Rental Car and "Urban Access/Restricted Traffic Zones/ZTL;...

are you planning on driving in that order the whole way, in a Belgian rental?

Both of your German cities (you won't stop between Köln and München?) require at least a green Umweltplakette as you approach the city.

Many French cities require at least a yellow Crit Aire sticker near the cities.

It is unlikely that a rental will have those.

Virtually all Italian cities have ZTL areas, Florence is notorious for them.

If you rent a car in France it will have the French Crit Aire. Likewise, a German rental will have the appropriate Umweltplakette. Take them across borders and you must be really really careful.

I drive my own car from England and the windscreen looks like a rallye car with the decals and stickers. I have French, German, Austrian and Swiss stickers, all required.

Swell. I had not heard of these stickers and each country having their own. This makes it like the bad ole days before the EU when we had to stop at borders. Yes, I hoped to keep the rental from NL (AMS) to departure at CDG. I left out Heidelberg in GE and we'd have to cross Austria or Switzerland too into Italy. People don't rent cars any more and use them in others? Thanks for the input. Better to figure this out now than later.

And you also need vignettes for Austria and Switzerland.

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Italy+traffic+ticket&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Italy's ZTL's and subsequent fines are notorious, and you may not receive the ticket for 6-9 months after you have returned home. Each time the camera catches you speeding or in a ZTL, you receive a separate ticket. There was an extended discussion here regarding Italian towns using this ticketing process as an atm - revenue is significant.
Good luck!

When OP mentioned a 30 - 45 day rental period, it brought car leasing to mind. One advantage is that it solves the crossing border issue, since it's "your" car.

Here's an example from Auto Europe: https://www.autoeurope.com/renault-eurodrive/

The various emission and access stickers is yet another issue - maybe Auto Europe has answers regarding those as well.

Thanks all. Very much appreciated. I have now watched 10+ You Tubes on car rentals in Europe and not one has mentioned this. I've surfed a little and get no hits on this. Steve's latest "Backdoor" guide doesn't mention it. Unless I'm missing something, this is a big deal for travelers who want to tour several countries by car, and from You Tube videos, lots of people do. RS even talks about it being a good alternative. One video was about leasing for 40+ days in Spain, Italy, and France with Travel-TT and no mention. One Australian mentioned vignettes in Austria and Switzerland but for tolls, not city access.

I would think that there must be some way that rental companies handle this, but we'll see as others chime in. Thanks again.

Useful sources of information in English can be found at the AA and RAC websites. These are British motoring organisations and give a country by country guide to the rules and regulations for driving in Europe.

I have now watched 10+ You Tubes on car rentals in Europe and not
onehas mentioned this. I've surfed a little and get no hits on
this. Steve's latest "Backdoor" guide doesn't mention it..... I would think that there must be some way that rental companies handle this.

.

Belique, it's not exactly clear what "this" or "it" you're referencing. Emission and access stickers? Italian ZTLs? All of it?

We’ve rented cars in Europe for 20+ years and it has certainly become more and more challenging. The environmental restrictions are the most recent hurdle. Our last trip was 3 weeks in June. We were 6 people in a van, and it saved us a lot of money, but caused some big headaches also. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-weeks-6-people-and-a-full-size-van-oh-dear

You mention flexibility. Our experience has become that a car really presents more of a burden than it offers flexibility. I would look at your itinerary closely and determine where a car is really needed (Normandy) and where it will just sit in a very expensive parking lot the whole time (Rome, Florence). Consider renting a car only for portions of the trip, and preferably within the same country to avoid enormous one way rental fees.

I would think that there must be some way that rental companies handle
this

No, it's the driver's responsibility to know and follow the laws.

In general, there are tolls. Some countries use a vignette, in others you pay per km driven. Then there are environmental regulations. Many cities are banning older cars so you need a sticker to show that your car is allowed there. There is no EU-standard sticker so all countries have their own system. In addition, more and more towns and cities are restricting and banning cars in different ways.

I would think that there must be some way that rental companies handle this, but we'll see as others chime in.

They handle it by telling the authorities who rented the car and giving them your address to send you the bill.

Markcw: I've asked them. Good suggestion.

Kathy: yes. Exactly what you wrote. Thanks.

Travel4fun: what a great story!. Good points on train vs car especially in NL and BE. Looking like thats what we'll have to do. Thanks.

Finally figured out the terminology to use for a Google search on the topic and have it figured out.thanks to your inputs and the additional reading. For others who have the same questions, searches that worked for me include: LEZ for France; Europe Environmental Zones; Environmental Sticker; Green Zones; ZTL for Italy. There is a good YouTube on Vignettes for CH and AU. Thanks all.

If RS staff reading, suggest a blurb on this topic in the books. But maybe it is in the country specific, but all I have now is Back Door. Waiting on the new ones next year.