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Renting a vehicle in Italy?
Posted on 9/19/19 at 7:11 am
Posted on 9/19/19 at 7:11 am
Do’s and don’ts?
Tips? Insurance? Driver’s license? Assuming phone works overseas (Verizon) for data, i.e. GPS?
Preferred company to use?
Edit ... Most likely to fly into Naples. Planning to stay along Almafi Coast for refer, in case others have more to add than just car rental tips.
Tips? Insurance? Driver’s license? Assuming phone works overseas (Verizon) for data, i.e. GPS?
Preferred company to use?
Edit ... Most likely to fly into Naples. Planning to stay along Almafi Coast for refer, in case others have more to add than just car rental tips.
This post was edited on 9/19/19 at 7:13 am
13
Posted on 9/19/19 at 8:00 am to Will Cover
Definitely get insurance.
Pay attention on the autostrada (interstate). There aren’t usually police pulling people over, but there are speeding cameras everywhere. So watch your speed.
Also, DO NOT lose your ticket when entering the autostrada, as you need it to pay the toll when you exit. Without a ticket they fine you something insane like 500 euros.
Pay attention on the autostrada (interstate). There aren’t usually police pulling people over, but there are speeding cameras everywhere. So watch your speed.
Also, DO NOT lose your ticket when entering the autostrada, as you need it to pay the toll when you exit. Without a ticket they fine you something insane like 500 euros.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 8:16 am to AbitaFan08
quote:
Pay attention on the autostrada (interstate). There aren’t usually police pulling people over, but there are speeding cameras everywhere. So watch your speed.
I actually read about that and it appears there is no way of getting around it (except for don't speed) because the rental company will charge my credit card if I receive a photo citation.
quote:
Definitely get insurance.
I have USAA. Does this make a difference? I normally decline rental insurance when driving in the states, but I suppose this is different?
This post was edited on 9/19/19 at 8:17 am
Posted on 9/19/19 at 8:24 am to Will Cover
quote:
I actually read about that and it appears there is no way of getting around it (except for don't speed) because the rental company will charge my credit card if I receive a photo citation.
That is correct. Best to just not speed.
Check with your CC company. They may cover you. Doubt USAA does.
Also, hope you like roundabouts. Because they love them some roundabouts.
Other than that, driving in Italy really isn’t a big deal. I had no trouble getting around.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 8:52 am to Will Cover
A guy I work with rented a car in Italy, they gave him a manual shift. He wasn't very proficient and burned out the transmission driving up an down the winding hillside roads. The car caught fire and they removed their bags and watched it burn on the side of the road. Moral: get the insurance.
ETA: we went to Amalfi last year. Amazing trip. Make it up to Ravello for a couple nights if you can. It was our favorite stop. I did not and would not rent a car for the Amalfi region. It is the most difficult and narrow driving I've ever seen. Worth paying the $50 to transport between stops. It cost us $100 to get private Mercedes sedan transport from Naples to Ravello and only $250 from Sorrento back to Rome airport. Parking is a problem along the coast as well.
ETA: we went to Amalfi last year. Amazing trip. Make it up to Ravello for a couple nights if you can. It was our favorite stop. I did not and would not rent a car for the Amalfi region. It is the most difficult and narrow driving I've ever seen. Worth paying the $50 to transport between stops. It cost us $100 to get private Mercedes sedan transport from Naples to Ravello and only $250 from Sorrento back to Rome airport. Parking is a problem along the coast as well.
This post was edited on 9/19/19 at 8:57 am
Posted on 9/19/19 at 8:54 am to Wade Phillips
I'm pretty sure the moral there is: if you're not proficient with a manual, get an automatic.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 9:22 am to Wade Phillips
quote:
ETA: we went to Amalfi last year. Amazing trip. Make it up to Ravello for a couple nights if you can. It was our favorite stop. I did not and would not rent a car for the Amalfi region. It is the most difficult and narrow driving I've ever seen. Worth paying the $50 to transport between stops. It cost us $100 to get private Mercedes sedan transport from Naples to Ravello and only $250 from Sorrento back to Rome airport. Parking is a problem along the coast as well.
I agree with this. We stayed in Ravello last summer and had another couple meet us a couple days after we arrived. We had a private Mercedes transport from the train station in Naples to Ravello and never needed a car the rest of the trip. Did everything by boat or private car. The other couple spent a fortune on parking and ditched the car two days into the trip.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 9:34 am to Will Cover
frick a car...ride the train. Thats only thing I would have done different when we went.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 9:48 am to Will Cover
quote:
Edit ... Most likely to fly into Naples. Planning to stay along Almafi Coast for refer, in case others have more to add than just car rental tips.
Driving in Naples is not for the faint of heart. It is cutthroat, driving rules are taken as mere suggestions, and pedestrians cross anywhere and everywhere.
You might find it easier/more pleasant to hire a driver to take you to the Amalfi coast, or to take the train to Sorrento and the SITA bus to the south side of the peninsula. Roads are ridiculously winding, extremely narrow, and in high season, choked with large tour buses & heavy traffic. In season, you can take the hydrofoil ferries from town to town, all the way from Naples.
I've done the Amalfi Coast in a private car, and it is the only place I've ever been carsick. Granted, I was a back seat passenger in a VW Jetta, but I cannot emphasize how effing twisty those roads are....up and down, round and round.
If you're flying into Naples, consider spending a night in the city center. It's a fascinating, decaying, beautiful place with some incredible art treasures (like the Veiled Christ sculpture, LINK), some amazing food, and the Archaeological Museum, recently renovated and full of the best stuff from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Also, if you overnight in Naples, you can take the train to Herculaneum--buried at the same time as Pompeii, but a smaller site with fewer tourist hordes. Still fascinating, and definitely less crowded. And, if you're really interested in Roman ruins, you can do a morning at Herculaneum, stop for lunch, then an afternoon at Oplontis, where the villa Poppea gives a wonderful view of a "suburban" residential Roman house: LINK. A driver could then take you the rest of the way to Sorrento, or Amalfi, or wherever your next stop is.
I'd also suggest, if you really want to drive around Campania, doing that separately from your Amalfi Coast visit. You could then take the bus from Amalfi to Salerno, pick up a rental car, and drive down to Paestum, home to the best preserved Greek temples outside of Greece with a nice small museum across the street from the temple complex. Paestum area has lots of buffalo milk dairy farms you can visit to sample cheese, etc. Paestum has an artichoke festival, too.
I absolutely adore Campania, so if you want to start a Campania specific thread, I'm happy to contribute.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 9:53 am to Will Cover
Get a credit card with international rental car insurance and make sure that Italy is covered.
As said, many people don't recommend a car for that region.
But I love renting a car in Europe, especially Italy. So much people that only take a train miss out on. If you are mostly planning big cities to big cities especially in Italy it won't make sense. But the countryside in Italy is beautiful and there are so many places to explore with a rental car. Its also fun as hell driving.
I have only driven in northern Italy, but they drive fast as hell and crazy as hell. Stop signs and lights don't mean anything, if there is no one there they just go. You have to drive offensively as hell. But you get used to it, everyone does it, and honestly its fun and safe after a day of getting used to it.
As said, many people don't recommend a car for that region.
But I love renting a car in Europe, especially Italy. So much people that only take a train miss out on. If you are mostly planning big cities to big cities especially in Italy it won't make sense. But the countryside in Italy is beautiful and there are so many places to explore with a rental car. Its also fun as hell driving.
I have only driven in northern Italy, but they drive fast as hell and crazy as hell. Stop signs and lights don't mean anything, if there is no one there they just go. You have to drive offensively as hell. But you get used to it, everyone does it, and honestly its fun and safe after a day of getting used to it.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 10:10 am to Will Cover
I have rented cars in Italy, most recently last year. Liability insurance comes automatically with the rental car. Collision does not, but your credit card company may provide it to you for free...…. Your La. drivers license will work but you also need to get an International Driving Permit. You can get this from AAA for $20 even if you are not a member. …. We rented a car in France this year and in Tuscany last year. We chose not to rent one on the Amalfi Coast when we were there a few years ago. From Naples we hired a driver from www.transferelax.com to take us to and from our hotel in Positano and from there we mostly travelled along the coast by ferry. Definitely get a GPS. We used Sixt Rental Cars the last two times and were very happy with them.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 10:15 am to Will Cover
Replying again to directly talk about car rental/driving in Italy:
--how is your Italian? Can you read road signs? I strongly suggest you look up basic Italian road signs, pavement markings, parking/no parking curb paint colors, etc. Especially in smaller towns and historic districts, the "area pedonale" (pedestrian zone) or other restricted, no-car or resident-only areas are indicated by relatively small signs...not necessarily blocked by bollards or barriers. While barreling down the Autostrada is not the time to learn what "lane closed ahead" looks like in Italian.
--Definitely rent the car using a credit card with supplemental insurance in Italy (check specifically for country coverage).
--I usually use Sixt or EuropCar for rentals in Europe. Both will allow you to specify automatic transmission, but expect to pay a little bit more for it.
--if you can pick up and drop off at an airport location, you are more likely to find English-speaking employees
RE: data, depending on your plan, Verizon has a TravelPass for $10/day. But know that in very hilly/mountainous areas like Amalfi, you cannot rely on consistent or fast cell data service. It may be worth using the SatNav provided by the car company as a supplement.
--how is your Italian? Can you read road signs? I strongly suggest you look up basic Italian road signs, pavement markings, parking/no parking curb paint colors, etc. Especially in smaller towns and historic districts, the "area pedonale" (pedestrian zone) or other restricted, no-car or resident-only areas are indicated by relatively small signs...not necessarily blocked by bollards or barriers. While barreling down the Autostrada is not the time to learn what "lane closed ahead" looks like in Italian.
--Definitely rent the car using a credit card with supplemental insurance in Italy (check specifically for country coverage).
--I usually use Sixt or EuropCar for rentals in Europe. Both will allow you to specify automatic transmission, but expect to pay a little bit more for it.
--if you can pick up and drop off at an airport location, you are more likely to find English-speaking employees
RE: data, depending on your plan, Verizon has a TravelPass for $10/day. But know that in very hilly/mountainous areas like Amalfi, you cannot rely on consistent or fast cell data service. It may be worth using the SatNav provided by the car company as a supplement.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 11:32 am to hungryone
What hungryone said. You are picking a very tough part of Italy to drive a car in. Tuscan countryside or Piedmonte? No problem. Naples and the Amalfi Coast? frick that.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 12:47 pm to Will Cover
I rented a car in Naples and drove to Ravello and back. Crossed it off of my bucket list and I will never rent a car in Italy again. I was amazed that I made it in one piece without any scratch on the car.
Next time I'll be riding a train from Rome straight to Salerno, then take a ferry to Positano, Capri, etc.
Next time I'll be riding a train from Rome straight to Salerno, then take a ferry to Positano, Capri, etc.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 1:20 pm to Phat Phil
I rented a Renault manual in Monaco and drove it to Cinqueterre. It was a great experience but not for the squeamish. I did no research prior and barely figured out how to pay tolls and get gas. But I got there and back and all was fine.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 1:25 pm to Will Cover
If you must drive the Amalfi coast, do it from the south to the north. At least that way you will be on the inland side and not along the cliff. I had a lot of anxiety riding along those cliffs lol. You are consistently inches away from falling off.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 2:30 pm to jsquardjj
quote:
You are consistently inches away from falling off.
Or being pushed off by a gigantic tour bus, while an Italian granny on a Vespa weaves around you both.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 3:06 pm to hungryone
quote:
--how is your Italian? Can you read road signs? I strongly suggest you look up basic Italian road signs, pavement markings, parking/no parking curb paint colors, etc. Especially in smaller towns and historic districts, the "area pedonale" (pedestrian zone) or other restricted, no-car or resident-only areas are indicated by relatively small signs...not necessarily blocked by bollards or barriers. While barreling down the Autostrada is not the time to learn what "lane closed ahead" looks like in Italian.
Eh, this really isn't that bad. Most are pretty obvious.
I think the biggest key is parking. Try to locate parking ahead of time. Talk to your hotel or place you are staying, if going to a city find a public parking. Its no different then any larger city in the USA, parking sometimes is easy and there is a paid lot right next to where you are going and other times no where close to park.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 3:10 pm to Will Cover
I’ve rented cars twice in Spain and once Italy. Italy was very confusing. We booked the car here on the Internet with a US company before traveling and when we went to get the car for our Tuscan vacation, they did not have an English contract. They guy in broken English had us initial everything. Instead of refusing insurance (like we typically do here when we initial), we were actually purchasing every coverage available on the form. That made the rental a bit more expensive than our booking sheet indicated.
However, the day before we left someone hit the car in a parking lot and drove off. I thought I had refused insurance on the form and I spent some time the day before returning to the airport trying to figure out how to make a claim on my credit card insurance. When we turned it in they looked over the form, said “OK,” and we left without owing anything else. That was a happy moment.
Now I make it a point to get the insurance when I rent overseas. Learned my lesson in a good way.
However, the day before we left someone hit the car in a parking lot and drove off. I thought I had refused insurance on the form and I spent some time the day before returning to the airport trying to figure out how to make a claim on my credit card insurance. When we turned it in they looked over the form, said “OK,” and we left without owing anything else. That was a happy moment.
Now I make it a point to get the insurance when I rent overseas. Learned my lesson in a good way.
Posted on 9/19/19 at 3:13 pm to Will Cover
I did it. drove from Florence to Vicenza.
quote:i think we got it.
Insurance?
quote:get an international drivers license.
Driver’s license?
quote:no. Verizon is CDMA. they are GSM. Get you a project fi SIM for the trip. ou might have to force your phone to roam but i used my project fi all over italy
Assuming phone works overseas (Verizon) for data, i.e. GPS?
This post was edited on 9/19/19 at 3:18 pm
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