petepat

I could use some advice regarding renting cars in Florence. We want to rent a small car to use for 3 days while we are in Tuscany. We will be arriving by train from Rome and picking up the car on a Wednesday afternoon and dropping off the car on Saturday. From there we will be continuing on to Venice with some friends who already have a vehicle. Should we try to pick the car up in the city of Florence or catch a connecting train and rent it at the airport? I assume that it would be easier to pick it up in the city, but also assume that it would be easier to drop it off at the airport since we are not staying in Florence, but staying in Pistoia about 30 minutes away. Some rental companies charge an extra fee for pick up at one place and drop off at another, even if they are close. Are there rental places right at the train station? ..close to the train station? .. and if so are they close enough to walk to? Any help will be appreciated.

ira

Hi pete,

Have you looked at
http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/ or
http://www.novarentacar.com/

rex

<<Are there rental places right at the train station? ..close to the train station? .. and if so are they close enough to walk to?>>

No, in general (maybe one or two are now, but from my recollection they were not) - - I don't entirely understand why - - though they are close enough to walk. Ideally, without luggage (one person stay with the luggage, and come back and pick that person up).

Tehre was a recent reference (by "MaryFran" - - see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34521316) to the summary compiled by Pauline on slowtrav.com - - http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drivin...l_florence.htm

Best wishes,

Rex

Cicerone

IMO its easier to pick the car up at the airport. First of all it is easier to find the counter, so you also won't have to walk or taxi around Florence with your luggage looking for the car rental agencies, none of which seem to be in convenient locations. The airport locations always seem to be open later hours and on Sunday, if that matters. Also, if you pick it up at the airport you won't have to deal with the traffic and one way streets of Florence, where you aren't staying anyway. However, there is no train station at Florence airport, so you would need to take a taxi from the Florence train station to the airport. Good news is that it will take less than 20 minutes and cost less than 20 Euros. You can also take a bus, don't have info on that.

petepat

Thanks much to all of you for your advice. The info was VERY helpful. I am finding it much easier to make my decision now.

pete

dunnelli

Message: We dropped our rental car off in Florence near the train station in October. We rented from Hertz, and their office was two blocks from the train station. (And it was open on Sunday).

sandi_travelnut

The Avis office we used (thru AutoEurope) was located at 128R via Borgognissanti which is on the outskirts of the town, very close to the river and extremely easy to navigate to the highway. You literally had to make a few turns and you were on the Autostrada. If we ever rent again in Florence, that's the location we'll use.