that avoids the ZTLs. You do have to be very careful in Florence"

Thank you for your time in replying! After looking at and considering all of the replies and comments here, I have kept some of what I'd already planned, made some changes, and will definitely be making sure to avoid the "zonas". Thanks for the heads up! I'd already read about them on many other travel blogs, but your reply was a good reminder to keep my head about me. I know it will be a little more difficult given I will be alone and won't be able to navigate as well on the fly. Hopefully, by picking up the car at the airport, I will be able to avoid the whole inner-city Rome thing. :)

Liesa

Phillip,

"The most recommended rental agencies on the forum are the sister companies AutoEurope and Kemwel. They are consolidators so they offer rentals from various rental companies. Some offer no charge returns renting in one city and returning in another, others have started charging a drop fee. By going to the websites, you’ll be able to see the total price. Both of these companies are headquartered in the “other” Portland, the one in Maine, and have great customer service. For rentals in Italy, choose the €0 deductible insurance package and don’t forget you’ll need an international driving permit."

I will start looking at prices and whatnot with both of those companies. Thanks for the recommendations! You are not the only person to suggest the €0 deductible, so will add that for sure. Plus, I added a note to my spreadsheet to get the IDP before I leave! Thanks again for your very helpful input!!

Dear Robert,

"We've had good luck booking thru AutoEurope for our own trips, most recently in Italy last year - collected the car in Pisa, drove around Tuscany for a couple of weeks, and returned the vehicle in Florence without too much drama. The particular company we wound up using was Hertz which has several locations on the periphery of Florence ... well away from the ZTL zones. As I recall there was a one-way drop charge assessed but it was only around 40 Euros or so - worth it for us.
Might add that there are other options for dropping the car if the thought of going anywhere near the Florence metro area is a daunting prospect. There's a convenient Hertz location in Siena, for example, that's only a couple of blocks from the train station, from which it's an easy trip to Florence SMN, which is where you'd transfer to your train to Venice anyway.
I too would suggest opting for the zero deductible cover just for the peace of mind.
If you're not already aware, the default rental in Italy is a manual transmission. If you require an automatic you'll need to specify that at booking. It'll cost more but will be much less of a hassle unless you're already quite comfortable driving a manual shifter."

I like the Hertz option as the return place in Venice looks convenient and easy to find. :) I think the 40 Euro is reasonable as it would cost me more to return the car back to Rome (or Florence) and take a train. I don't know why I didn't think of just driving to Venice in the first place! Derp. That will give me the freedom to stop for a lunch somewhere before I get to Venice and take a few more phtotos of the countryside as well. Grew up on manual, so not a problem there, but so many today don't know how, so don't stop including that in your future replies to folks with car questions! :) Again, thank you for taking the time to reply and help me out with my myriad of questions as I plan my trip!

Dear N_Kingdom,
Thanks for all your helpful replies to my questions! My comments in bold....

We arrange our cars by calling up the broker Autoeurope [having the use of a toll feee number]; get zero- deductible collision, which covers any damage to the body of the vehicle. Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; never leave anything of value in a vehicle when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

Definitely will add the dedectible insurance for sure! Thanks! I'll take a peek at the blog here in a bit!

Note that "2 days touring" yields only one full day.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but part of my thinking is the driving IS part of the touring. I plan to stop when I see a photo that needs to be taken and the journey there is counted as part of my day, if that makes sense.

"Since I'm heading to Venice from there by train, I'd like to save time by dropping the car off in Florence. "

Driving to Piazzale Roma in Venice and dumping the car there from [e.g.] Southern Tuscany will take around 4.5 hours. By Comparison, driving to Florence [1.5 hours], transport after returning the car [?], taking the next train, at the station 15 minutes ahead [minimum2.50]. So no real saving of time and a lot less effort. Going to Siena would be even worse. However this is how you'd proceed:

Because of your answer, I have decided to change my plan and simply keep the car and drive to Venice on Day 3. That way I can see more of the countryside at my own pace and stop for photos as I want. Also, I can grab some lunch along the way before arrriving in Venice. As you pointed out, it will also save a bunch of time and hassle of making connections. I'm going to add my preliminary itinerary in a separate post, after replies. But I think I can arrive in Venice from Pistoia by noon with a quick lunch stop and a few photos along the way. Assuming I drop the car off and then get a vaporetto to my B&B I can be in the city by 2:00. I realize that is optomistic, but that's the plan anyway.

Dear rizell,

"Agree that best way is to take train to Florence or Siena and rent car from there. You can then return at same pick up point, eliminating one way charges and lots of unnecessary driving."

I think after seeing a few more replies, I will drive as I hope to make a stop in Montepulciano and photograph there. I like the idea of being able to stop along the way as I come across interesting sights and just skip trains altogether which can eat up time as someone pointed out. If I drive all the way to Venice, I'll still have the one-way drop fee, but it wouldn't amount to much more given I'd pay that and more in train fares and lost time.

Philip (apologies, spelled your name wrong in prior reply!),

"Just a heads up. You do not have to join AAA to get the permit - just go to their office with 2 passport photos. Another consideration is to go to Pisa for car return. Train trip is only an hour to Florence and you don’t have to change trains."

Even better! (although I still might join as I have no roadside with my current policy)

Your info was super helpful! I'd have totally forgotten the passport photos for sure. LOL! I'm a seasoned traveler, but good reminders are always so helpful!

Dear geovagriffith,

"I drove in Italy back in the late 80s when we lived in Germany. Gas is very expensive and the tolls on the autostrada are outrageous.

We have done more than a few trips to Italy where we took the trains. I highly recommend this option.
Many people driving rental cars in Italy get home and later get outrageous traffic tickets. One poster on this forum got a speeding ticket for going the equivalent of 2 MPH over the speed limit. Parking is a royal pain in Italian cities.

If you want to visit Siena or Pisa, suggest taking the train to Florence and take a tour or train to cities in Tuscany."

Thanks for the heads up on the tolls and gas! I'll factor those into expenses and do some research on prices! I'm still looking for a good road map that tells me exactly WHERE the tolls are and how much. I definitely don't want to see a ticket for sure, so will be sure to be a conservative driver and go well under the speed limits. :) I know trains can be very convenient and a good option, but since one of my main motivators is photography, I want the freedom to stop along the way as fancy strikes me and get out, and do some of that.

Robert,

"Another thought as it occurs to me: if you'll be collecting the car at Civitavecchia it's a fairly straightforward shot from there up to the very pretty hill town of Montepulciano. From there you can drive the scenic route thru the Val D'Orcia, meandering from one hill town to the another at your leisure. The RS guide for Italy contains a very good map of the loop drive thru the area - it's the one we used on our own trip last year.
Another scenic drive is the Chiantigiana (SR222) that basically connects Siena with Florence thru the Chianti wine region ... another beautiful scenic drive if you have the time and the interest. It's made to order for a full day's meander with lots of inviting little places to stop for lunch or just to walk about.
Parking can indeed be a challenge in or near some of the old hilltop villages. One tip I'll offer from our own trip last year: in Siena there's underground parking right in front of the train station. It was suggested to us by another forum poster and turned out to be a great option. Costs 2 Euros per day and we never had any issues finding an empty spot during a 5 day visit last May. That said, others have reported that parking fills up in a hurry on market or festival days so do be aware of that.
I agree that if your only interest is visiting the cities that the train is the way to go. If you want to get off the beaten path and see some of countryside at your own pace then a car is preferred. Others here have posted horror stories about speeding tickets and ZTL fines, but we passed thru unscathed last year on our own 2 week driving adventure, which we highly recommend."

Unfortunately, because of a tip from someone else (not here) I am unable to pick the car up from Civitavecchia as it's closed on Sundays- that's the day my cruise ends. :( So, it's Rome. Such a bummer!

But, because of your post and suggestion, I have changed my plan from first visiting Pitiglilano to Montepuliciano instead. It's less off the way, but looks just as scenic from the images I've seen. I'm going to post the circuit/route I've settled on in the comments below as a separate post. I've chosen it for a few reasons, but Collodi is something I reallly want to see. I'm a big Disney fan and the Pinocchio Park/Museum is something that interests me. From that region I will do a one-day driving tour near Pisa. I've seen Pisa so that's not something I'm needing to do again.

Thanks for the tips on parking. I'd heard that as well, and will just have to use a lot of extra patience as I tour around. That for sure is one downside to having a car, but worth the hassle for the payoff of being master of your own schedule.

Thanks again!!

Liesa

Dear Paul,

"First, when you say "two days" are you talking leave Rome the morning of Day 1, spend 1 night someplace, then get to Venice Day 2? or are you planning 2 nights? 3 nights with two uninterrupted days? makes a big difference.

If you really do not have much time, might be best just to pick a town, get there and enjoy that, likely using Public Transport.

Other options are to pick a town, get there and rent a car locally for your 1-2 days. This could be Sienna, but also a town on the Main rail line, maybe Chuisi or Arezzo"

I'll post my "Tuscany Portion" in the next post, but yes, Leaving Rome is Day 1. Venice is Day 3 (see next post)

Thanks for replying for sure, maybe you'll have more thoughts after looking at my plan as it stands. :)

Okay, some of you have asked about my itinerary for the Tuscany Portion of my trip. It seems to change a lot as I continue to learn more, but I'm pretty set now on where it is at the moment. I've made some changes because of your (collective) very helpful tips, hints and suggestions. :)

Day 1-

7:00AM- Shuttle from Civitavecchia to FCO to rent car. (Cannot pick up car in Civitavecchia as rental place isn't open on Sundays)
8:00AM- Rent car and start drive to Montepulciano
Drive time roughly 2.5 hours according to Google Maps; I assume there will be stops along the way for photos. So adding another 30 minutes to arrive in Montepulciano.
11:00AM- Arrive in Montepulciano; find coffee, wander, photograph
1:00PM- Depart Montepulciano, and drive to Collodi
Drive time 2 hours according to Google Maps. Again, assume there will be photos along the way. Will plan to grab lunch somewhere along the way, not sure if I want to venture into Siena proper?
4:00- Arrive in Collodi and check into B&B, Siesta, short walk, relax, breathe.
7:00PM- Dinner

Day 2-
6:00AM- Wake up, coffee and breakfast
7:00AM- Pack up, Begin walking tour of Collodi
9:00AM- Pinocchioo Park opens, explore until 11:00AM
11:00AM- Depart for San Guilliano Terme, soak in hot pools
1:30PM- Drive to La Pieve, walk, explore, photograph, visit church, have lunch
3:00PM- Drive to Altapacio, wander
4:00PM- Drive to Manosummano Terme and check into B&B- total driving time only according to Google Maps for route is 2.5 hours. After a rest, drive to Pistoia, explore, photograph until dinner in Pistoia at 7:00PM

Day 3-
5:00AM- Wake up, have coffee, pack up, depart for Venice; drive time is 4 hrs
2:00PM- Arrive in Venice having added a bunch of time for stops to take photos, lunch, etc...
3:00PM- Return car, take Vaporetto to B&B in the city, continue on with Venice Portion of the trip...

Looks like a nicely organized itinerary, but bear with me if I offer a couple of suggestions:
There are several pretty little towns between Florence and Pisa, but in our opinion there are better choices than Pistoia. You might consider Lucca instead. The old medieval wall that circles the town is the main attraction - makes for a very pleasant stroll or bike ride, and there are too many great restaurants to count. It was one of my wife's favorites from our own trip last year, in fact we carved out a couple of nights from our time in Florence in order to spend extra time there. It really is terrific - lots of great photo ops too.
I think you may be setting yourself for a long and tiring day if you elect to drive all the way to Venice. As others here have opined, if you're just connecting cities in Italy then the train is the way to go. A car is great for off the beaten path meanders around Tuscany or Chianti but they frankly become a nuisance if you just want to transit between the larger cities. Better (IMO) to drop the car near Florence and train from there. Would be a much more pleasant journey, and you could break it up with a stop in the very pretty town of Padua along the way.
Pisa would be a good option - the car rental location for your dropoff is easily accessed and is located only a short walk from the train station and the one hour trip to Florence. With an early start you could visit the Campo Santo and take your photos of the Leaning Tower before the tourist hordes start to show up later in the morning. Would make for a much more relaxing and generally pleasant day for you rather than gutting it out on the Autostrada. Just my 2 cents.

Just a heads-up, new stories just coming out about Hertz missing a bank payment and preparing for Bankruptcy. Google "hertz bankruptcy" for more. Here's the top link from Google:

www.wsj.com › articles › hertz-misses-lease-payment-pre...
1 day ago - Hertz Global Holdings is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing after the rental-car company failed to make lease payments to preserve cash ...

Hello, Robert,

"Just a heads-up, new stories just coming out about Hertz missing a bank payment and preparing for Bankruptcy. Google "hertz bankruptcy" for more. Here's the top link from Google:

www.wsj.com › articles › hertz-misses-lease-payment-pre...
1 day ago - Hertz Global Holdings is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing after the rental-car company failed to make lease payments to preserve cash ..."

Good, but disturbing informataion. I hadn't heard. I fear we are going to read many more stories like this coming up- ones that are going to make travel difficult and frustrating for perhaps years to come. Thanks for the heads up!!

Liesa

"
Colorado Springs, CO
04/30/20 07:03 AM
1678 posts
Report
Looks like a nicely organized itinerary, but bear with me if I offer a couple of suggestions:
There are several pretty little towns between Florence and Pisa, but in our opinion there are better choices than Pistoia. You might consider Lucca instead. The old medieval wall that circles the town is the main attraction - makes for a very pleasant stroll or bike ride, and there are too many great restaurants to count. It was one of my wife's favorites from our own trip last year, in fact we carved out a couple of nights from our time in Florence in order to spend extra time there. It really is terrific - lots of great photo ops too.
I think you may be setting yourself for a long and tiring day if you elect to drive all the way to Venice. As others here have opined, if you're just connecting cities in Italy then the train is the way to go. A car is great for off the beaten path meanders around Tuscany or Chianti but they frankly become a nuisance if you just want to transit between the larger cities. Better (IMO) to drop the car near Florence and train from there. Would be a much more pleasant journey, and you could break it up with a stop in the very pretty town of Padua along the way.
Pisa would be a good option - the car rental location for your dropoff is easily accessed and is located only a short walk from the train station and the one hour trip to Florence. With an early start you could visit the Campo Santo and take your photos of the Leaning Tower before the tourist hordes start to show up later in the morning. Would make for a much more relaxing and generally pleasant day for you rather than gutting it out on the Autostrada. Just my 2 cents."

Thanks again for the input, Lucca would be easy to add as it's right on my way to the hot pools at San Guilliarmi Terme.

The drive will be from Pistoia on DAY 3 and is listed in Google maps as only a 3.5 hr drive. If I leave at 6:00 or 7:00AM, plan on my several photos stops along the way, even lunch, I'd stilll get to my B&B by 4:00 or so. With the news of Hertz now, though I may have no choice at all and do as you suggest and take the train including a stop for lunch along the way. Regardless, having the control over my own timetable with ability to pull over and photograph wherever the mood struck is certainly alluring. :)

Note that leaving anything of value in a car when parked is risky. Better to drive to a hotel and drop off bags before doing any sightseeing. Regarding Monyepulciano, IMO the best hotel is the Locanda San Francisco, right up the street from Piazza Grande [and 3 good restaurants] and by the exit road; very comfortable with parking on site. All seven rooms n=have views of the valley.

"
04/30/20 06:57 PM
512 posts

"Note that leaving anything of value in a car when parked is risky. Better to drive to a hotel and drop off bags before doing any sightseeing. Regarding Monyepulciano, IMO the best hotel is the Locanda San Francisco, right up the street from Piazza Grande [and 3 good restaurants] and by the exit road; very comfortable with parking on site. All seven rooms n=have views of the valley."

Thanks for the tips!! I'm getting such great information here! :)

steppesister, notwithstanding what others keep on repeating (it seems scaring is easier than checking, for mysterious reasons), by law there is a leeway of 5 kms per hour or 5 % of the posted limit. Rest assured that nobody has ever been fined "for going the equivalent of 2 MPH over the speed limit".

On the other hand, there are 3 speed traps on the causeway between Piazzale Roma in Venice and Mestre. You can see them ln google street view. Since it's the only causeway connecting the mainland and the "floating" district, the posted limit is only 70 kmh even if it's a 4 lanes straight road. In brief, someone Driving at 76 all along the causeway would receive 3 fines in a row.

Re the Locanda San Francisco, while we use booking.com for all of our reservations, there are pictures of every room on hotels.com.