a friend and her family (4) are going to Italy this summer and plan to stay at beach and take trips via rail/car into Venice, Switzerland and perhaps Yugoslavia. They want to rent a car so they can set their own schedule and see small towns. We've heard it is better to set up rental in US but one rental agency told them they'd need to put a $1000 "hold" on their credit card as soon as they reserved a car. What's that all about? Anyone recommend any agencies/deals?

I used autoeurope.com for a trip to Italy a couple of years ago. I bought a plane ticket through them and the car rental was part of the package. I don't recall a hold being put on my credit card. They have fly/drive packages, but you can also book just a car rental.

If it's for more than 17 days, you should want to lease a car. Check with AutoEurope about this (or other companies). Don't rent or lease from within Italy - the cost would be prohibitive. Arrange it in advance from home.

Try www.kemwel.com. They are a broker for car rentals. We used them to rent a car in Spain. We paid for the basic part of the rental up front and they there were some charge/fees payable locally.

I second the option for leasing a new car from autoEurope! We did this a couple of years ago and the cost, plus the peace of mind that their zero deductable insurance is included, is priceless!

Check www.gemut.com I used them for our Italy rental because of recommendations here and they got me by far the best price in my comparison shopping. Their web site also has lots of suggestions for people renting a car to drive in Italy. Price in dollars and you can cancel any time. If you ask and they can find a better price, you can cancel the first and book a new one. Very personal service.
Vera

Yes, Vera's right. Speak to Andy Bestor at 800-521-6722 or 541-488-8462.

we booked thru gemut.com and got the best price in U.S. Dollars. However, the insurance was SO high to bring the deductible down to zero (about $200 to bring $560 deductible to zero) that we didn't buy the excess insurance. Has anyone else had this experience? Perhaps when we get to the Avis counter they will offer a cheaper option to bring the deductible to zero.

Usually when they put a hold on your credit card it's becaue you have decined their optional insurance and the insurance supplied by your credit card company has a $1000 deductible. You might want to check with your credit card to see what they provide.

In any case - it's not a charge - it's just a hold until you return the car. But do make sure to check that they release the hold. (That's why we always use AMEX to rent a car - since then there's no limit and no issue.)

ttt

FYI, there is no Yugoslavia anymore.