Possible to rent car in Barcelona & drop off in Florence???
Jan 12th, 2012, 06:46 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Possible to rent car in Barcelona & drop off in Florence???
We wanted to rent a car in Barcelona, drive thru coastal France, and drop off in Florence. Are there any car companies that allow you to do this one way rental?? Any replies greatly appreciated. (Maybe we have to train it? What's the skinny on the train betw these two points. I've never taken the trains in Europe)
Thanks for all replies!
- Kiki
Thanks for all replies!
- Kiki
Jan 12th, 2012, 07:18 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Daft plan.
Do you know what a "drop charge" is? If not, it's the fee a rental agency tacks on to the cost of your rental when you relinquish possession in another country. The drop charge is designed to discourage EXACTLY what you want to do because it is a hassle for the rental company to reenter possession of the vehicle in the drop-off country and then transport it back to the country of registration. That is why "it will cost a fortune."
You can take a train from Barcelona to someplace in France across the border, drive to the eastern edge of France, and then hop a train to Italy.
Not sure why you'd actually want to drive IN Barcelona or Florence . . .
Do you know what a "drop charge" is? If not, it's the fee a rental agency tacks on to the cost of your rental when you relinquish possession in another country. The drop charge is designed to discourage EXACTLY what you want to do because it is a hassle for the rental company to reenter possession of the vehicle in the drop-off country and then transport it back to the country of registration. That is why "it will cost a fortune."
You can take a train from Barcelona to someplace in France across the border, drive to the eastern edge of France, and then hop a train to Italy.
Not sure why you'd actually want to drive IN Barcelona or Florence . . .
Jan 12th, 2012, 07:37 AM
#4
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,423
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>Sure you can rent in Spain and drop it in Italy. But it will cost a fortune<<
Not necessarily. If you rent a car in Italy it will cost more for the normal rental than in Spain, PLUS you must purchase CDW insurance in Italy. You can use your Visa/ME/AE gold or higher for insurance in Spain & France.
Do the math.
Plan A
Contact Kemwel or Autoeurope (same company, but different rates - don't ask why) and find out what the rental costs are and what the drop off cost is.
Plan B
Then cost a rental in Spain, train cost from Barcelona or Figures to Perpignan, rental cost in France, train cost from Nice to Ventimiglia (make sure that there is a rental office there), and then rental & insurance in Italy. Also factor in the time "lost" with all these modes of transportation.
We rented a car in Prague and dropped it off in Budapest 1 1/2 years ago. The drop off charge was around 150E.
If this was me - I would do the one-way rental. The hassel & time lost with 2 extra rentals, 2 extra rental drop-offs, 2 trains, would offset about $500 in any added cost - if it was even that large. I suspect plan A (one way) may actually be around $500 LESS than Plan B.
PS - there is some ambiguity as to whether you MUST have car CDW insurance in Italy - even if you rented the car in Spain. Check with your CC company to find out if they cover CDW for a car rented in Spain & driven in Italy (if you have an accident in Italy).
Stu Dudley
Not necessarily. If you rent a car in Italy it will cost more for the normal rental than in Spain, PLUS you must purchase CDW insurance in Italy. You can use your Visa/ME/AE gold or higher for insurance in Spain & France.
Do the math.
Plan A
Contact Kemwel or Autoeurope (same company, but different rates - don't ask why) and find out what the rental costs are and what the drop off cost is.
Plan B
Then cost a rental in Spain, train cost from Barcelona or Figures to Perpignan, rental cost in France, train cost from Nice to Ventimiglia (make sure that there is a rental office there), and then rental & insurance in Italy. Also factor in the time "lost" with all these modes of transportation.
We rented a car in Prague and dropped it off in Budapest 1 1/2 years ago. The drop off charge was around 150E.
If this was me - I would do the one-way rental. The hassel & time lost with 2 extra rentals, 2 extra rental drop-offs, 2 trains, would offset about $500 in any added cost - if it was even that large. I suspect plan A (one way) may actually be around $500 LESS than Plan B.
PS - there is some ambiguity as to whether you MUST have car CDW insurance in Italy - even if you rented the car in Spain. Check with your CC company to find out if they cover CDW for a car rented in Spain & driven in Italy (if you have an accident in Italy).
Stu Dudley
Jan 12th, 2012, 08:27 AM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Add the cost of fuel to any estimate--assume $6.60 (1.36€ to the liter is the current price in France) to the gallon if driving a diesel with 40 miles to the gallon. Autoeurope and Kemwel have two rates; Stu is referring to their <u>basic</u> rate which assumes that the credit card will carry the CDW.
Jan 13th, 2012, 12:04 AM
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To do it just as a way of getting from a to b is probably more expensive than flying, it is just a slog. If you fly from Barcelona to Rome, you can be in Florence by train 3 hours after landing in Rome.
If you want to see the entire southern coast of France and all of the Italian Riviera, and are thinking of overnighting a few times along the way, then it might be worth it to you. But petrol along the Italian Riviera is now running around $8 per gallon.
The train would be the second dreariest of all options (a non-stop drive being the first one.)
There is a ferry that goes from Barcelona to Genova, and possibly even Livorno, if that appeals to you as a way of getting to Florence.
If you want to see the entire southern coast of France and all of the Italian Riviera, and are thinking of overnighting a few times along the way, then it might be worth it to you. But petrol along the Italian Riviera is now running around $8 per gallon.
The train would be the second dreariest of all options (a non-stop drive being the first one.)
There is a ferry that goes from Barcelona to Genova, and possibly even Livorno, if that appeals to you as a way of getting to Florence.
Jan 19th, 2012, 06:50 AM
#9
You can also get an all-inclusive rate from AutoEurope which includes insurance...CDW may be mandatory..it is if you rent a car IN Italy so not sure about if you rent elsewhere and drive into Italy.
If you are interested in SEEING coastal France then a car is a must.
The train trip is not DREARY..in fact, there is a periodic overnight service from Barcelona to Milan
If you are interested in SEEING coastal France then a car is a must.
The train trip is not DREARY..in fact, there is a periodic overnight service from Barcelona to Milan
