My daughter is renting a car for our trip to Tuscany. Friends have told her a GPS in the car is a necessity as it is very easy to get lost. Has anyone found this to be the case? Also she says she doesn't need an international drivers license in Italy, but auto Europe(Avis) strongly recommends it. Any help on both questions would be appreciated.

There have been several threads on this very question recently---not necessarily about Tuscany, but about GPS system in Europe. While waiting for replies here you may want to do a search for GPS and read those discussions.

There are many different opinions on this subject; here's mine: I have taken three significant European driving trips in the past two years; I cannot imagine doing one without GPS. They are now built into some rental cars, but you can also rent a portable version for 5-10 Euros/day if your car is not equipped. Definitely worth it. Could potentially save you hours of being lost (though that can sometimes be fun).

There is no downside to having GPS (other than the relatively modest expense), and plenty of upside.

Why would anyone have doubts about the IDL when an auto rental agency "strongly recommends" one?

Oh, she won't need it until someone asks to see it. Will they ask? That's the question you need an answer to.

fishskis. where do you rent one? We are driving through Provence and I am interested in renting one.

I've done several posts here on what a positive experience it was for my wife and me to have the portable GPS unit we rented with our AutoEurope car on our last trip to Italy. Recommend this excellent post about using a GPS from SlowTravel's web site.. http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/gps.htm

Hi B,

An IDP is required in Italy.

See http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34821755

No one needs a GPS, although some have found it useful.

Yes- Tell her to rent a car that includes a GPS system if she can! Very helpful!! And get the Int. Drivers License.
Vino

We have Tom Tom (I think it´s a Dutch GPS) who talks to us in classy English. We call her Perdita because of the number of times she has tried to take us on some ludicrous route. I think the worst thing she ever tried to do to us was to tell us to "turn left now" as we were disembarking from the ferry. It would have entailed a 20 ft drop into the sea.

Getting the form: $0, Printing a photo: 30 cents: Postage: 39 cents postage, License $10, Freedom from worry : Priceless

The international drivers license can be obtained for $10 at AAA. Forms can be downloaded from their site. Always get one but have never been asked for it.

We just returned from Switzerland/Germany using a GPS for the first time. It was a great experience -- never opened a map the entire trip.

We were in Tuscany a couple of years ago, and got by using a map, but my wife was constantly looking at the map then looking for the turn. It can be done, but be sure to get a 1:200,000 scale map, at the minimum.

Judyrem, If you are renting from Hertz, they rent them directly from the location; though not all locations have them, so check and reserve beforehand. Auto Europe rents them as well. I am not familiar with the other rental companies.