3lablady

I will be going to Italy in September, and planned to rent a car during the time I am in Tuscany.Just before we hit the countryside, we will be staying in Florence so I would need to get the car from somewhere around there. I have heard that I do not want to drive in Florence so was looking to pick up the car outside of the city, somewhere I can either take a cab to or the train.

I usually rent with Avis, but am open to suggestions. Is the airport my best bet for a rental or is there another place outside of the city I could go to?

Thanks!

PalenQ

Florence's Rifredi train station is a short tram ride from Florence's centrum and well outside the dread no-go zone for private vehicles I would think. A main station short have car rentals in and around it -much closer than the airport.

NYCFoodSnob

You don't say where you are from. The more information you provide, the better the information you receive. Avis in Italy is not Avis in the U.S. Unless you get serious loyalty discounts, it pays to shop around.

Are you looking for an automatic transmission vehicle? If so, your best bet is Amerigo Vespucci Airport. The car rental lot is a ten minute taxi ride from the city center. From the airport, there are numerous roads to various areas of Tuscany. It's fairly easy to avoid a ZTL zone, but you'll need to study a very good map.

Michael

autoeurope.com is a reliable broker. Here's an ad I just received from them (I usually use them or Kemwel, the sister company, when renting a car in Europe):

http://www.autoeurope.com/go/cpc/ita...+From+%247/day

3lablady

NYCFoodSnob, yes, I am from the US. The only other time I have rented a car overseas was in Scotland and I didn't see any difference in the process from Avis in the states. I didn't know if there was any benefit to sticking with the company - maybe not.

I'm not really sure what other information would be needed. Automatic is not a requirement as all my cars here are manual - unless there is something weird about manual in Europe.

We will be 4 adults and luggage so not a company that only provides the typical small cars. My main requirement was avoiding the ZTL zones as I have heard about the fines. I gather from your response, I will need to worry about this even outside of Florence though?

Michael

ZTLs are common in many small Italian cities.

Whathello

You have the right to drive in a ZTL if your hotel is there. Keep the invoice from the hotel though. I got asked to prove I had stayed at a hotel in Rome 2 years after my stay.
Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar are the leaders of the market.
With plenty of smaller ones.

Ackislander

I would strongly recommend going through a broker like Autoeurope. Rental personnel may have limited (rudimentary) English. It is nice to have made your arrangements with a US company that has the ability to solve problems for you.

I would recommend even more strongly not attempting to pick up or drop a car at a secondary site because they often have limited hours, closing for lunch and early on Saturdays and Sundays if they open at all on the weekends.

In Florence, I would pick up at the airport. You can get there easily by bus or taxi. The airport is not large.

Finally, take detailed photos of any car you rent, all four sides, the roof, and oblique shots down the side to show existing damage.

NYCFoodSnob

"The only other time I have rented a car overseas was in Scotland and I didn't see any difference in the process from Avis in the states."

The process among companies is not the issue, although the fine print can vary dramatically. The issue is what happens when things go terribly wrong.

Car rentals in Italy require specific mandatory insurance, so the rates are automatically higher. Rates often vary dramatically from one company to another. Some companies advertise rates that don't include the insurance fees. There is a learning curve to understanding the fine print and the misleading marketing practices of the various rental companies available.

On pre-paid vehicles, I believe Avis charges a cancellation fee.

"Automatic is not a requirement as all my cars here are manual"

No reader would assume that because manual vehicles are rare in the U.S.

"unless there is something weird about manual in Europe."

Some cars in Italy come with a clutch-less manual option. It's easy to figure out, but it is a unique experience.

"We will be 4 adults and luggage"

I doubt I would deal with a taxi then. I wrote about renting a car at the train station on this thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ar-pick-up.cfm

"My main requirement was avoiding the ZTL zones as I have heard about the fines. I gather from your response, I will need to worry about this even outside of Florence though?"

Not really. ZTL zones are confined mostly to historic city centers, and in some smaller cities, it's just a street or two. The signs are clearly posted. It just so happens that most of Florence is in the zone. Most of Siena, too.

I've driven in and out of Florence many times through the years, so I have no fear of ZTL. Most on this board are riddled with fear. If you have a good navigator among the passengers in your car and you are armed with a good street map, the directions I provided in the other thread will help you avoid ZTL as you find your way to southern Tuscany.

I leave for Italy soon, so I may not be able to respond further. I do not check this board when I travel.

Luzyz

Over 200 Italian cities have camera enforced ZTLs, while mostly focused in city centres, not all.

They are quite keen on sending out penalty fines, so it's important to know where they are before you travel!

The map and other information on the Florence ZTL, in English is on http://urbanaccessregulations.eu/cou...ze-florence-ar, and the same website also gives information on all the other camera enforced ZTLs.

bilboburgler

some cars in Europe have "foot operated hand brakes"..... while others have "hill start assistance" both of which can make for a very dull half hour as you try to work out what the numpty designers were thinking of.

I've seen these in Mercedes and Citroen so I avoid when hiring

Hours of opening; NYT makes a good point, do not even assume the "Avis" website, knows the truth or have kept their website up to date. I've stood there, in the rain, waiting an extra half an hour, while the staff dig out their coffee cups.