Hi. Should I pre reserve an auto for 2.5 weeks in Italy? Pick up in Venice and drop off in Rome. Any advice would be great. Thx J
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
You could if you want something special . . . and hope that you get it. Or want your hand held as some people do. Or want to agonize over it. I usually do mine at the departure gate to kill time. The price is about (to either side) what I'd expected. I only rent a couple dozen cars a year, so my experience is rather limited.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16061 posts
Yes. Search from home online and you'll save. If you walk in when you are there the prices will be exorbitant. check http://www.autoeurope.com/
or any other website In Venice rent from the city offices (in Piazzale Roma) not from the airport. It's generally cheaper that way. You can return the car anywhere in Italy with no drop off charges.
Posted by
Beverly Hills, MI
813 posts
The better prices will be if you reserve before you leave. If you need anything special like an automatic transmission you absolutely should reserve ahead. Automatics are rare in Europe and if you do a walk up, they will rent you whatever they have which will most likely be bigger and much more expensive. In 2004, I reserved from Hertz and when we got to Frankfurt, they did not have a compact automatic available and they ended up giving us a free upgrade to a mid-size diesel automatic. It broke the rental guy's heart but we had a reservation and my wife stood her ground.