Landing in Rome Early Oct
Can rent a car
ANY Suggestions How to Rent- Direct or thru Delta, etc?

Where are you headed?
I prefer to go straight through the rental agency, such as Hertz, etc., but people rave about AutoEurope.

No firm plans- Tuscany / Val D Orcai
Since arriving from US, may spend the night in Rome.
Previously, we visited Rome so no need to spend alot of time there. Prob 1 night in and 1 night at departure.

I prefer to rent through AutoEurope, and usually book a Hertz car so I can get Gold benefits (free extra driver, free wifi unit, or whatever specials Hertz may have).

I think whether you rent and drive on arrival depends on where you're going. FCO to somewhere in the Val d'Orcia would be about a 3-hour drive which is a bit long when you would be less than 100% alert. But I also wouldn't go into Rome for just one night on arrival. I'd head to somewhere in the direction of VdO, like Lake Bracciano which is about an hour's drive from FCO.

I have rented both direct from Hertz, Avis, etc., and through AutoEurope. I go with the best deal.

I haven't seen Hertz being available through AutoEurope in Italy in some time. Perhaps they stiffed AutoEurope during their bankruptcy. In the past, we have generally found AutoEurope rates to be better than going direct, and we like the idea of having insurance included, without surprises, at the rental desk. We are doing a one-month lease (they offered it for as little as three weeks), beginning next week in Rome, on a new car for much less than a rental. AutoEurope has been offering such deals through Renault, Citroen and Peugeot. Expect some price shock with rental car prices.

I try to rent from a corporate location instead of franchise. I've had issues with franchise locations in the past in Italy (particularly Orvieto).

I think it would be more of a hassle to pick up a car in Rome and then attempt to get out of the city (there have been threads on this). I would pick up at the airport and head up the coast a bit and stop somewhere on the way to Tuscany (perhaps Tuscania).