Car Rental Agencies
There are many agencies that rent cars in Europe: Auto Europe, Hertz, Avis, Europcar, etc. Auto Europe is a broker for many different car rental Europe agencies and offers lower prices than booking directly with the agency (if their price is not lower, they will meet the lower price you find).
When comparing rates from different agencies, be sure you are comparing apples to apples. Does the rate you have been quoted included tax, insurance, local fees? Read the fine print and ask questions. If you find a rate that is better than the one you got from Auto Europe, ask Auto Europe to match the rate. This is a very competitive market and many times they will lower their rate.
Different Prices for Different Countries
Rental prices vary by country. It used to be more expensive to rent in Italy, so we planned our trips to start in Switzerland where the rates were better. This is not always the case, so use the online booking systems for getting prices and do some comparisons.
Size of Rental Car to Book
For the two of us, we rent either a compact or intermediate size. The compact size in Italy is an Alfa 146 or equivalent (comparable to the Volkswagen Golf). This size is powerful enough for the Autostrada, but small enough for the narrow village roads. The intermediate size in Italy is an Alfa 156 or equivalent - just a bit bigger and more powerful than the compact. See my photos of our rental cars to get an idea of size Picking up and Dropping off.
With Auto Europe, you can pick up and drop off at different locations in the same country with no drop off fee. For example, pick up the car in Rome and drop it off in Florence. There is a charge when dropping off in a different country, and this can be steep, but factor in the cost of driving back to the original country when figuring out what makes most sense.
Picking up at the Airport.
If you pick up your rental car at an airport, there may be a surcharge that applies to the whole rental. Compare rates for picking up at the airport or in a city location. Sometimes you can save money by picking up in town, but this does not make sense unless you are spending your first few nights in the town anyway. Dropping off at an airport does not add the surcharge.
Do You Need Insurance?
In Italy, yes. In other European countries, maybe not. Call your credit card company to see what countries they cover.
Most car rental agencies quote rates both with and without insurance. Our credit card company, American Express, does not cover car rentals in Italy, so we always get the insurance from AutoEurope when renting in Italy. Sometimes paying for the extra insurance does not add that much to the price (not like in the US where insurance can double the daily rental price), but this too varies by car rental agency and by country.
Always check the fine print to see what the deductible is for your rental. This varies by car rental agency and by country.
Do You Need an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
YES - if going to Italy; MAYBE - for other countries in Europe.
The International Driving Permit (IDP) is an official translation of your driver's license. Italy, by law, requires that you have an IDP. Some other European countries may not require this. Check the laws of each country you will be going to. An IDP is inexpensive and can be obtained at your local Automobile Association office. They are valid for one year.
Up until 2004 you did not need an IDP for renting a car in Italy, but now car rental companies are being told to check for it (and your home driver's license) when you pick up your car.
Remember, you need BOTH the IDP and your current driver's license when travelling. The IDP does not replace your license.
