Car drop off fees Italy/Switzerland
 

Thanks to a lot of help from you guys, we're coming together on an itinerary for our trip to Italy and Switzerland in late May/early June. We WERE going to start in Venice, then go to the Italian lakes (maybe Bellagio, I'm not certain yet), then we were going to go somewhere like Grindelwald or in that vincinity, and then end up in Luzern - and fly home from Zurich.

BUT, the drop off fee for the rental car when you start in Italy and end up in Switzerland is exorbitant! We tried a few times and it seems to be about $350! SO, I'm trying to rearrange things so we can start in Venice, and fly out of Milan. But, what would be a good itinerary then, where we wouldn't have to drive too far at any one time? Any suggestions from the experts?

Thanks very much,
Alice

Alice - Are you just planning to stay in Italy now?

If so, you could plan a beautiful trip from Venice to include the Dolomites, Lake Garda and Lake Como.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

We're picking up in Munich and dropping off at Zurich. Drop-off fee is about $80. Went thru Gemut.com. Called their 800 number and talked with Andrew. They beat autoeurope's price by a couple of hundred $$$, but the rental was thru Autoeurope. Go figure.

It's worth a free call (West Coast time zone). ((b))

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT IT SEEMS THE MAJOR CAR COMPANIES, RATHER THAN BEING GLOBAL IN EVERY SENSE, WORK WITH AREA COUNTRY FRANCHISES, SO WHEN YOU RENT A CAR IN ONE COUNTRY AND TURN IT IN IN ANOTHER, THE ORIGINATING FRANCHISE INSURES THE CAR AND THE CAR MUST BE PHYSICALLY RETURNED TO THAT LOCATION, NECESSITATING HIRING A DRIVER IN THE DROP OFF AREA.

I AM LEARNING THAT THE KEY IS TO LEASE RATHER THAN RENT. SURELY THERE ARE COMPANIES WORKING THIS NICHE. MORE LATER.

You really don't want a car in Switzerland. The Swiss public transportation system is superb. The trains connect with the boats connect with the buses. All set up for maximum enjoyment of the scenery. And there are beautiful little mountain towns where you can't go with a car.

So drop the car while you're in Italy and take the train into Switzerland. Look into the Swiss Pass or its variants for your transportation needs in Switzerland.

Eagerly awaiting Fishmonger02564's advertisement for ???.
Looks like the first time, an ad is annouced before it's posted here. ;-)