Italy Car rental.

Check Europcar's website. On our trip to Italy, the return location in Florence was very close to the city center, and it was stressful. With that in mind consider your pick up location. I would also suggest that you closely document the vehicle during pick up and take photos of the car. When we returned ours, they tried to charge us for "damages".

I use AutoEurope to see the various options. You should be able to rent in one city and return in another. Get the zero deductible insurance. You’ll be happy when you see how narrow the streets are.

hey hey alkimhealy
check the sites posters have listed. read all the possibilities that are offered of what meets your criteria. what size, automatic/manual,
doors, insurance, take pictures before and after returning (no surprises). when is this trip?
read up about laws/rules to rent & drive the roads, IDP (aaa.com/IDP) is mandatory to drive in italy. some rental agencies may ask some may not but if stopped by "cops" for any reason you will need to show it or get a big fine.
do you have parking at your accomodations, is there a charge, if not how far do you walk with luggage from parking garage?
also look if there is a drop-off fee to return to another location and especially check days/times the rentals are opened and closed,
many close at noon and closed on sundays. have a great trip & enjoy, aloha
GO NINERS

My husband and I have rented a car from Europcar in Italy twice and in France once. Prices were quite reasonable but leaving from Florence at 5 was a nightmare with all the traffic. We had just missed the lunch closure and so had to wait until 4:00. The last time we were looking for a car in France, my girlfriend suggested Costco. Best price of any of the companies and best service. You just need your Costco membership card to get the member's only price. As for insurance, we found that our credit cards
covered everything. There was no need for us to buy extra. Check out your options. You want to be sure of what you are covered for.

Happy driving. Tuscany is beautiful with a vehicle so you can explore wherever your heart takes you.

Wanda

Depending on your Nationality you'd need an IDP.
Do you know all the different traffic-rules in Italy, esp. the ZTL's?? Otherwise it could be a really expensive experience. Italiens traffic-tickets are very high.

www.autoeurope.com
A broker that works with all major companies (Hertz, Europcar, Avis, etc.)

select following:
Pick Up location: FLORENCE ALL LOCATIONS
Drop off location: LA SPEZIA ALL LOCATIONS
Most companies generally a drop off fee of 15€ for in country one way.
Once you select the car and the exact pick up spot in Florence, the AutoEurope website will give you the insurance coverage option. There are basically 3 coverage options you can select:

BASIC PLUS (zero extra cost).
This option covers only
-Liability,
-Fire,
-Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), and
-Theft protection (TP)

PARTIAL PROTECTION ($3.66/day extra)
In addition to the Basic Plus coverage items, this option gives also a Refundable Deductible (aka refundable excess)

FULL PROTECTION ($10.88/day extra)
This option covers everything included in the Partial Protection, but also adds the following items:
-Wheels, Glass, Roof, and Undercarriage Damage Coverage
-Windscreen, Mirrors, External Lights and Lamps
-Roadside Repairs and Towing costs
-Key Cover and Lock out

You cannot decline the BASIC PLUS (it's included anyhow), but if you don't want the higher protection make sure your credit card covers you in case of damage, because the deductible is stiff and certain parts are not covered by the Basic (like undercarriage, glass, etc.)

Most rental offices in La Spezia are near the cruise port and are open Mon-Sat, but Saturday they stay open only until midday. On all other weekdays they also observe a lunch break of a couple of hours or so.