Is it safe to leave luggage in a garaged rental car?
 

We are renting a car by the month (FYI, Avis for less than AutoEurope), but don't want to necessarily bring all our bags into our various hotels every night - plus we are taking a boating trip for 10 of those days and space is of concern. When we go boating, we plan to leave our "city" luggage locked in our car in a garage in Ancona. Will that be a problem? I sure don't want to lose all my "city clothes."

It would be best if you could back up the car against a wall in the garage so that the trunk cannot be opened easily.

Someone here gave me good advice last year... when you have luggage in your trunk, find a parking garage that has walls or a fence. Back into the parking spot very close to the wall so that your trunk cannot be opened.

No, I would not leave the luggage or anything visible in the car. I'm certain thieves know how to spot a rental vehicle and unfortunately think that this has been rented by "rich" tourists.

Honestly, is it ever safe? Why risk leaving things? A car left alone for 10 days may bring unwanted attention. You may be just fine, but there's no guarantee.

I would consider packing less so that I can carry everything on to the boat. If this isn't possible, then I would leave only those things behind that I wouldn't be upset over losing.

I wouldn't.

Pack less and no worries.

I've never read of anything being stolen from luggage storage areas in Italian train stations. The station in Ancona has luggage storage. It will cost you a few Euros per day, but it might be worth it.

It's usually cheaper to lease a car if you need one longer than 17 days (minimum lease time).

http://goeurope.about.com/od/leasing...sportation.htm

http://europeforvisitors.com/peugeot-leases.htm

It can be safe but there are a couple of rules

1) nothing must be visible in the car
2) you cannot put things in the trunk in or near the garage. Stop on the highway a long distance from the garage - as in the previous town - and load everything in the trunk there. When you park the car be careful to obviously remove everything in it - even newspapers or maps etc.
3) park with the trunk backed against a wall

If at all possible I would have a hotel you're staying at before or after hold the luggage for you.

Excellent advice by Zerlina. That's what immediately sprang to my mind, too.

Have to agree that I like the luggage storage at the train station for such a long period of time over leaving it in the trunk. I was only doing it during an overnight trip in Assisi.

Ditto Zerlina. Rumor in Holland when I lived there was that many makes of autos had but a few key cuts for the trunks. One key fit many trunks, and you know who has that key.

Extra luggage, ask at the hotel you are departing from or will be staying at afterwards to hold your luggage or at the luggage storage office at the train station. I would never leave anything in a rental car. And all the Italians I know in Italy would not either, rcartinc.

Thank you! I like the idea of renting a locker at the Ancona Train station. Back to the Ancona garage...is there a recommendation where to park our car safely for that length of time? It appears on the web that there is only one franchise. And of course, we want to be close to the ferry docks.

Thanks again for all your responses.

Every major "secure" garage I've ever parked at in Italy, and that's quite a few, had a HUGE sign saying they weren't responsible for theft...so there you have it.

Well, garages just have those signs - not only in Italy! That's merely a (doubtable) attempt to decline any liability, but it doesn't say anything about how dangerous or not it is to leave anything inside the car. It all depends on which part of Italy we're talking about. There are regions (and even cities) in Italy where I have left things in the car for several days even when the car was parked in the street. And there are regions where I wouldn't be worried to leave also some luggage, if the car was parked in a garage - but not in Ancona, which is a major port and kind of seedy.

rcartinc, lockers are no longer used (bomb problems). It's a luggage storage room, deposito bagagli in Italian.

OK, so my question is WHY are you paying the money to have "possession" of a car for TEN!!!!! days during which you are paying for the priviledge of PARKING it?

My wife and I determined decades ago that the only things we ever leave in a car overnight are those which we are prepared to lose.

A few years back I read on this forum that wise people in Spain just leave their cars unlocked. When I asked a friend in Madrid about that approach he replied that the seats would get stolen.

Dukey, really?