Where possible always rent with the company directly from their website for 2 reasons:
1 Third party usually have slightly cheaper rates as their coverage often doesn’t cover as much as the company itself.
2 If any claims are to be made and you’ve gone through a third party you first need to make the payments before requesting a refund (which isn’t easy).
If for example you only take out a basic coverage and you need to replace a whole car:
ask yourself whether you’ve had 30k to spend before requesting it back (if you get any back) Car model
- When you book you book a category (often represented by a visual on the site saying BMW x3 OR SIMILAR in small print).
And as cars are constantly churning you’ll only have access to those available from the category, not the specific model you saw in the photo. - The company can only offer you a car from your category or above, not below.
- Check what models are in your category: there are certain areas (such as south of Rome where certain models are not used (such as BMWs, due to their high market value on the streets so pieces go missing all the time).
- IF you are planning on taking the car outside of Italy you will need to check what cars in your category are allowed (for example in some cases, BMWs and Mercedes are no allowed into Slovenia, which is a common problem in rental places such as Venice).
- Insurance – Again, book from the provider to get a no payment solution.
- Most people only book limited coverage, but it often doesn’t include tires and glass which is a common area of damage.
- Check with your provider: even fully comprehensive is not always fully comprehensive in southern Italy and due to the high crime rate you could still be liable up to a certain amount.
- If you do want fully comprehensive, book the basic package on the website and then get them to add it on at the desk. As sales agents are paid commission for upsells on insurance they’d often be likely to get you a better deal or even upgrade your car in return.
Pick up
- Car bookings are forfeited after 1 hr of wait time as a no show.
o If it’s low season then the agents MAY take the time to check the status of your flight and offer you the car on a late arrival anyway, but it cannot be guaranteed, especially in peak season when cars are extremely scarce.
To mitigate try phoning the branch and telling them you will be late. It can’t be guaranteed but they MAY okay it for a late pick up. - Always take the time to check over a car before driving away
– branches have to meet incident objectives and that means that at times they’ll be pushed by above to seek cause regardless. – Many people think that as they have a car booked, there is a long line of them sitting in the garage waiting to be picked up.
Actually car rentals work by a revolving door policy:
as old cars are being returned they get checked and cleaned just in time to be rerented.
So expect delays as the agents wait for a car in your category to go through the process (sometimes by choosing a larger category car can mitigate this as they are more readily available than the smaller, compact options).
SO always factor in waiting times, I seen people wait up to 3hrs between queuing and waiting for their car to be serviced. - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get an international license if your license is not in English / EU, I’ve seen many drivers sent away without a car for this reason.
Drop off - Try to get there during office hours to get someone to check the car for you.
- Ask the provider if they offer a prepaid option. You can pay in advance for a full tank and return the car empty. It is usually more effective than refilling the car at a local service station, plus avoids having to find a station and refilling (especially if you’re tight on time for your flight).
In addition to the waiting and turnaround clause I’d also add that Milan Malpensa is by far the worst for that.
Booking – if you’re looking at flights and also want a car then remember that some airports have a cheaper clientele than others. But this isn’t exactly based on size.
For example in Bergamo you’re more likely to find budget re tala than in Malpensa. However, despite being small you’ll pay premium in Linate as it’s classified ‘business’.
At the same time if there are special occasions, even business fairs etc that you don’t know about prices get put up so shop around. sometimes it pays to look at flights and rentals contemporarily to see what works out cheaper overall.
Just a side note; but I (working in the business) would never leave without fully comprehensive cover. If you dont have the cash for the extra insurance, you sure don’t have it to replace the 50k car that’s just been stolen while in your care.
It’s important to remember that while it may only cost you a small amount to rent; they are giving you a very expensive piece of machinery which many people forget
Expect rates to be much higher than a couple of years ago. covid meant that a lot of companies has to reduce it’s fleet size significantly to cope as travel was at a standstill. While things are improving there is a lag on getting new cars out while also meeting the boom of customer demand
Oh and pick up Remember that drivers license, credit card must be in the name of the first driver and they must be present at the desk to pick up the car. I’ve seen too many people rock up without these items and they WILL NOT GIVE you the car
Not sure if you can add this : But it’s common knowledge from the inside that international companies are a better than the Italian alternatives as their procedures are more transparent and honest than Italian companies
- for as much as a car rental can be. (however I’d probably be done for defamation writing something like that) Oh but it’s important as the size and process means a lot when the Italian legal system means it’s really hard to get any money back. International companies aren’t as aware of how to ‘play’ the system “. Italian companies are.
Insurance – forgot to add – read the small print about how much you’re liable for and to what extent. For example I worked with one company and while they sold it as being liable for up to 1k, that actually only covers one area of damage.
Therefore the company would classify 5 scratches (even in the same area but to different items etc) as different liabilities and you could end up spending 10k Through liability alone
And just between you and me…. there is so much … and everyone hates car rentals because they are ‘dishonest’ but 99% of the time customers haven’t even bothered reading the basic T&Cs, let alone the full version.
Sales agents offer are there to also explain what you have bought and you’re current package (again, remember you’ll be sitting your ass on a 50k item) and people don’t even listen as they are afraid of being sold to. Listen, confirm and firmly decline anything you don’t want. Have any doubts, not sure what something means: ask. But arriving at the desk with your ears glued shut could put you at a disadvantage.