Help! Picking up a rental car on a Sun?
 

Hello,

Some friends are going to Italy and I have been helping them plan.

They will be leaving Rome on a Sunday and need to pick up a rental car for use in the Chianti area for the next week. I know many on this board recommend taking the train to Orvieto to get the car. I suggested this to them, but they have discovered the rental car agency is not open on Sunday.

Will this be the case for all rental car agencies? Or can someone suggest another town in route they could train to? Or should they just train to somewhere close to Radda (where they are staying) and get a car Mon? If so, where would be closest? Or just get the car in Rome?

Thanks so much, as always, for any help!

In small cities/towns rental car agencies won't be open on Sunday and will often have reduced hours on Saturday. They will also be closed from around 12-3 or 4. There should multiple choices on Sunday in Rome or Florence.

No trains to Radda and most bus services are reduced on Sunday also. I would just plan to get the car in Rome.

Yes, get the car in Rome---not bad driving out on Sunday. Take the location at the Borghese parking garage or on via Veneto---not at Termini.

You both are the BEST!! Thank you so much.

If your friends freak out at the thought of driving in Rome (though it's not bad on a Sunday, from the locations that Bob mentioned), they could pick up their car at the FCO airport, and it's an easy drive from there to Chianti.

We picked up our rental car on a Sunday in Rome on via Veneto as Navigator Bob recommends. It was easy driving out to the north and on to Tuscany.

Thanks all! I think they will be fine - they were more freaking out at the thought of not being able to get a car on a Sunday. I really appreciate the quick responses - they leave in four days (do not even get me started on waiting to the last minute and the snags they are running in to.) :(((

This is a question, I suppose mainly for Bob the Navigator. Why do you suggest picking up a car at Borghese garage or Via Veneto rather than the airport? We are planning to pick up a car in Rome but will need to drop it off at Ciampino. Any thoughts?

The OP was already in Rome and those are downtown locations---why go out to either airport---on Sunday especially. Return makes no difference in this case--take your pick.