My adult daughter and I wanted to avoid driving in Italy altogether. But we will be at an Agriturismo for 4 nights 8 km from Florence and it seems the only way to explore the surrounding countryside is to rent a car. To avoid driving in Florence proper, we have been advised to rent at the airport, which is outside of town. So:
-Recommendation for a particular rental company at the airport?
-I haven't driven a standard transmission for decades. To reduce stress, should I just pop for the automatic, or is driving a stick like riding a bicycle in that the skill comes right back?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15255 posts
I generally use a consolidator, such as
www.autoeurope.com
www.kemwel.com
They are now part of the same corporate group, but check both. They generally work with the major companies, like Europcar, Hertz, Avis Budget. In my experience the better deals are with Europcar or Hertz, but check yourself for your specific dates.
All the above mentioned rental companies have a downtown office on Via Borgo Ognissanti, near the train station. Getting out of there is easy and you don't get zapped by the ZTL cameras when you exit the city center.
All of Hertz also has a facility on Via Del Bronzino and Europcar has one on Via Forlanini. Both are away from the city center and the ZTL. So there is really no need to go all the way to the airport which costs a bit more due to airport taxes.
You can book an automatic if you want. They generally don't come in the Economy size category, but it is an option you can have if you choose a compact or larger. Make sure you specify it.
I don't know if driving a manual comes back like riding a bike. My household cars in the US are all manual, but when I rent one in the US it is always automatic and I don't have a problem switching back and forth.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15255 posts
You have a duplicate post. You should delete the other one.
Posted by
871 posts
I suggest you get your car through Autoeurope, and if you have access to their toll free number, use that. They will suggest the best company for the type vehicle you are seeking.
At the Florence airport, all the agencies are at a big complex at Via Palagio degli Spini, about 5 minutes away – Coordinates GPS N43[degrees]48’00” / E11[degrees]11’48”. From the SM Novella station you can take a cab there directly, or a shuttle to the airport. At the airport you take another shuttle, which leaves from the left side of the little building right across from the terminal.
Returning the car, the entrance is difficult to see as it's in the shadow of a raised motorway on a one way street. Type “Via Palagio degli Spini, Florence, Province of Florence, Italy” into Google maps and drop the yellow man on this location (the “A” sticker) to bring up the Google ‘street view’ for a visual representation that will help you recognize the turn off.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11229 posts
When I had a rental in Italy I chose an automatic. "re-learning" stick shift on winding hilly Italian roads seemed a bad idea.
I got my car from Hertz and at the time the AT car was cheaper than the stick. Not sure if I stumbled upon a happy aberration or if the European mind set seems to be for stick shift, means the AT cars are some times a "surplus" item that the Europeans do not want, so are sometimes a bargain.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Grazie to Roberto, Joe and rzolezzi for the helpful input. Prioritizing stress reduction above all, I booked an automatic through Hertz at a AAA rate. Since it's just a 4-day rental, and before summer, the cost was reasonable.