My wife and I are trying to plan a trip with our 3 year old and 9 month old. We are thinking about flying into Rome, spending a couple nights, renting a car and then staying on an agritrismo in Tiscany. We would then fly back out o Rome or Milan and drop the car off.

How hard ard will it be to get an automatic car with car seats in October? Does anyone have experience renting from cars with car seats? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also, please comment on or overall plan if you see issues with the very general layout.

You will have to make a special request of the car rental company for a car seat and of course pay an extra fee. As I understand it, there is never a 100% guarantee of either an automatic or any extras like car seats, but in a big city like Rome I should imagine it wouldn't be a problem.

We always use AutoEurope. We live in NYC - have booked them (they search for the best prices and good advice about how much insurance, etc. to get). I have booked standard and automatic with good rates. They have a number to call and will confirm that you need a car seat.

Wonderful, thank you! Rates aren’t as much a concern as ensirrin car seats for my two kids. How reliable have their results been once you show up?

>>Rates aren’t as much a concern as ensirrin car seats for my two kids. How reliable have their results been once you show up?<<

AutoEurope is not a rental agency. It is a broker (and a very good one) based in Maine. They work with just about all the majors. But they don't provide the cars or the car seats -- that will be via Hertz, or Avis or Europcar or whoever you book. If you book car seats and an automatic you will most likely get them. Bu there are never any 100% guarantees. You improve your odds by picking up the car at and airport location where there are more cars and more automatics. If you rent from a smaller or city center location -- there will be fewer cars and if, say the previous renter returns an Automatic late or damaged, and they have to find one someplace else you'll be SOL or at least substantially delayed.

So yes - you can reserve an automatic and will probably get one.

And yes, you can reserve car seats - and will probably get them, but the only way to absolutely 100% guarantee would be to bring your own.

Before moving to Europe I was a die-hard AutoEurope fan for 35+ years, renting probably 100+ cars from them. There is no question that they are a superb car rental broker. But as I tried to point out, and janis has confirmed, no matter which car rental agency you end up with, and no matter whether you use a broker like AutoEurope or rent directly, there is never a 100% certainty of either an automatic or accessories like car seats. Rental cars are being picked up and dropped off and moved from one rental location to another all day long every day all over the Continent, and people cancel, and people extend their rentals, and people exchange one rental for another , and people return damaged cars - so the entire business is always in flux, meaning no 100% guarantees for customers. The best you can do is as has been described - rent from an airport or busy location; it wouldn't hurt to call that location the day before to check on your status, either.

According to this car rental review article https://www.apathtolunch.com/2014/12...for-italy.html , Avis now has guaranteed automatic car rentals available in Rome, Milan, and Venice. While AutoEurope may be the bast of the brokers, you are still just relying on a database fed by the car rental companies

All - thank you for the advice so far. We are going to be staying in Pienza so are now considering flying into Pisa. Will it be infinitely more difficult to get an auto with a car seat in Pisa?