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Renting a car in Italy is the best way to explore this beautiful country. Having a car gives you great freedom to get off the traditional tourist tracks and see hidden gems that aren’t usually accessible by public transport. From the Saturnia thermal pools in Tuscany to the breathtaking mountain ranges in the Dolomites, you can see it all. You will save so much time on having your own car, as you can choose when to drive instead of planning your trip around public transportation timetables. You will also be able to add locations as you go or maybe you will just stumble upon them as you drive past. Italy is filled with quaint little villages with the most friendly locals and delicious food. An Italian road trip will give you the opportunity to see the lesser visited Italy which is incredibly charming. Continue reading to see all my tips for renting a car in Italy. 

When you shouldn’t rent a car in Italy

Don’t rent a car if you only plan to spend time in bigger cities! Having a car there will only cause you a headache when navigating the narrow streets, high traffic load, and restricted driving zones, as well as parking, is very restricted. It is also a very high chance that you will get a nice little bump on your car as well since the Italians aren’t exactly known for being the best drivers. See my post about driving in Italy to find out everything you need to know to drive safely in Italy.

Things you need to know before renting a car in Italy

Requirements for renting a car in Italy 

The minimum age for driving in Italy is 18 years old, but for renting a car many rental companies require you to be at least 21 years old. The rental companies want to make sure they are renting out to a responsible person so most of them will charge a higher fee if the driver is under 25 years old. 

To rent a car in Italy you also need to show your driver’s license. People living in a non-EU-country also need an International Driver’s Permit. The IDP isn’t a substitute for a conventional driver’s license, but an official document that certifies the validity of an existing license from your home country, which means you have to bring both. 

You will probably need a credit card to rent a car in Italy since most rental companies will put a hold on your credit card as collateral. Holds can range anywhere from a few hundred euros up to +1000€ in some countries so make sure you have the room till your credit limit. 

Car rental insurance is basically a requirement in Italy as the car rental company won’t let you leave without it. I recommend taking out the additional insurance to cover all damage to your car and I also recommend a theft cover. My advice is to add car insurance when you book your rental car online as it won’t be cheaper at the desk. If you want to consider other alternative insurances, insurance4carhire has a really good one that also can be used during the entire year. With insurance like this, be aware that you will have to pay the cost in case of an accident but that you will be fully reimbursed afterward.  

How to save money when renting a car 

Most people imagine that renting a car in Italy will be very expensive but that is far from the truth. Actually, renting a car in Italy will be cheaper than in most other countries in Europe and with some smart choices you might save more than you think. I have five tips I always follow:

• Picking up the rental car in a bigger city is always cheaper than renting a car from a small town in the countryside, so make use of the fact that you will land at an airport in a bigger city.
• The airport is always the best place to pick up your rental car. But what if you wanna spend some days in a bigger city before you venture out? Of course you can! Just make your way out to the airport to pick up the car at a later time. There is loads of transport to and from the airport and it’s usually not that expensive or difficult to navigate. In this way, you will avoid driving in big cities (which you’ll want to avoid) and your rental time will be shorter and therefore probably cheaper. 
• One-way rentals are always more expensive than picking up and dropping off at the same place. Therefore, you should always opt for a road trip that starts and ends in the same city. Money spent on airplane tickets will mostly be cheaper this way too! See my 2-week Lazian road trip itinerary for some inspiration.
• Booking in advance is another way you can save loads of money. The prices for booking a car when you arrive or 48 hours before are really expensive. My advice is that you book your car at least 2 weeks before you arrive, but preferably 1 month before. 
• Most rental car companies have an additional fee if you want more than one driver. It’s therefore most cost-effective to only have one person drive during the whole road trip. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing because the more you drive, the more confident you get as well. 

Find the right car for Italy

Most of the rental cars in Italy are manual. If you are not confident driving a manual, be sure to book an automatic car. Be aware that you usually will have to pay more for an automatic car than a manual one since manual cars are more common in Europe.

If you want to ease the driving a bit more my tip is to go for a smaller model just to have some extra elbow room. Many roads and mountain passes in Italy can be very narrow. Go for a mini, economy, or compact car as these cars are often cheaper to rent as well since they’re the most common car types in Italy. The Italian car brands usually have smaller models, so why not rent an Italian car in Italy? You will for sure look like a local. However, my suggestion is that you always go for a car with four doors, just cause it’s more convenient and will get you more space for luggage. 

If you want to treat yourself, a fun splash to the trip is to rent a convertible so you for sure can live the Italian dream. I don’t think anything beats exploring the Amalfi coast or Tuscany in a convertible? As mentioned earlier these kinds of cars will be more expensive but it will also add something extra to your trip. See different options below!

What to think about when renting a car in Italy

As soon as you have your dates and plans for the road trip set, you should go ahead and book the rental car. If you are booking a car with less than 48 hours in advance, your rates can skyrocket since you will be left with the more expensive options. Pre-booking your car online will secure you a better price and you are also guaranteed the car that you booked. 

There are numerous reputable car rental companies in Italy as well as smaller and more independent rental companies. To find the best price and deal, I always use RentalCars which is a price comparison site for rental cars. On this site, you will get a load of deals where you can scroll, compare and read reviews. If you would like to go with a lesser-known rental car company you should always read the reviews to make sure you won’t get scammed. My advice though is to take the reviews with a grain of salt since pissed people are more likely to write about their bad experience than the ones that actually were satisfied. 

It is however essential that you spend a little longer comparing the quotes on a like-for-like basis to avoid spending a lot more money than you plan on your road trip. Some car rental companies offer extremely cheap prices up-front but then try to make up the difference with stingy mileage allowances, onerous fuel policies, and a less-than-fair or transparent damage review process. The key areas to look at in the ‘rate details’ before you book are:

Unlimited mileage 

Some rental companies will try to limit the number of miles you can drive during your rental. If you know that you will be comfortable under the limit this will not be a problem for you at all. Just be sure to investigate this before you book your rental car. 

Deposits

As mentioned before, most car rental companies will put a hold on your credit card as a deposit against damage. This will all be returned to you after the rental period is over if the car is returned in the same condition as when it left. 

Young drivers surcharge

Most car rental companies will add an extra surcharge for drivers under 25 years old as they, just like insurance companies, prefer older drivers as they have more experience and tend to be less accident-prone. Keep an eye out for this extra charge if you are under 25 years old.

24 hour periods

The cost of car rental is based on 24-hour periods which is why you should plan your pick-up and drop-off times strategically. If you pick up your rental car at 10 in the morning the car is supposed to be back before 10 in the morning on the day of return. If the car is returned at 10.30 that day you will have to pay an extra day of rent, not half an hour. Planning this to line up can be hard if your flights are planned to arrive and depart at different times of the day. There is also always a chance that your flights might be delayed. If the difference isn’t big for a day extra, I would consider booking it in advance as this charge might be higher on the day you are late. To make sure you are within the time limits my advice is to always return the car one hour before the agreed time slot as the return process might take a while as well. 

Fuel charges

Most companies will give you a full tank when you leave and then expect it to be full when you return it. First, the rental companies are very strict with what a full tank is, and second, the gas stations closest to the airport are always much more expensive. This is set up to be a trap. In Italy, it seems to be a custom that they never accept the tank as full and therefore you shouldn’t fill it up before you return it. You will then have to pay for two full tanks instead of one. 

Notification charges

This is a charge that the rental company will charge in case they have to notify you of driving offenses or speeding tickets. This charge can range from 30€-80€ so make sure you are up to date with all traffic rules in Italy. Read my post about driving in Italy to come prepared. 

Border crossings

Border crossings are not always included in the price so make sure to check this if you plan to cross a border. If it’s not included in the price there will be an additional fee when you pick it up or it might be a notification charge if they find out afterward. 

When you pick up the car 

Renting a car can be very popular in some destinations. If you visit one of these destinations, my tip is that one person stays to collect the luggage while the other one goes to find the rental car desk. In this way, you can hopefully avoid a very long line. If there is a very long line, so long that you might miss your pick-up time, it might be good to make yourself known to the staff so they don’t give your car away. Yes, this might unfortunately happen.

When you are finally taken to inspect the car you should act a little tough and not let the rental agent run you over. Be sure to point out the faults and stand your ground. Below is a few things that might happen and how to handle them. 

First, don’t be surprised if the car you are shown isn’t the exact model that you booked. It should however be a similar brand and model and if you get a totally different car than you booked, you should, of course, make a complaint. Most people in Europe drive a manual car so the number of automatic cars might be small at the rental company. Therefore, it might be a chance that you will get a manual car even if you booked an automatic one. If this is a big deal for you, you can always ask them if they have another car that is automatic. 

Second, when you get the keys you should do a thorough inspection of the car. The attendant should give you a paper of pre-existing damages and my tip is to take some time to go through them orally so the attendant understands that you are serious. Make sure to inspect the outside, paying particular attention to hubcaps, windscreens, and bumpers. Also, make sure to investigate the inside of the car for cigarette burns, other damage, or unclean areas. It is very common to find damage that hasn’t been noted before, so if you do make sure the attendant notes it down. Never assume that a scratch or ding is not important or big enough to note. The car rental company will blame all excess damage that isn’t noted before you leave on you, so doing a thorough job is for your own good. 

A big tip is to take several photos of the car. Take both close-ups and far-away photos of all bumps, scrapes, or scratches. You should also take photos of the whole car even though you can’t see the damage. Be sure to include pictures of the front, sides, backs, interiors, and close-ups of wheels, the windscreen, the roof, and the underside. You might find some more notes after you have left the car park and these photos can strengthen your argument. Before you leave you are entitled to a copy of the necessary updated and final car rental documentation and paperwork attached to the vehicle that the police might ask for. Store these documents in the glove compartment, and always take a photo of them as well and send it to your own email for backup. 

When you return the car

After you had a wonderful road trip it is time to return the car and hopefully get the full deposit back. This is usually pretty straightforward, but there are some things you should consider. 

Plan for your return

Plan to return your car at least 1 hour before the slot time and at least 2,5 hours before your flight departs as you don’t want to have to stress during this process. There is a chance that others will want to return their car at the same time and there will probably also be people picking up cars. You can not be sure that an attendant will be free when you arrive, so be prepared for some wait. If there is a long queue, do the same as when picking up. Let them know that you are waiting and which time you are supposed to have it returned. 

Fill up nearby

If you have chosen a deal with full to full fuel agreement you have to make sure that you don’t fill up too far away from the airport. When they say full tank, they really mean a full tank. If there is a fuel station closer than 20 minutes to the airport, this is your best bet. Otherwise, if you know you won’t be able to fill up the tank, it might be better to leave it as empty as possible since the Italian car rental companies probably will charge you for a full tank anyway.

Unpack and clean 

When you have parked, it is time to unpack and clean out the car. Be sure to go through all the spaces so you don’t miss anything and do a little dust down of the seats. It is not okay to return the car in a really dirty or unclean condition. Here, it is also good to take some photos of the car to avoid any sneaky business by the rental company once you’ve left. 

Be gentle at drop off

When you find a free attendant it is always good to tell them about how wonderful of a trip you’ve had with big smiles on your faces. The attendant will then review the car against the paperwork of previous damage and hopefully, you will be cleared. If everything is fine it is always good to confirm with them that no damage was made, that no charges will be made, and that the deposit will be returned in full. When this is done you can sign the paperwork and wave goodbye. 

If there will be damage, the return process will of course be lengthier, where you will have to discuss the damage and what the cost for it will be. Be sure to document everything and not leave with uncertainty about charges, processes, or insurance coverage. I have never returned a car with damage and hopefully, you won’t have to either. Taking it slow and trying not to stress too much about the other drivers is my tip. Being a little nervous, stressed, or panicked is totally normal and understandable but you can make yourself more prepared for driving in Italy by reading this blog post about exactly that. 

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I hope you enjoyed this guide about what you need to know when renting a car in Italy. If you have any further questions, just post a comment here below and I will get back to you.

If you are looking for more tips about road-tripping Italy, check out Road Trip Italy.

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