If you’re thinking about renting a car in Italy it is SO worth it! Every trip we’ve taken to Italy, we have rented a car to explore the beautiful country. At first, we were very hesitant from what we had heard and read online before our trips, but it wouldn’t have been the same experience if we didn’t have the car on those vacations! There are a lot of requirements for driving and renting a car, so we have put together the most important tips for renting a car in Italy.
1. Book Before You Leave
One of the most important tips for renting a car in Italy is reserving your car before you leave. There are many reasons for this. It is the best way to prepare for your trip and ensure that your vehicle is there when you require it. We also recommend putting a deposit down before your trip. While this takes away most cancellation options, it guarantees that you will have a car when you go to pick up your rental. Plus, you have way more car choices when booking in advance – we were able to get a convertible Fiat 500 on our first trip, which was PERFECT for cruising the Amalfi Coast!
2. Get an International Driving Permit
An International Driving Permit is 100% necessary if you are driving and renting a car in Italy and do not have a European Union driver’s license. In the US and Canada, you can get this from your local CAA or AAA within 10 minutes. Learn more about getting an international driver’s license for Italy.
3. Get Insurance
Another one of the more crucial tips for renting a car in Italy – we always recommend having car insurance, but especially when renting a car. Car insurance protects you if something happens while you are driving. You can purchase third party car insurance, but be cautious as not all rental companies will accept it. We recommend just getting insurance through the company you are renting with.
4. Understand Your Italian Car Insurance
When renting a car in Italy, there are a few different types of car insurance. We learned about these different types the hard way. The first time we booked online, we selected the general car insurance option. We were surprised (along with MANY other people) when we showed up to get our car and were asked to pay another €100 for CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) and TP (Theft Protection), which are required by Italian law. These are not optional, and the car rental companies aren’t required to show this cost online, so be prepared to spend a bit more when picking up your car.
5. Pay Attention During Car Inspection
Before getting in your rental car, you should always complete a full inspection of the vehicle (the rental company should enforce this, but if they don’t prompt you to do this, insist that they do)! Make sure any issues are noted – the smallest scratch or dent, if the GPS, AC, or radio aren’t working, etc. Take photos of anything that seems suspicious as well. Both the driver and the rental company associate should sign off on the inspection notes.
6. Get a GPS
We relied heavily on our GPS. There always seemed to be unplanned road closures, and we took a lot of wrong turns because of confusing signage. We also recommend having someone with you to keep an eye on the GPS. It’s important to have a good co-pilot who can watch the GPS so that you can focus on the road. Also, make sure the GPS works before even leaving the car rental agency – our car was supposed to have one built-in, but when we went to put in our destination, only half the screen worked. It took another 30 minutes to get a physical GPS, but it was a good back up to have! Eventually, the car’s GPS started to work, but it was essential to have the backup.
7. Be Aware of Speed Limits + Speed Cameras
While this may be one of the more obvious tips for renting a car in Italy, don’t speed. It may be tempting to try and keep up with the Italian drivers, but we don’t recommend it. It’s essential to be aware of your surroundings and how the locals are driving. Stay in the right lane, which is where slower traffic is expected to be driving. If the local drivers are suddenly slowing down, it likely means that there is a known speed camera; follow suit and slow down. Often you won’t see any traffic police as speeding is enforced by camera. You won’t find out you have a speeding ticket until you are home and the rental company is after you!
As for speed limit signage, maximum limits are red-framed circles, with black numbers on a white background. The blue signs with white numbers are the minimum speeds for that lane.
8. Be Prepared for Tolls
Like speeding, some tolls are enforced by camera. There are two options when you reach a toll:
- Telepass Lane – they will take a photo of your licence plate and send you a monthly bill – do NOT take this lane!
- Self-Service/Cash Only Lane – this is the lane you want to take. Be sure to have some change, as there isn’t always someone physically manning this lane!
Depending on the route you are taking, some roads will have what look like toll booths, but they just give you a ticket. Keep that handy; you’ll eventually reach another booth and will have to present that ticket and pay!
9. Parking in Italy
You are required to follow all parking and no parking signs. Italian police are extremely strict on where vehicles can be parked. If you are parked in a no-parking zone, it’s common for your car to be ticketed and/or towed. Also, good luck finding parking spots in most major cities! We recommend ensuring your hotel has parking and leaving your car there while exploring the city.
10. Petrol
Gasoline is also known as petrol in Italy. There are two options for getting petrol:
- Full service – someone will come and fill your car for you. Be careful; we went this route because we weren’t sure how to read the gas pump; however, we definitely paid way more than we should have. We thought we were safe picking an Esso gas station since it was a familiar company, but that didn’t seem to make a difference!
- Self-service – you fill your car yourself – this may be a bit more challenging but could save you money.
We did have a bit of difficulty finding petrol stations, or at least getting into the stations, so always give yourself extra time to fill up before your car reaches empty. Both Fiat’s we rented had excellent gas mileage – we only had to fill up once when we drove the entire Amalfi Coast from Naples. When we drove through Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria, and Switzerland, we filled up four times, but had traveled more than 1500 miles (2500 kilometers)!
11. Size of Car vs. Amount of Luggage
This is very important when renting a car in Italy. Smaller cars will give you better gas mileage, which will help cut down on costs. A smaller car, especially in Italy, will also make it easier on the crazy roads and small streets. However, be careful, because small cars are small. We rented a Fiat 500, and it JUST fit our two 26″ suitcases, two carry-ons, and us! When choosing a car, keep in mind that a Volkswagen Jetta is considered a “larger” full-size sedan. A Ford F-150 would be a Monster Truck in Italy (and virtually non-existent to rent).
12. Manual vs. Automatic
Another tip when renting a car in Italy – be prepared to drive a manual car. When reserving our vehicle, we requested an automatic but still ended up with a manual – luckily, it did tell us when to shift gears! Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go back and request a different car as we had already waited about two hours to get the vehicle itself (despite having reserved an automatic car in advance), so be forewarned. We wanted the convertible Fiat 500, so we weren’t going to switch for a different, automatic car!
13. Choosing a Pick Up/Drop Off Location for Renting a Car in Italy
Not only is picking your car up at the airport likely to be busier, but it is often more expensive. Also, picking up and dropping off at different locations, while convenient, is more expensive (typically €100-200). Based on our Amalfi Coast itinerary, we arrived at Napoli train station and took their direct bus to the airport (where we rented our car from). We knew we had an early flight on our departure day, and wanted to be able to return the car directly at the airport. The Napoli airport also had more car choices, and we had our heart set on that Fiat 500 convertible! On our 1500 mile road trip, we scored amazing flight details in and out of Milan, so we opted to rent our car from the airport, and return it there as well!
14. Read the Fine Print
Carefully read all of the details in the reservation when booking in advance, and be extra careful if you are renting a car in person at the car rental agency. These details typically contain information on insurance, liability, and additional charges that you may incur.
15. Pay Upfront
Typically, when you reserve online, you’re purchasing the rental in your own currency. You’re also more likely to get a discount online, rather than over the counter. Though you usually lose cancellation options with this, as we mentioned, this is a better way to guarantee a type of car and shorten the wait (if that is important to you)!
16. Be Comfortable Driving
This is necessary. It may seem like one of the more obvious tips for renting a car in Italy, but you should be confident in your driving abilities. If you are at all nervous driving, driving in Italy may not be for you! Large vehicles always take priority – buses, trucks, etc. they will run you off the road!
Use your mirrors – especially when driving the coast, and in smaller towns. There are often mirrors on the road signs and tight corners/bends. If there is a mirror, use it! Always assume that a car is coming around the corner, even if you don’t see it.
17. Age Requirement
You need to be 18 years old to get an International Driving Permit, which is the age to drive in Italy. However, there’s a catch – you’re unable to rent a car until you are 21. In addition to that, if you are 21-24, some Italian car rental companies will charge you an additional “Young Drivers Surcharge”.
18. Who’s Allowed to Drive the Car?
When renting a car in Italy, the person who rents the car and signs the paperwork is the only person allowed to drive the vehicle. If you think someone else may also be driving, make sure they have an International Driving Permit, and all are on the rental car agreement. Most companies will allow multiple drivers but may charge extra.
19. Do the Rental Companies Speak English?
Yes – 100%. You should have no concerns regarding this, especially if you have picked a known company! Your contract/agreement should also be in English.
20. Booking Sites/ Companies for Renting a Car in Italy
Most popular North American car rental companies are in Europe. If you are loyal to a specific car rental company (or have access to discounts), there’s a good chance they are in Europe. For us, we wanted a convertible Fiat for the Amalfi Coast and didn’t want to pay a lot. We found a great Italian car rental company, B-Rent, that we had no significant issues with (other than the massive wait, automatically manual car, and a questionable GPS…). But in all seriousness, we’d rent from them again to get that convertible Fiat! In Milan, we rented our car from Europcar and had no issues.
21. Can I Drive to a Different Country?
Yes and no – car rental companies have different policies when it comes to driving in another country. If you plan to take the car into another country, even just for a leisurely drive, make sure you talk this through with the rental company. If you want to pick the car up in Italy, and return it in another country, expect to pay the price. Most rental companies prefer you to return the vehicle where you picked it up; even returning the car to another city in the same country can raise the price! Lastly, if you are driving into another country, check if you need a vignette (a fancy sticker you buy for your window). These can be purchased at most gas stations, especially those near the borders.
22. Vespa vs. Car
We tried both while in Italy. Before our Chianti Wine Tour, we read that if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a Vespa. While for some, this may be true, we recommend having experience operating a motorized bicycle, moped, or motorcycle first. If you’re concerned about driving in Italy, you definitely don’t want to use a Vespa instead. Our recommendation is to rent a car in Italy. Yes, riding a Vespa is a fun experience and a great way to get around, but be cautious!
23. Consider Taking the Train Instead
Closing with our final tip for renting a car in Italy, think of using the train system! We love using trains in Europe as a way to get around! They (usually) move fast and are super reliable. While we’ve had a BLAST driving the Amalfi Coast in our little convertible Fiat 500, we would highly recommend using a train to see the beautiful countryside in the rest of Italy.
When renting a car in Italy, there are a few important things to consider, especially when choosing a car. Be cautious as we found that you won’t always get the EXACT car you are expecting. At the end of the day, have fun, take in the beautiful landscape and remember to read the fine print!
Do you have any other tips for renting a car in Italy? Let us know!
