will renting a luxury car in Italy put me in danger?
 

I usually rent a BMW or porshe when I am in switzerland. I do not want to sound like a snob but I do enjoy riding a nice car. This trip I am going to Italy and would like to drive from place to place. Will it be safe to rent a nice car?

WE just returned from Italy. Hertz upgraded us to a Jaguar... drove it for 10 days and didn't seem to attract any attention. Don't know about a Porche.

Read this recent thread that asked very nearly the same thing. And try www.zephyrus.it (if it scratches the right itch for you).<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Question to Rex: You are such an expert. I just read the previous post, especially from BADIDEA, it scares me a little bit. I will pick up a brand new SL500 (US spec/standard) next fall and plan to use it for 3.5 weeks in Germany/Austria/Swizerland then ship it back to US. I do not expect I will have any problem with break-in there. Should I? How about bringing it into Venice and nearby towns? Any carjack or even get the whole car stolen?<BR><BR>JJ

I am not sure what you mean by calling me "such an expert". I have never driven a car that I owned in Europe. I have never driven a car with a purchase price of over $40,000 in Europe.<BR><BR>I would not drive any vehicle that I owned without COMPLETE REPLACEMENT insurance, from any of several kinds of potential casualty losses.<BR><BR>I do not think that anything will happen to your car in Italy.<BR>

toppers<BR>

i see many luxury cars when i travel to italy. i spent alot of time in <BR>the small village of my family and there were bmw's, mercedes, alfa romeo<BR>(sp?), audi, etc. in this small area.<BR>this is also true when we travel on<BR>the autostrada from rome to the adriatic coast. many many mercedes.