MichaelT: You are driving a heck of a lot farther. I'd move up one class unless one of your travelers is 4'6"

Marianna: Can any of you cut down on the sizes of your suitcases? If the bags are 26 inches or larger there is no way IMO you can fit them in an A Class. But if all of you bring 21 inch rollaboards - then they would likely fit for that one round trip

Traveller1959, oh my gosh, my husband and I just had the greatest laugh over your post! We know exactly what you mean - confirmations are just an example of what they were thinking of promising you - doesn't mean you will get it! Just like confirmed seats on Alitalia - we have a slim chance that the 4 seats we selected will actually have the pleasure of us sitting in them!

Well, I think we will go with the Nissan Primera since it is a larger car than the A180. We don't want a van - been there, done that in Italy and got wedged in a road between two stone walls! I do remember our son crawled out of the van somehow to assess the situation. It wasn't our fault because someone on a Vespa or other zippy little two-wheeled thing wanted to get through at the same time. They did, but we didn't-at least not for a while. To this day, I have no idea how we got through with just a little scratch on the vehicle. So, no van.

Thanks for all the help with this!

MichaelT- there is no reason at all for you to move up a class if you are only three people. As I said, we managed more than wonderfully with the A180. As a matter of fact, we managed so well that the following year when we were again the same three people, we went DOWN to a smaller car and still managed to fit everything in nicely. We only took the A180 because it was our first experience at renting a car abroad and we were not sure the smaller car would be OK. It was. So you should have no problem, in my opinion.

Flame123, the confusing thing is that it is listed as seating 5 on Avis and seating 4 on AutoEurope so we are wondering if it would be a comfortable ride for back seat people. We will definitely have 4 large suitcases - maybe 25 inch ones - and if we have to pile them in the back then the back window would be blocked.

We are arriving at FCO, but won't need the car until the end of our Rome visit to drive to Sorrento. Plus, we have been told that there really isn't any place to park near where we are staying.

Today, we will re-visit the car and decide. I also found a better rate with Kemwel if we go with the Nissan.

Thanks for your A180 advice!

Marianna,
You are most welcome. I think that you might play it safe by going with the larger car. You may then find, for a later trip as we did, that you could have managed with the A180 and then try it next time!!

If I can add a few more questions...

1. How many standard carry-on luggages can we fit into the trunk, without obstructing the rear view of the driver? Can it fit 5?

2. Is there a cover for the trunk space, so people cannot see what's in the trunk from the outside?

Thanks in advance

I cannot think of a European hatchback or estate car (station wagon) that dos not have a removable cover for the luggage area. You can remove the cover and stack the luggage higher, but then it will be visible from outside, whether or not it obstructs the driver's rear view.

Most people keep the luggage cover in place, unless they have a lot to carry. This doesn't matter if you are simply driving from one place to another, but it may worry you if you have to park in a place where you think car thieves may be operating.

How many passengers will there be? Personally, I would not want to have driver + 4 passengers + luggage in a Mercedes A class. I also think that Americans overstate the problems of driving in Europe. Most European cars are bigger than an A class, and are driven without difficulty on all types of roads. For 5 people, I would prefer a Renault Scenic or a VW Passat or equivalent.

Also remember that few car hire companies will guarantee a particular model.

Thanks for the reply. We have 4 people, with luggages probably equivalent to 5-6 carry-on suitcases. I was going to rent something bigger. But a friend of mine told me it will be easier to park if I can rent something like A180.

OK--if you want to get the A180 for parking just leave 2 of your party at home. You want a Passat wagon at the least--maybe a van.

What are people's thoughts on the A180 for a party of 2? Figure maybe 1 medium-sized suitcase (think just too big for overhead space on a plane) and then another either medium-sized one or a overhead-sized rollerboard?

We loved ours for a party of two. Your luggage will fit in the back and be covered. It is a peppy car that you can park anywhere. Reserve it!