We are a family of 11 people and were thinking of renting 3 Mercedes C Class automatic cars through Sixt, versus renting a mini-van. Ive read that mini-vans are a big no-no in Italy. My question is, if you have rented it in Italy/Europe before, would you recommend it? We plan on having 3-4 adults in each vehicle and we each plan on bringing luggage (no bigger than a 25"). Do you think the car has enough trunk capacity to fit about 3-4 luggages in it? What other cars do you recommend?

Yes, we rented one in Lisbon for four adults. For driving and getting around it was terrific. The only issue we encountered was getting back to the airport. We had not all arrived at the same time so we didn't have a problem with luggage coming in. But we were all leaving at the same time so we had to fit four large bags in with a couple of carry ons and it was extremely difficult. Two of the suitcases had to go into the back seat with two passengers. Fortunately we were only about 30 minutes away from the airport. I would recommend that at least one of your vehicles be a station wagon/hatchback type or even a small SUV with ample space in the back compartments.

Great car for driving and I also like their GPS system. We have rented the E-Class and was able to put two 29" in the back. Do was corayesq suggested get one station wagon/hatchback type of car.

Have a great trip!

I've never heard that mini-vans (or people carriers as we call them here) are a no-no. Why was this said?

With 4 people or more per car I always suggest a wagon. Even a mid-size wagon will work and certainly be less than the Mercedes. The insurance on Mercedes is always very high because of theft in Italy. Rememeber, you are contracting for a CLASS of car, not a model. Compare $$$ at Kemwel.

We now rent station wagons everytime we travel to Europe. We rent in Switzerland, however, and if you do rent a Mercedes in Zurich (we did it one time) you are not supposed to take it to Italy!

There was one other trip, which was only to Germany and Holland, where we rented a van for more space. Four adults plus baggage, plus German friends who rode along with us on day trips so we could all be in one vehicle together. We appreciated the space.

I think the reason the van might be a no-no for Italy is the size of the vehicle, and the possible difficulties with parking, and also driving into some of the hilltop towns with the very narrow and often winding streets. We have had problems with our station wagon in places such as Orvieto (the old hilltop town).

I would think that the 3 C-class automatics would be fine. Just try to pack 'light' if you can.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all your input.

@Lifeman- I've come across a few posts here in Fodors of people not recommending a mini-van given that a lot of roads in Italy are very narrow. In particular i read a post of someone getting their van stuck between two stone walls, LOL!

@Bobthenavigator- The only reason im renting a Mercedes is because its the cheapest automatic i've come across. The station wagons are actually more expensive. Ive searched countless websites (Kemwel included) and Sixt was the only one that offered anything near my budget (and thats with me trying to pinch pennies). However, if anyone can find/recommend a cheaper method, by all means, please share! I like to travel on a budget, so would appreciate any advice on cutting costs

Where do you pick up---and drop?

According to Sixt's site, the MB C Class should hold 3 larger and 2 smaller bags. (Car Class: FDAR, Country: Italy).

http://www.sixt.com/php/fleet

Kemwel recommended this as the cheapest automatic car for Italy.

Cafegoodess--re the GPS system--sounds like it is included IN the car? So we dont have to rent a separate one? thanks, if you get a chance to see this.

We rented one in Belgium and fuond the following:

The trunk does not have enough room for luggage for 4 people
You will have to have at lest one large bagin the car with you
With 4 people in it (never mind luggage) - or even 2 - it has the pick up of an underpowered Honda Civic

My SIL took it one day to visit another town while the guys stayed behind and even with just the 2 of us I had trouble getting it up to highway entrance speed (they must use a much smaller engine than in the US model)

Also it handles like a sofa on wheels.

My reco is to do something that has more room and a much bigger engine

CaliNurse,

Yes the GPS system is included.

@bobthenavigator- im picking up and dropping off at FCO.

@CaliNurse- my reservation with Sixt included GPS so i didnt need to rent one in addition. Which is another reason why i thought i was getting a pretty good deal with Sixt.

I just reserved my two cars and got confirmation #s but on my third car they said it was unavailable and i would have to try again later. Im assuming they're getting sold out on that class availability. Im hoping i can confirm my third car with them...it'll suck having to split up at the car rental counter.

Interesting... if you look at Sixt's fleet page, the luggage capacity for the MB C Class car is different for different countries!

Honestly the best thing is to bring a measuring tape to the local Benz showroom so you can get the exact trunk dimensions in terms of height to figure out if you can fit 4 suitcases sideways. I just bought my wife the most recent C class and the trunk didn't look that big to fit 4 medium suitcases, I'd measure for you but unfortunately we're in Rome now.

DAX- i was thinking of doing the same thing. But i read somewhere online that US Benz dimensions vary greatly from European Benz dimensions...do you know if that's true? I measured my brother's Audi A4 assuming the C Class will probably be the same size- and i was able to fit 4 medium bags in his trunk (as i read online that the european benz had a similar size trunk)...but then again im not too sure.

Hope you're enjoying rome though! Are you also renting a C Class in rome?