Traveling by Rental Car in Italy

We took a rental car from the toe, not heel of the “boot” and dropped it off in Sorrento. We took the Circumvesuviana train to visit Pompeii ruins, but not the modern city of Pompei. We took the train to Rome. Are you staying around Pompeii for a while, or heading to Rome the same day? How many rental companies have you checked? Europcar? Maybe there’s one that does have a return office there. Otherwise, any place with a good-sized airport should have a car return option, but that may or may not complicate your train connections to Rome. Best of luck, and hope you all have a great journey!

Sorrento or Naples have rental offices. Pompeii is half way between the two.

Consider Salerno. From there you can take a Trenitalia train to modern Pompeii, then a short taxi ride to the sight. Or maybe drive to Pompeii with the luggage stored in the car, then drive back to Salerno and take a fast train straight to Rome, instead of having to take the local Circumvesuviana train to Naples and then a fast train to Rome.

sarah,

A couple of points to mention.....

Note that you'll need an International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You'll also have to be extremely careful to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) zones which exist in many towns, as there are hefty fines for each pass through them.

I once drove in Italy, decades ago, but not now. Fines, Fines, Fines.

Minimize your driving as much as possible and learn to use the trains. Rental cars will rack up $$$ in tolls, petrol, parking, ztl infractions, they’re basically a pain in the rear.

Where you drop off your car may depend on what day you are dropping the car off. We are renting at Naples airport on a Saturday to drive to Calabria. It ‘s just an overnight trip. We are returning the car on Sunday at the Naples airport. This was not my first or even second choice but the only (Hertz) agency that could accommodate our Sunday drop off. Many close on Sunday or close early.

Google Maps also shows a Hertz location at Pompei city train station. It's not reflected on AutoEurope (as the Hertz office in Orvieto also is not), so try directly with Hertz.

Thank you everyone for all your feedback!
All very helpful!

Thank you!
Sarah