Hi everyone,

My fiance and I are looking to rent a car for 4 days this coming fall. We'd be picking the car up in Florence and dropping it off in Rome. Specifically, we'd like to rent a convertible automatic car. Can you please recommend which company we should book through?

I would suggest autoeurope.com They are a consolidator and U.S. based. I've had very good experiences with them and I read good comments here about them. If you want to compare prices, be aware that autoeurope will give you the complete price up front. Other companies don't include the fees, taxes, etc. until almost the end of the process, so make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Also be aware that you will need to purchase the CDW insurance from the rental agency, you cannot use your credit card insurance like you can in other countries. Have fun, driving around Tuscany in a convertible would be a dream!

Check out the broker - gemut.com. They are great and usually book me with Europecar but at a better rate.

autoeurope.com or kemwel.com are good consolidators (same company). Call them if you need additional assistance- they are very helpful prior to and during your trip. They will also beat prices. Do check the deductables when comparing prices. As cls2paris mentioned, CDW insurance is required in Italy and your cc will not cover it. Also, be sure to get an International Driving Permit from AAA before leaving home. It is required by law in Itay, along with your state drivers license.

You will probably need to rent the car at the Florence airport- they have the best selection.

I agree with Zoecat---good input.
The convertible/automatic will cost you at least double if you can find it. I would settle for a compact/manual---think Honda Civic.

Thank you for all your input!

I've had excellent experience with Avis although the Rome location is a bit tricky. Europecar always has the worst lines with people waiting to get to the counter. Be sure you specify an automatic as they generally have very few of these and will try to get you to take a manual even if you've reserved an automatic.

Be sure to pay strict attention to the roadway signs wherever you go. They use cameras and if you violate any regulation, believe me they will track you down. I got two citations for driving in a bus-only lane and I wasn't even aware of it. A year later, I got the two citations in the mail - to the tune of 100 euros each.

I have rented an automatic in Italy many times and have never had any trouble securing one; I always book in advance.

AutoEurope shows many options for automatics in Florence, in various price ranges. I see only one convertible, a Renault Megane, but it is standard shift. A phone call to their office, or to another rental broker, should turn up what you are looking for...

I booked an automatic last week and found much better prices on the AutoEurope Italian site than on the US-based site. Find the price and the car, and then call the US office and have them match the price...

http://www.autoeurope.it/car.cfm

I just called autoeurope.com and asked them to match the price quoted on autoeurope.it for a car in Italy. The quote was considerably cheaper. The person said they cannot do that. She said autoeurope.it is just for people living in Italy and that if I book a car through them they may not accept my voucher if I don't have proof that live in Italy. I think this is bull. What should I do?

Call back until you reach someone more cooperative. If they match the price of the Italian site, your voucher will be from the US (or UK) AutoEurope. They have matched the prices on the Italian site twice for me, most recently about 10 days ago. I saved hundreds of dollars.

If you absolutely cannot find an agent on the phone who will do this for you, I would not hesitate to book on the Italian site.

What happened, Anneeby?

Called autoeurope.com again. Same story, argued with me for over ten minutes about how they can't compete against themselves (autoeurope.it). Suddenly, he said his supervisor told him to go ahead and match the autoeurope.it price! Thanks for encouraging me, ekscrunchy!

I've gotten better prices through http://www.economycarrentals.com/ than through Autoeuroe or Kemwel in Italy and Turkey, but not in France. However, I returned the car to the pick-up location, and a one-way rental might not be cheaper. Their rental agreement includes no deductible.

Good work, Anneeby!

You guys were all totally right. We booked on autoeurope and haggled till the representative gave us the ITALY rates. It actually didnt take much to convince her. Thanks everyone!

what kind of car do you typically choose? We are three adults and one child. But we will be traveling for almost 4 weeks. So we each have at least one piece of luggage. I have been looking at the station wagons.....C

With 4 people I like wagons---mid-size.
The AR 159 wagon is very nice.

yep, that is what I thought. seems a good size, holds more luggage, but isn't gigantic on the road.

cmndesign - If you are renting for four weeks, you will probably get a better deal on a lease. Most require a minimum of 17 days rental.

bkmk