Car Rental

Katie, A few points to mention regarding driving in the countries you mentioned.... One important point to note is that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some case is offered at the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information. You may also want to have a look at some of the other posts here concerning the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent on many Italian towns & cities. EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. The IDP would be a good idea in Spain also, even if it's not compulsory. If your route will take you through Switzerland, be sure you have the Highway Tax decal, as you'll face heft fines if caught without it. Happy travels!

Katie - for that long of a car rental, I'd definitely look into a lease-buyback instead of a rental. Both Renault & Peugeot offer these programs, and they work great. You get full insurance coverage, a new car, 24/7 roadside assistance, and you usually save considerable money vs a rental. They do have only a few pickup/dropoff locations in Spain & Italy - in the major cities. Here are their websites: www.renaultusa.com www.peugeot-openeurope.com/lang=en/

Thank you so much. This is really helpful.

One other thing - if you are planning on renting a car in one country and dropping it off in another, check into the drop fees. They can be huge. If you don't lease, you might consider dropping your Spanish rental before you cross into France, then re-rent.

I leased through AutoEurope (www.autoeurope.com). It was very easy. I have also rented several times through them. When you lease you get a Peugeot. When you rent they act as a consolidator and will find you the best deals with Hertz, Avis, etc. With the lease you will pay an additional charge if you pick up and/or drop off outside of France. If you rent you will also have a big drop charge to rent in one country and return in another. I believe that with a lease the longer you have the car, the less per day you pay. Either way, get the smallest car you can get away with. Not only will it cost less, but will be easier to park and navigate on the tiny roads. Who will you be traveling with? One big advantage of the lease, in addition to full insurance, etc., is that there is no extra charge for extra drivers as long as they are related to you. For a rental they wanted to charge us around 20 euros a day for an extra driver. There was no way we were paying that, but I had to do all the driving myself. I recommend either taking a GPS with you or renting/leasing a car with one. For the period of time you will be driving there it would probably be less costly to buy one here with European maps or get the European chip.

You ain't going to like it, but the least expensive way is going to be is to make a big loop and get the car back to Spain - - even if takes an extra day or two. Or maybe the drive back could be part of the trip (but a direct shot doesn't go through any significant wine regions). Florence to Barcelona is a mean day's drive. Florence to Madrid will take two unless you drive in shifts.

According to their website, Renault Eurodrive's dropoff fee in Italy is $300. Hardly worth spending 2 days driving back to Spain to avoid. Also, CDW is not an issue with a lease. You're already fully insured.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful and very helpful suggestions!