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Car hire in Sicily - what about road tax?

Car hire in Sicily - what about road tax?

Old Aug 16th, 2015, 11:24 PM
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Car hire in Sicily - what about road tax?

We are planning to hire a small car for 11 days in Sicily and again out of Naples.

One forum post I read said that there is no road tax in Italy. Is that true?

I have obtained a quote from Autoeurope and their contract says that road tax is excluded and may be about US$3.50 per day and will be charged by the local company - although they cannot tell me whether it will be charged or not ???
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Old Aug 17th, 2015, 10:06 AM
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I have never encountered road tax in Italy or Sicily. There are toll roads which are the main highway s like the A1. Easily avoided if you want.
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Old Aug 17th, 2015, 10:35 AM
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Some local areas or countries do charge certain taxes on rental cars and they are worded differently in different places. Sometimes they aren't included in some rental company fees, the local place collects them (not sure if this is for legal reasons or just so the car rental company/broker can quote a lower rate). I had that happen in France, it wasn't very much money. The road tax isn't like a toll road tax, it's a tax on the rental car to collect fees for government revenue basically. It is also called VLF (vehicle licensing fee) or a road fund fee or simply a road fee. Some car rental quotes will include it and some won't, just be sure you compare the same things. But it is a real thing. I think it may make up for some fees local residents have to pay for their cars.

I don't know what it is or where you will be charged, but this site estimates it as about 1.9 euro per day. http://www.britishcarrental.com/html/terms-Italy.htm
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Old Aug 23rd, 2015, 09:08 PM
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I wish we could get a clear answer before we end up hassling with a rental company when we are there. You hear so many stories about people getting ripped off by car rental companies in Italy, and especially Sicily and I really don't fancy a big argument at the desk when we have paid in advance through Autoeurope... sigh.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2015, 09:17 PM
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Contact gemut.com, ask your questions.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2015, 10:08 PM
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Try the Tripadvisor Sicily forum. Vagabonda and the Destination Experts for Sicily are extremely knowledgeable.
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Old Aug 24th, 2015, 05:05 AM
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This is starting to drive me nuts. We have hired cars on all our previous trips to Greece and Turkey and even one time in Tuscany without any hassle or extra charges. Now I read horror stories of ripoffs and I don't seem to be able to get a quote from reputable companies that includes everything. I see the possibility of extra charges for airport pickup and dropoffs, for road tax, for one way hire (ie dropping off in a different place). It's all so confusing. I would just like to know what we will be up for before we get there rather than arguing with people with little English in an Italian office.
Does anyone know how we can do that?
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Old Aug 24th, 2015, 10:07 AM
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Yeskathy

Why dont you just make this easy and book through Autoeurope? They are extremely helpful rates are guaranteed and all prices matched. Everything is included but you can ask for specifics if you need additional peace of mind.

Ive used them all four times Ive rented cars. Ive had no probles or ripoffs.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 04:24 PM
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My hesitancy with autoeurope is because they don't include a) road taxes b) drop off fees c) airport pickup charges and don't seem to be able to confirm what those charges will be. The last thing I want is to be stuck at a desk in an airport fighting with a local car hire company...
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 05:34 PM
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Hi yeskathy,

I have never had an itinerary that required airport pick up or drop off so I have not encountered airport fees which I know are charged. I have always picked up and dropped off at different locations and have never been charged anything additional, even when our drop city changed at the last minute.

I have driven all over the Tuscan, Umbrian, and Sicilian countryside including a bit of the A1 and didn't receive any additional road tax charges either at pick up or drop. Same for the Loire Valley.

I can see how an airport rental agent might not be as nice or helpful due to the hoards of tourists they work with nonstop. My experiences have all been fine and all cars in new condition.

I think you will be just fine in Sicily if you rent through on of the major companies.

Buon viaggio!
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 08:22 PM
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Ask AutoEurope to give you, on the phone, the all inclusive rate for your rental. It won't change at the rental office when you turn the car in.

Have you rented with them before? If so, you know that their prices are final and reliable.

The only time I've had an extra charge, after many rentals throughout Italy, was when we turned the car in late. Our fault.

I've also had some great service from AutoEurope in a couple of pinches. During a strike in France, I used their 24 hour number and they helped me rearrange several parts of my trip. When my husband had his license confiscated for speeding in Basilicata, Italy, and I couldn't drive the stick, they arranged to have the car picked up and charged us nothing.

I think the entire point of using AutoEurope is that they are reliable, honest and all inclusive. If you've read horror stories involving them, I would like to know, because around here, most people use them and like them.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 09:37 PM
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Apparently, I don't understand your problem. You've been given great advice, by several knowledgeable people, to contact Autoeurope or its associates to ask your specific questions. Perhaps I've missed it, but I haven't seen you say anything that helps us understand your frustration -- with whom have you spoken, about what specific questions, and with what unsatisfactory answers?

At some point, it seems to me that you simply need to make a decision. If the price of a rental that might include extras is more than you can accept, then use public transportation and tailor your trip accordingly. Otherwise, go prepared to challenge charges you didn't expect and also go prepared to pay them.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that continuing to throw questions at Fodorites -- people who volunteer our services, for free, just because we choose to try to help fellow travelers -- is going to get you any better answers than you have already received. Throwing increasingly acerbic questions at us is not likely to help you get useful information, IMO, nor is nd failing to provide even the slightest acknowledgement of appreciation to those who have already gone out of their way to try to help you. JMO.

Good luck!
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 11:13 PM
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Sorry if you think I have been asking too much kja - I guess I wasn't clear about the frustration I was having. I have contacted Autoeurope and rentalcars.com and economycarrentals (all on recommendations through different threads) and tried to compare their quotes. I must admit that reading lots of threads about the subject and seeing the problems some people have experienced has worried me.

Anyway I took the advice about Autoeurope and although the US office was unable to give me the clarity I really wanted ie give me a completely inclusive price so I wouldn't risk battling with a car hire desk at the airport, I was able to get this through the Australian site - well actually through ringing them and asking lots of questions and getting them to do the contract as I wanted it.

They have therefore just now given me a quote that includes all taxes including any possible road tax, stipulates no drop off fee (I pick up in Catania and drop of in Palermo), and is clear about the very few exclusions I can expect (tolls, fine etc) They even say that glass (ie windscreens) are covered too.

It was a slog but I am satisfied I have done all I can. Thank you for your patience and help through the process.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 11:38 PM
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I'm glad you found a solution -- which, of course, depended on YOUR country's laws and regs -- something that would, I think, have been quite clear had you consulted a decent guide book from day one. Maybe not. Whatever. I'm glad you finally figured out what you needed to do.

IMO, you were VERY clear that you were frustrated -- something for which you have seemed, at times, to blame on those of us who were trying to help you. JMO. And it is not, IME, unique to your queries about car rentals. Honestly, if you want our further help, stop yelling at us and at least pay us the curtesy of acknowledging our efforts on your behalf. Again, JMO.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 01:33 AM
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"courtesy"
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 01:58 AM
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Kathy has every right to seek to get a clear answer to her problem.
Attacking her for trying to get this answer achieves nothing and your energies would be better spent in trying to help rather than "shoot the messenger"
If you can't offer help kja, perhaps consider refraining from diverting from the issue in future.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 02:01 AM
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An interesting comment, Tommmo, since I DID offer help.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 02:03 AM
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I am so sorry if you felt I was blaming anything on you - I found the correspondence with Autoeurope frustrating, not anything on this site. I know everyone just wants to help - as I often do too when I have information to offer.

Someone back in the thread asked about what horror stories I have heard... I must admit most had to do with possibly dodgey local companies hired through the various brokers including autoeurope and I take most of them with a grain of salt but also I did just see this on tripadvisor:

"Just to clarify - we rented a car through autoeurope round trip from Catania in May . We returned the car during business hours with no mention of a further payment owed and received a credit card charge weeks later for "road tax".

A call to autoeurope yielded the reply that the exclusion of the tax was specified in the fine print of their initial booking."

"I do not have the paperwork in front of me but we rented the car for 3 weeks and it was between 3-5 euro per day .

When we returned the car, we were not informed of any outstanding charges."

This is the kind of thing I wanted to avoid if possible. Sorry if I upset anyone.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 02:30 AM
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I'm sure we've all experienced frustration when planning our trips. And I'm sure we've all misdirected that frustration from time to time.

I appreciate your words of clarification.

But FWIW, you might do well to give a bit of thought to how you respond -- or fail to respond -- to those of us who take the time and energy to comment on your posts. If you look back over your planning threads, I think that you will see that you have consistently failed to acknowledge several of us who have taken a great deal of time and effort to respond to your questions. I don't expect to be acknowledged -- really, I post in the spirit of "give back, pay forward" -- but still, I don't appreciate being admonished when I have done everything I can thing to do to help. JMO.

I wish you both well.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 05:35 AM
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And breath....

Great that Auto Europe managed to solve the issue, they are very good but I've found you have to pick up the phone to confirm extra details, even their website takes far too much time to sort stuff out in some of the more interesting parts of Europe.

Well done for digging in, and good advice from everyone

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