Hi All,
I will be renting a car with a manual drive while in Italy in November (Automatic is way more expensive). I have driven a manual drive before but it has been around 3 years since I last did. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could rent a manual transmission car for a day or 2 in the US ( Chicago, actually). I'm sure I'll be okay after the first hour or so, but would love to do a dry run anyway. Thanks.

I think you should just go with the car you rented and take it slow to begin with. Every clutch is different, and if you were once proficient on a manual it should come right back to you.

Monica's right...sorta like never forgetting how to ride a bike.

I kind of agree with Monica. If you were proficient 3 years ago with a manual, you wil be fine.

If you "only drove a manual" for a short time , you migh benefit from a refresher....especially hill starts.

I loved driving the manual again (in France) after many years without one. Great fun! However, I would advise you to make sure they show you how to get in reverse before leaving the car lot. It was very different than the manuals in the U.S., and a man on the street had to show me how to do it, when I couldn't back out of a parking space! I think I was getting pretty panicky about that time. And I'm not the only one this has happened to! In a way, I don't blame you for wanting to practice a bit before you get there, especially if you'll be in hilly country. But you'll probably be just fine anyway.

Sue, I drive a manual now and always have. Every car we've owned has gotten into reverse a bit differently. I'm not sure there is a standard way anymore.

Asking how the reverse works is a good idea especially since some stick shifts have a "lock" against going in reverse, like, pushing the stick down (on my old Ford Sierra), lifting a ring below the knob (as on my fathers Ford Mondeo). And then you have the BMW's I've tried where you only need to use force, thus no "lock". That combination simply means asking the rental guy is by far the easiest solution, and then before you leave the lot practise a bit on getting the stick in reverse...

Sindre

I knew a guy who literally ripped by gearstick out of his rental Mercedes in Germany because he didn't know enough to lift the ring to get into reverse.

Every car is different. So, yes, just ask the rental people.

Thanks all for being so reassuring. Yes, I regularly drove a stick, but that was in India, so the gear stick was operated with the left hand!! Okay even that won't be hard to get used to because I'm used to both left and right hand drive and am comfortable switching between the two. However, it is the hills that concern me. Stopping at the top of a hill to take a left turn with a manual drive will go smoother if I could practice... Oh well, its hard to find hills in chicago anyway
Will just take it easy that first day and light a candle for everyone behind me on a hilly road

And thanks for the advice about the eccentricities of the reverse gear. I'll be sure to ask.

Everyone gave very good replies to this post but a weird thing happened to me last year in Europe.

We rented a car through AutoEurope to be picked up in Prague. Since I love my little sports car with a manual transmission I specifically requested a manual, not so much because it was cheaper but because I wanted to let loose on the Autobahn and I just feel more comfortable with a stick on hills and curves.

I had read on Fodor's how hard and expensive it was to rent an automatic so I was amazed when we arrived at Budget and were given an automatic for the same price as a manual - that was all they had, they said. I was really disappointed - this ever happen to anyone else?