Do Not Want to Rent a Car in Italy

[brett]

We typically do one way rentals. Pick up in Toledo, drop in Seville. Pick up in Faro, drop as we enter Lisbon. Pick up as we leave Florence, drop off in Venice right after crossing the bridge.

Last place we want a car is in the city. Any city.

I do not want to pay for parking and for a per diem rental when we will be in the city for three, four, or more days while the cars stays parked.

Autoeurope is good for one ways especially in Italy where we have found the one way surcharges to be negligible.

 

[audreyh1]

Right, that’s how I would do it. Haven’t rented in Europe yet. Had it all set up for Madrid airport to Segovia, San Idelfonso and back, but unfortunately that part of the trip had to be canceled.

 

[NW-Bound]

We typically do one way rentals. Pick up in Toledo, drop in Seville. Pick up in Faro, drop as we enter Lisbon. Pick up as we leave Florence, drop off in Venice right after crossing the bridge.

Last place we want a car is in the city. Any city.

I do not want to pay for parking and for a per diem rental when we will be in the city for three, four, or more days while the cars stays parked.

Autoeurope is good for one ways especially in Italy where we have found the one way surcharges to be negligible.

I have not done short-term or one-way rental. I want to keep the same car for the entire 5-6 week trip. This makes the planning more strenuous. Can't just drive around haphazardly in Europe without knowing where you can park.

When in cities, I mostly parked it for the stay, and took public transportation. An exception was when in Lisbon, I debated with myself for a long time, before deciding to drive myself to Sintra. I started the drive early at 5AM to beat the crowd, and that worked out way better than expected. This was during the May Day holiday too, and the lines of people waiting at bus and train stations were horrible. Lucky me! I saw this as I drove around later.

PS. The parking lot for personal cars near Sintra Castle was free! And I was the 1st one in. Heh heh heh... The early bird got parking. The lazy ones got to drive around and around in vain.

 

[tulak]

4. In Italy in particular, you have to be observant of Zona Traffica Limitada or ZTL. Towns designate centers as ZTLs so if you drive in, you may be subject to hefty fines. Some of the bigger cities like Florence have cameras which take pictures of every car and its license plate if you cross into some ZTL border.



Then they send the bill to the rental car office, which forwards it to you along with their own administrative fees. They have international collection agencies.

I was fined from a trip to Florence last year. It took them about 8 months to track me down. I was expecting it, since after a few months I had a charge from the rental car agency and then a few months later the ticket from Florence for the infraction. About 70 Euros for the ticket, plus around $30 for the rental agency fee.

I wasn’t aware of ZTLs, but I’ll definitely pay more attention in the future. This one happened while I was driving to the center of Florence to return the car. Otherwise I try to avoid driving in the center of cities.

After a few decades of driving in Europe, this is the first ticket I’ve ever gotten. As for insurance, I had a claim for a broken window a couple of years ago. I filed the claim with Chase online and was fully reimbursed with no issues. It was easy. I use my Chase CC for primary car rental insurance everywhere I travel.

As for renting in Sicily, I did this a few years ago without any problems. Rented in Catania, drove south to Siracusa, and then inland to visit some smaller towns. Roads were fine and I don’t remember any difficulties.

I find that European drivers can be aggressive, but it’s not a big deal. You don’t have to drive aggressive. And most drivers on the road are fine, they’re just trying to get from point a to point b like everybody else. If you drive, know the rules of the road, do some pre-planning on the route, and feel free to take your time. And let the aggressive drivers pass.

 

[brett]

I have not done short-term or one-way rental. I want to keep the same car for the entire 5-6 week trip. This makes the planning more strenuous. Can't just drive around haphazardly in Europe without knowing where you can park.

When in cities, I mostly parked it for the stay, and took public transportation. An exception was when in Lisbon, I debated with myself for a long time, before deciding to drive myself to Sintra. I started the drive early at 5AM to beat the crowd, and that worked out way better than expected. This was during the May Day holiday too, and the lines of people waiting at bus and train stations were horrible. Lucky me! I saw this as I drove around later.

PS. The parking lot for personal cars near Sintra Castle was free! And I was the 1st one in. Heh heh heh... The early bird got parking. The lazy ones got to drive around and around in vain.

When I say short term rental it could be anything from 5-14 days. We have picked up a car in Orvieto (after being in Rome) and dropped it 10 or 12 days later in Florence. We will spend three or four days in Florence and perhaps do the short bus ride to Siena for a day or two. Then rent again for a week or more and drop the car off in Venice or in Ancona (ferry to Croatia). We do the same in other countries. We will rent for two weeks from Gold Coast to Sydney. Then pick up another car as we leave Sydney and head to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. Cannot imagine having a car parked in Sydney for 4 or 5 days, paying for parking and paying for car rental. Not to mention the hassle.

We do the same when we fly to Europe. We might fly in to Rome, Athens and fly home from London or Paris. We can always get LC air fares into London or Paris from most places in Europe. Last time we were in Greece it allowed us to tack on two weeks in Cyprus, then get a LC flight to London in order to pick up our flight home. We had no plans for those final two weeks other than knowing that it would be somewhere other than Greece. Or, we do one ways as we did to Portugal and islands. In to Madeira and home from Faro.

 

[NW-Bound]

I find that European drivers can be aggressive, but it’s not a big deal. You don’t have to drive aggressive. And most drivers on the road are fine, they’re just trying to get from point a to point b like everybody else. If you drive, know the rules of the road, do some pre-planning on the route, and feel free to take your time. And let the aggressive drivers pass.

Yes, very aggressive. But they are also very good drivers. On tortuous narrow mountain roads, they drove a lot faster than I did. Of course I was enjoying my time while they were locals and wanted to get somewhere fast, but even if I tried, I could not drive like them.

I usually let them pass whenever I could. Made life easier for everyone. One time, on a mountain road in northern Italy, think of the road through Yosemite, after I let a 2-ton commercial truck pass me, I told my wife I would try to keep up with this guy to see if I could do it. No, I could not. Maybe I could, but it would raise my BP too much.

By the way, roads in Europe are excellently maintained. Often smooth as silk. They are just narrow.

PS. Another time, I let a guy in a beat-up Fiat pass me. Holy molly, this guy was fast in the Fiat, while I drove this new modern plugin-hybrid.

 

[NW-Bound]

When I say short term rental it could be anything from 5-14 days. We have picked up a car in Orvieto (after being in Rome) and dropped it 10 or 12 days later in Florence. We will spend three or four days in Florence and perhaps do the short bus ride to Siena for a day or two. Then rent again for a week or more and drop the car off in Venice or in Ancona (ferry to Croatia). We do the same in other countries. We will rent for two weeks from Gold Coast to Sydney. Then pick up another car as we leave Sydney and head to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. Cannot imagine having a car parked in Sydney for 4 or 5 days, paying for parking and paying for car rental. Not to mention the hassle.

I will look to try the above next time. However, I usually looked for free parking, either at the Airbnb, or on the street or a free public park within walking distance of the lodging.

I have to balance the hassle of parking against the return and renting a different car, and also the public transportation to/from where I stayed.

Of course, if you stay at a place for 1-2 weeks, then it's different. My stays are usually no more than 4 nights. And I did use the car during the stay to make day trips, so it was worthwhile for me to keep it.

 

[brett]

Although we primarily use autoeurpe for car rentals in europe we found some better rates on some of our last Greek trip rentals.

autoeurope was great for 6 days in Corfu was not so great for 5 days in Ioannina. A local provider in Kefelonia recommended by tripadvisor posters was not only considerably less expensive but allowed up to pick up on one side of the island and drop at another with no charge. Budget direct was best for Cyprus in terms of price and offering.

It really pays to not only shop, but keep shopping after you have booked. Car rental rates can really fluctuate. Occasionally we have had the best rates through Aegean Airlines and Air Canada sites. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. The one exception....the auto club rates that we have looked at are always among the highest priced.

 

[cyber888]

If you are traveling in big Italian cities, public transport if fine.
However, if you are traveling in more rural places that have not much public transport, you may need to rent a car.
We're traveling to Amalfi next month and we'll be renting a car for 2 weeks. It's cheaper than Taxi or Uber.
I've read reviews of travelers spending 200 euros for a taxi and even 50 euros for a short distance. It could become very expensive, unless you are in big cities with trains and buses that take you from point A to B every 15-30 minutes.

 

[explanade]

Never driven in the Amalfi Coast.

That coastal road has a reputation plus those tiny towns have limited parking, if any at all.

If you want to stay near the centers, with restaurants within walking distance, probably hard to find places with parking.

There are hotels in between towns or say a mile or two outside of a town, maybe up in the hills. So a place like Ravello, though if you drive down to the coastal towns to ride a ferry or something, where would you park?

 

[Gumby]

When we went to that area, we took ferries and trains around the Bay of Naples and stayed in Naples itself, Capri and Sorrento. But we hired a driver and car to see the Amalfi Coast, which I highly recommend. Among the most important reasons was that it relieved me of the obligation to drive, which required careful attention to the twisty and narrow road full of switchbacks. I would not have been able to enjoy all the sights for which the area is justifiably famous. He also knew where exactly to stop and take the best photos, knew the best restaurant for lunch, and told us about the area while we were in the car. When we got to Ravello, Positano and Amalfi, he would park and wait while we explored the town on our own. When we were done with each, we went back to where he was parked and continued on. It was expensive, but worth every penny.

 

[OldShooter]

When we went to that area, we took ferries and trains around the Bay of Naples and stayed in Naples itself, Capri and Sorrento. But we hired a driver and car to see the Amalfi Coast, which I highly recommend. Among the most important reasons was that it relieved me of the obligation to drive, which required careful attention to the twisty and narrow road full of switchbacks. I would not have been able to enjoy all the sights for which the area is justifiably famous. He also knew where exactly to stop and take the best photos, knew the best restaurant for lunch, and told us about the area while we were in the car. When we got to Ravello, Positano and Amalfi, he would park and wait while we explored the town on our own. When we were done with each, we went back to where he was parked and continued on. It was expensive, but worth every penny.

That is basically the private guide experience that is our preferred mode of travel. Yes, expensive, but no wasted time. We were near the tip of South Africa one time and I wanted to drive to the southernmost point -- just for braggin' rights. Our guide, Pierre, who by then was a friend, said he'd be happy to do it. Four hours each way and nothing to see when you get there. We didn't go; saved me a day that I would otherwise have wasted.

 

[NW-Bound]

Never driven in the Amalfi Coast.

That coastal road has a reputation plus those tiny towns have limited parking, if any at all...

When we were there, from Sorrento, we just took the bus to Amalfi and back. Also got off the bus at Positano. As I recall, there were parking spaces in Amalfi. This was in 2003.

If we go back to this area, I will investigate further towns down south along the coast, then decide if a rental car would be worthwhile.

 

[cyber888]

Good idea - we'll probably do the private tour. We're still going to rent a car from Napoli airport to our Amalfi Coast hotel (since we're going to other parts of Italy as well after Amalfi), but I think we will do the 1 day Private Limo 8 hour tour (Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, etc) with the private driver. It says it is 400 Euros - looks like a good deal.

When we went to that area, we took ferries and trains around the Bay of Naples and stayed in Naples itself, Capri and Sorrento. But we hired a driver and car to see the Amalfi Coast, which I highly recommend. Among the most important reasons was that it relieved me of the obligation to drive, which required careful attention to the twisty and narrow road full of switchbacks. I would not have been able to enjoy all the sights for which the area is justifiably famous. He also knew where exactly to stop and take the best photos, knew the best restaurant for lunch, and told us about the area while we were in the car. When we got to Ravello, Positano and Amalfi, he would park and wait while we explored the town on our own. When we were done with each, we went back to where he was parked and continued on. It was expensive, but worth every penny.

 

[Rianne]

When we went to that area, we took ferries and trains around the Bay of Naples and stayed in Naples itself, Capri and Sorrento. But we hired a driver and car to see the Amalfi Coast, which I highly recommend. Among the most important reasons was that it relieved me of the obligation to drive, which required careful attention to the twisty and narrow road full of switchbacks. I would not have been able to enjoy all the sights for which the area is justifiably famous. He also knew where exactly to stop and take the best photos, knew the best restaurant for lunch, and told us about the area while we were in the car. When we got to Ravello, Positano and Amalfi, he would park and wait while we explored the town on our own. When we were done with each, we went back to where he was parked and continued on. It was expensive, but worth every penny.

Can you give me advice on how to find a reputable driver? There are many con artists, especially in Southern Italy.

 

[Gumby]

Can you give me advice on how to find a reputable driver? There are many con artists, especially in Southern Italy.

Sadly, since our trip was in 2009, I cannot remember how we got the driver/guide. Probably online. You might try searching TripAdvisor for reviews.

For planning purposes, here is what we did. We were staying in a hotel in Sorrento. The driver picked us up at the hotel in the morning and brought us back in the late afternoon. He had a nice Mercedes sedan, larger than most cars in Italy, and we were very comfortable. We went to Amalfi and returned back the same way. We stopped for a leisurely lunch in Ravello. I thought a day was just about the right amount of time.

PS - we went there during Carnevale in February. It was perfect because it was cooler (but certainly not cold), there were hardly any other tourists around, the traffic on the coast road was not bad, and the local children were all dressed in costumes as we would do at Halloween.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

LOTS of paranoia/fear noted in many of these posts, whether it's some nonsense about the Mafia, or a rental car company.

I agree with Explanade, that if you are scared of the car rental folks in other countries, you are guaranteed to miss out on some of the best sight-seeing and experiences that the world has to offer. I understand that you need to be careful, and I certainly don't recommend driving in Naples or Rome, but out in Sicily you'll want a car.

I further recommend that you fully understand the insurance provided by your credit card. Trains and planes are great, and I prefer them, but sometimes you'll need a car.

 

[cyber888]

Sadly, since our trip was in 2009, I cannot remember how we got the driver/guide. Probably online. You might try searching TripAdvisor for reviews.

For planning purposes, here is what we did. We were staying in a hotel in Sorrento. The driver picked us up at the hotel in the morning and brought us back in the late afternoon. He had a nice Mercedes sedan, larger than most cars in Italy, and we were very comfortable. We went to Amalfi and returned back the same way. We stopped for a leisurely lunch in Ravello. I thought a day was just about the right amount of time.

PS - we went there during Carnevale in February. It was perfect because it was cooler (but certainly not cold), there were hardly any other tourists around, the traffic on the coast road was not bad, and the local children were all dressed in costumes as we would do at Halloween.

I'm looking at this company. They have the Mercedes fleet. This is probably the one.

https://positanolimoservice.com/fleets/

 

[OldShooter]

I'm looking at this company. They have the Mercedes fleet. This is probably the one.

https://positanolimoservice.com/fleets/

One option is to ask your hotel for a recommendation.

The way we do it is this: We check out sites like https://www.toursbylocals.com/Italy-Tours and try to identify names of guides who sound interesting. Then we attempt to find the guides' personal sites. By contacting them directly, we save them the fees they might have to pay if we book via the aggregator site. But more importantly, we can exchange emails (now we can even zoom) and get a sense of the person, how they react to us and our ideas, etc. IMO this kind of interaction is a pretty good scammer filter. Depending on the length of the engagement we might also ask for a couple of contact names of clients they have had in the last month or two.

 

[brett]

We have stayed in Sorrento a number of times. Not with a rental car though.

To get along the coast to Positano etc we have taken the bus, taken a cab, and gone by ferry boat (several times). Much different perspective from sea than from above.

 

[explanade]

I know that in Italy, guides are licensed, just even for walking tours where you never go inside a museum.

I don't know if the private drivers are licensed in giving tourism information. Maybe not.

But maybe there's some kind of licensing for private drivers?

I know that in some European countries there is a problem with unlicensed taxis. You come out of a train station and they try to tout their services but licensed taxis are usually in an official rank and they just queue up there, they're not going around and trying to find riders.

 

[OldShooter]

I know that in Italy, guides are licensed, just even for walking tours where you never go inside a museum.

I don't know if the private drivers are licensed in giving tourism information. Maybe not.

But maybe there's some kind of licensing for private drivers?

I know that in some European countries there is a problem with unlicensed taxis. You come out of a train station and they try to tout their services but licensed taxis are usually in an official rank and they just queue up there, they're not going around and trying to find riders.

In our experience most countries have licensing for guides, some taking it more seriously than others. It is partially a restrictive mechanism designed to protect those who already have licenses. This was the case when we visited Spain a number of years ago. Our guide was not officially licensed because there had been no licensing exam offered for several years. The effect of this was that sometimes she could not go with us into certain buildings. We had something similar in Moscow where our guide was not licensed to take us into the Kremlin.

We have never worried much about licensing, viewing it as primarily an issue between the government and the guide. I don't recall ever having an unlicensed guide whose knowledge was inadequate for us and, if the exam is like most government exams, it probably does not do much toward ensuring expertise anyway.

Cabs are IMO pretty much the same everywhere, requiring the tourist to be alert to whether the meter was zeroed and is running or whether there is a meter at all. I also use my phone GPS to monitor and record the route, trying to make sure it is direct. Probably I often, but not always, avoid being cheated.

 

[Rianne]

I'm looking at this company. They have the Mercedes fleet. This is probably the one.

https://positanolimoservice.com/fleets/

Very cool website! Maybe they could recommend someone in Sicily. I'll e-mail them. Thanks!

 

[meleana]

It’s funny I recently booked an all inclusive resort in Sicily on the coast not too far from Cefalu on a whim. Never been there or Italy or any other place in Europe except Scotland once.

I’m now having second and third thoughts because of the 10 hr plane ride from Boston (not to mention it takes 2 hours to get to the airport)- I absolutely hate flying- and having to depend on a shuttle from Palermo to get us there and back, plus having no car to go anywhere.

No way want to drive. Reading these posts- no parking, crazy drivers, and so forth- everything seems like one big hassle not a vacation. I just might cancel it. Passports expire in a couple of years also so Italy or Sicily might have to wait until my next life.

If I could find a tour company ( like a Collette or Trafalger) that goes out from one or two hotels at the most each day instead of multiple hotels maybe…..just want a 7- 10 day trip. Nothing longer.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Italy or Sicily might have to wait until my next life.

If I could find a tour company ( like a Collette or Trafalger) that goes out from one or two hotels at the most each day instead of multiple hotels maybe…..just want a 7- 10 day trip. Nothing longer.

Aw, what a shame! There are packaged vacations to Italy without any driving hassle. You should be able to do a lot without having to drive, depending on where you go in Italy. I drive there mainly because I want to wander around the countryside, stay in small towns and ancient villages, but you don't drive in the cities.

Italy is so much fun to visit. And I don't know anybody who does not love the food.