The aged old insurance question for rental cars

Why don't you check with Hertz.com and/or AutoEurope.com--my preferred rental sources? Pick the lesser of the two in cost.
In Italy, optional insurance is required by governmental regulations. The good news is that the coverage is less expensive than in many other places--including the U.S. AutoEurope is a well regarded consolidator based out of New England.
Where the rental companies stick it to you is in a personal property theft coverage which covers luggage if it happens to be stolen from the car. Since most renters' homeowners coverage back home covers such things, it's essentially a rip off. I declined that coverage last time I rented a car in Florence.at Hertz.

If you are going to look at AutoEurope, which is a consolidator, also look at Kemwel. They are now owned by the same parent company, but can have different prices. For three cases I personally know of for Italy, Kemwel had a MUCH lower price each of the three times.

AutoEurope is not selling their own insurance; they are passing on offers from the car rental agency. That's what this note means, even if a few more words might make it read more clearly: Auto Europe's car rental packages include third-party insurance coverage and optional liability waivers provided by our rental partners.

Note the deductible associated with any insurance. If it's still a $1000 deductible, the agent will try to sell you additional coverage at pick-up. If you want zero-deductible, it's usually cheaper to choose that option at the time of booking.

I use Expedia.co.uk. exclusively when renting off-shore. Basic Insurance is included, however Super CDW is not; I highly recommend you add this in the EU.

Before you rent that car and all of its ensuing baggage...be sure that you really need it. Train travel is so much simpler and worry free in Italy than rental vehicles.

I think using a third party, either Expedia or AutoEurope, is a bad idea. Then there's just finger pointing when things go wrong.

Just the opposite, at least with respect to AutoEurope. On several occasions they have intervened when the rental agency wouldn't respond or wouldn't help. Same with Kemwel, which is essentially the same company. Much better to go through them rather than directly through the rental company. It's just the opposite from airline tickets.

I always book through AutoEurope, they charge in advance but refund readily if you cancel. Not sure, but I think a refund might be harder with Expedia. Deductibles on standard CDW tend to be really high (~1500 Euros), consider super CDW. I have used credit card coverage (AMEX Premium) on several trips but I am not so sure I will do so in the future. Problem is, AMEX only charges the premium when they see a charge on your card from a rental company, and a consolidator is not a rental company. So you have to call them and ask them to charge the premium, which can take a month. If you have not paid the premium before picking up the car, it just feels like they have too much of an out if you have a claim. The more experienced I get as a traveler, the more I look for ways not to rent a car.

All I can do is share my most recent experience when it comes to renting a vehicle in Europe, let alone driving there. My wife, eldest daughter and I just returned from a two week visit to Poland and the Czech Republic. Although we lived in Germany for five years many years ago (Cold War) and our daughter speaks Polish, the rules of the "rental" road can be most complicated to navigate. At best, you will be up-sold at the point-of-rental counter on coverage you do not need or, at worst, you may be exposed to liabilities unawares. Fortunately, my wife thoroughly researched all of our options online months before our departure. I can save you hours of research, email exchanges and phone calls with one website: http://www.gemut.com. Consequently, we enjoyed a turnkey process and peace of mind protection (yes, Europeans drive fast, pass on blind curves and have narrow urban streets jammed with autos wedged into impossibly tight spaces) had we suffered a collision or even auto theft. In the process, the experts at Gemut.com uncovered important exclusions in the USAA auto insurance coverage we have had continuously since 1984. And I love USAA. As an attorney, that got my attention and the advice of Gemut.com was spot on. We had exactly the protection we needed and nothing we did not need. Bottom line: I will go with Gemut.com again on our next excursion to Europe and would give them a "six star" rating if not limited to five stars.