Car Rental Italy (Pisa)

Keedowah

Anyone have any recommendations for car rental in Italy?

Also - should I go for the optional insurances??

Run_to_da_hills

Keedowah wrote: »

Anyone have any recommendations for car rental in Italy?

Don't, they drive like lunatics over there and thats from experience. :eek:

Keedowah

So I hear... but its a bit of a necessity.

stratos

I flew to Pisa 2 years ago picked up a car I rented from Tiger Car rental on the web. they are based in Lucan and use Avis at the airport.
Everything worked out fine, I usually get the extra insurance.
I find the driving in Italy okay they beep a lot but it's more I'm here than get out of my way. The tailgating is something else, and they do tend to overtake even if you are the oncoming traffic so be ready to dive into the hard shoulder. But I have say to it's pretty easy to drive in Italy.It's a sort of organised mayhem. Now naples thats a different story.

ardmacha

Driving in Tuscany is fine, as said above Naples is a different from everywhere this side of Pakistan. Just know where you are going and don't dawdle. When there I just used Hertz who were linked to the Ryanair site.

pcardin

Last time I was in Italy I used Budget. That was stupid mistake. When we (me and my wife and kid) arrived @ 22:30 we got a surprise. Budget employee at the counter said that she haven't recieve any confirmation from Budget central booking office and that means that she can't give me any car. That was time when Milan Fashion Week was on. She didn't even care to help us somehow or something . Just said with cold face to us it is not her problem and declaed that she is closing after one hour. All the other car rentals were copleatly booked out as well. We got the car only 2 days after trough the harsh fighting with Budget Italy. Go for Hertz and don't take any optional insurances. Just mark on the scratches list every panel of the car. When you will give the car back you wont have problems.

-Chris-

I've used Holiday Autos both personally (in Italy) and professionally (for clients), can definitely recommend them.

unkel

Only ever go into the overtaking lane for overtaking and get the hell outta there once you're done. If you don't stick to that rule, you'll be driven off the road

gyppo

www.novacarhire.com are good, are based in Kerry, and are agents for Auto Europa in Italy.
I've used then twice from Pisa airport with no complaints.

However, be advised on traffic light camera's OP. I recently got a letter from Auto Europa informing me I recieved a traffic fine of 143E for breaking a red light outside Pistoia while I was there last august.

http://gizmodo.com/5146741/italian-traffic-lights-rigged-to-trap-motorists-in-the-red

Seems someone had a little earner going on!

Also, be very careful entering historical city centres, as its fairly easy to drive into a restricted zone and incur a fine.

Sorry if i derailed this thread, but if you havent been there before its something to be wary of.

Borzoi

Keedowah wrote: »

A
Also - should I go for the optional insurances??

Up to you, but never the hire companies, try an independent insurer like below, much cheaper

http://www.carhire-excess-insurance.com/index.htm?partnerID=null&partner=null

Big Nasty

I would be leaning towards that too!

-Chris-

Keedowah wrote: »

Also - should I go for the optional insurances??

Definitely.

I didn't, and when I returned the car Hertz spotted a big chip on the bonnet. They took hundreds of pounds from my credit card before I could even query it.

I'm 99.99999999% sure the damage wasn't done to the car while I had it, but as I didn't spot it and had signed the form to say the car was in good condition, I didn't have a leg to stand on.

ardmacha

With car hire always check the car and be careful of pickups in the dark or in the rain where you may not see scratches that stick out like a sore thumb in daylight.

Tillerman08

Looking at car rental myself in italy at the moment. Used Hertz before for last trip- total rip off. I haven't found cheaper than www.easycar.com.

Driving up around Pisa is fine. Have driven from Naples to Florence and I found that the further north you go the easier it becomes.

stratos

I used Easycar in switzerland a few weeks ago. They ripped me off for extra charges at the airport( I thought I had paid all the charges over the net). They have a customer care line which is useless, and the claim procedure is so complicated I gave up, even though they had an extra 90 euros from me. Be warned.