Car Rental in Italy

Inkyhead

Hi all

Any folks with experience renting a vehicle in Italy (or more specifically Sicily), just after a bit of advice from an Irish point of view.

I've spent the last few days reading through pages of horror stories on the Tripadvisor forums about people getting scammed/ripped off for car rental in Sicily.

The most common themes seems to be folks getting charged hundreds for damage they didn't cause; people not being fully covered by insurance if any damage does occur and ending up well out of pocket; dodgy suppliers/agencies charging and double charging tourist's cards on the sly, sometimes long after they've returned home.

Apparently a company called Sicily by Car is one to be avoided at all costs, among others.

Anyone rented successfully, without a hitch, and want to share how best to go about it? Also I need some kind soul to explain how to make sure I'm fully insured against damages.

Cheers

schemingbohemia

Not rented in Sicily but rented twice in Sardinia, once with a small local crew and once with Avis. No problems either time.

For renting anywhere, take your time examining the vehicle, take a gazillion photos (include the date on them) and point out anything, no matter how minor, that concerns you to the employee and draw them on the diagram and get them to sign off on them.

If you're totally paranoid you could bring the car to a car wash before returning it, that way and "marks" will wash off.

Also, read the conditions of your rental, even as an experienced renter I neglected to do this for the Euros and didn't realise we would be charged for over 3000km, it was only a small charge but I missed it.

Finally, remember everyone who had a good experience hiring a car in Sicily hasn't posted on Tripadvisor, only those that had a nightmare have.

cynder

We hired a car in Italy with hertz, there is an option where you pay do much a day and have 100% cover with little excess. It's worth it.

We had mo issues with hertz Italy infact they were better than hertz France.

coylemj

If you want peace of mind, pay the extra and rent from the big boys, they don't mess you around.

I rented from Hertz France a few weeks ago, the lady behind the counter in the airport said 'do you want insurance?', I said 'no' and she handed me the keys of the car. Left the car back a week later with a full tank, end of rental, no 'gotchas'. What you see is what you get.

veetwin

Friend of mine rented in Sorrento once and got an free upgrade from a small hatchback to a Mondeo. Then discovered it was a Mondeo Estate that was near impossible to park anywhere in narrow Italian Streets and much more difficult to negotiate around tricky corners. Smaller it seems is better in Italy.

Inkyhead

Would ye suggest booking online/by phone before leaving Ireland or when we arrive in Catania Airport...?

Also: do ya need a European Driving Permit or would I get away with my Irish license?

coylemj

If you're going to rent from the larger companies then you really need to book in advance, if for no other reason than to guarantee that there will be a car there ready for you.

The Irish driving licence is fine anywhere in the EU. It's actually the same format and colour as the French driving licence so you won't have any problems.

Inkyhead

Great thanks! One more thing: advisable if booking in advance to go via a broker like AutoEurope, or deal directly with Hertz or whoever? And online I presume.

coylemj

I never deal with brokers for hotels, car hire etc., too many stories of the intermediary going bust and when you arrive to the desk they have no reservation for you even though you've paid in advance.

Don't risk it is my advice. Deal direct (book online) and have the peace of mind that unless Hertz/Avis go bust in the next few days, you are guaranteed to have a nice clean car with a full tank of petrol waiting for you. Is it worth risking a complete fcukup of your holidays for a few euros on the car hire?

stargazer 68

Hey OP
We rented a car in Sicily in July with Avis/Budget. On our last night there we were in the hotel and got a call to come down as our car had been in an accident - albeit parked in the hotel car park!! Some muppet and had been flying through the car park, missed the bend in the road, hit the kerb and hit into the back of another car. The second car then shunted forward into another car and that car shot across the car park and into ours!! :eek: Yeah we couldnt believe it either!

Anyway police report etc that the first car was at fault and so on. Got to the airport the next day to return it and it cost us an extra 700 euro!! We had to pay up front and they will 'send it back' when the guys insurance coughs up!!!! The damage?? A bent rear licence plate!

Now the car was vital to our trip and would definitely recommend one but look into the details. They did offer us extra insurance when we picked the car up which we didnt take but I dont know if that would have helped to be honest!

gerrowadat

Rent from Hertz or Avis, and get the extra insurance if you want peace of mind. Driving in Italy is ****ing scary.

cynder

Book online, then check in online, you will need to enter your license number and pay by by c/c. you have to produce your license and the credit card or you booked with when you rent out your car, they will not give you the car without the c/c you booked with, they will take a pre auth of around 300 euro, if you do not bring the car back full of petrol or diesel they will deduct it from your c/c twice as much as a garage would charge.

Also when you pick up the car you will be asked if you want to upgrade your insurance, they will explain it in full, it's best to take out the extra cover, for peace of mind. I think our extra cover was around 10 euro a day.


I believe the c/c has to be in the name of the driver, we had an issue in France when I paid with my visa and my husband was the driver, I did phone them before and they sorted it but the couple next to us had to pay 100 euro and add her name to the car hire as a named driver..


It may sound like a lot of hassle but if you do it right it goes very smoothly.

MayoForSam

I have driven hire cars in Sardinia, Sicily and around Sorrento over the past few years and it's not for the faint-hearted but very doable. I have always booked online with one of the big companies (Hertz, Avis, etc.) and bought car hire excess insurance separately e.g. from http://www.worldwideinsure.com/

I've been lucky and not had any bangs or prangs to report, make sure you check for signs of damage on the car when you collect it first.

For a family of 4, a car the size of a Fiesta has suited us just fine, any larger and you might find maneuvering difficult, we got a Fiat Cinquecento one year and it was a bit too snug .

Inkyhead

MayoForSam wrote: »

A car the size of a Fiesta has suited us just fine, any larger and you might find maneuvering difficult, we got a Fiat Cinquecento one year and it was a bit too snug .

Good to know. And there's only two of us!

The thing is, I thought with a small little car like that you would run the risk of being bullied on the roads by the over-aggressive Sicilians. I read on another forum somewhere that it's good to have a bit of power for overtaking etc

jt_dublin

Hi InkyHead,

I was going to suggesting using Ebookers.ie. I have used them for car hire for many years now and have found them great to deal with. The good thing with them is that they tell you in advance which company you are booking from. With other car hire agents, you may not know which company until after making the booking, so you could end up with one of the smaller players.

I just checked the last 2 weeks in September from Palermo airport, and Ebookers gave Hertz as the cheapest (Eur 289), followed closely by Budget car hire(Eur 295). I then checked Hertz own website, thinking that they would be much more expensive, but strangely they offered the rental at the same price. Usually the agents like Ebookers can get you a better price.

So it might be best, as suggested by others here, to book directly with the carhire companies.

stargazer 68

Inkyhead wrote: »

Good to know. And there's only two of us!

The thing is, I thought with a small little car like that you would run the risk of being bullied on the roads by the over-aggressive Sicilians. I read on another forum somewhere that it's good to have a bit of power for overtaking etc

Some of the roads in sicily are so narrow the smaller the car is the better. Sicilians will run you off the road even if you are in a Sherman Tank

Inkyhead

Fiesta it is then!

cynder

Inkyhead wrote: »

Fiesta it is then!

We booked a fiesta, but when we arrived they said they only had fiats, hubby said we are not taking a fiat and they upgraded us to an opel meriva, brand new only 600k in the clock....

All the cars looked to be in very good condition.

jt_dublin

cynder wrote: »

We booked a fiesta, but when we arrived they said they only had fiats, hubby said we are not taking a fiat and they upgraded us to an open miriva, brand new only 600k in the clock....

All the cars looked to be in very good condition.

Most or all car hire companies will say "Fiesta or equivalent", meaning that they can give you an equivalent size car, size engine, number of doors etc..

One time I had booked a Ford Focus or equivalent in Florence, and they gave me a Lancia Musa. Italian made but not made for Italian hills... At one stage it was struggling so much to go up a hill in first gear that I thought I would have to ask my 2 fellow travellers to get out and give it a push :cool:

troyblue

i used hertz in rome last year ...no probs..i find economycarrentals are usually cheapest tho and i've never had problems also they do a zero excess
also i would recommend an auto ...no fun changing gear with right hand ..book the smallest on they have and you might get upgraded to merc a class diesel

Inkyhead

Question: Would I get away with not adding 'additional driver' to the rental when booking with Hertz? (but the two of us driving obviously)

belacqua_

Inkyhead wrote: »

Question: Would I get away with not adding 'additional driver' to the rental when booking with Hertz? (but the two of us driving obviously)

If there was an accident the unnamed driver wouldn't be covered by the insurance. Better off not risking it.

I rented a car from Europcar when I was in Sicily last year. Flew into Catania, picked it up at the airport. It was absolutely vital in order to get around the island, but as someone else mentioned above, driving in Sicily is not for the faint-hearted. At the risk of sounding like Jeremy Clarkson, they are the worst drivers I have ever encountered: indicators are used sparingly, if at all; their parking has to be seen to be believed; their habit of straddling both lanes of the motorway when overtaking is pretty disconcerting, especially when witnessed approaching from behind in the rear view mirror; it's what driving in Ireland must have been like in the 1960s. Good fun though.

Definitely get excess cover, I gambled without it but was very fortunate and had one or two close shaves: but no dings = no sweat when returning the car.

Inkyhead

Cheers! A couple of final issues:

-Booked the car for 10 days at a cost of €311.30 -includes Collision Damage Waiver whereby 'Non waivable excess' is €1000 (is the full €1000 only payable if car is totalled? Am I liable for the excess only, in all cases?)

-Optional 'Super Cover' is €177.87 per week (is this just to cover the excess? If so, it can be got a lot cheaper from a 3rd party no?)

-Optional 'Additional Driver' is €84.70 (Very expensive for something that it looks like you could get away without. Even if an accident occured I could just say I was driving surely?)

Thanks again folks.

coylemj

Inkyhead wrote: »

-Booked the car for 10 days at a cost of €311.30 -includes Collision Damage Waiver whereby 'Non waivable excess' is €1000 (is the full €1000 only payable if car is totalled? Am I liable for the excess only, in all cases?)

Your maximum exposure is €1,000 but if the damage is less and it's your fault, then you pay less.

Inkyhead wrote: »

-Optional 'Super Cover' is €177.87 per week (is this just to cover the excess? If so, it can be got a lot cheaper from a 3rd party no?)

I believe so (it's just to cover the excess), that sounds like a lot of money just to cover €1,000.

Inkyhead wrote: »

-Optional 'Additional Driver' is €84.70 (Very expensive for something that it looks like you could get away without. Even if an accident occured I could just say I was driving surely?)

Not worth the risk. You could be involved in an accident where the two of you are still in the car when the cops arrive because the doors are jammed or you're both injured at which point nobody will ask who was driving because you'll still be in your seats.

I can't understand why they charge at all for this facility. From an insurance perspective there is less risk of an accident if there are multiple drivers because there's less risk of driver fatigue (you can share the driving on long journeys) or drink driving (you can take turns being the designated driver).

bamboozle

good thread to read as we're hitting Sicily soon and were not aware of the local driving talents!

not wishing to side track the thread but can anyone advise what the weather is like in October? am hoping for low '20's during the day and a jumper needed in the evening.

jt_dublin

bamboozle wrote: »

good thread to read as we're hitting Sicily soon and were not aware of the local driving talents!

not wishing to side track the thread but can anyone advise what the weather is like in October? am hoping for low '20's during the day and a jumper needed in the evening.

Hi Bamboozle,
Have a look at Weather Underground. You can choose your location and historic dates. This is the week around October 7th 2011.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LICJ/2011/10/7/WeeklyHistory.html

You can look back over the same date in previous years, and it will give you a good idea of what it is normally at that time of the year. Looks nice & pleasant to me! I have been swimming in the sea there as late as the start of November and it was lovely!

Inkyhead

bamboozle wrote: »

good thread to read as we're hitting Sicily soon

Hi Bamboozle,

I got some great info here from fellow boardies: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056722954

May be of benefit to you!

Inkyhead

MayoForSam wrote: »

I have always booked online with one of the big companies (Hertz, Avis, etc.) and bought car hire excess insurance separately e.g. from http://www.worldwideinsure.com/

Hertz Super Cover on my rental is €177.87 per week, working out at €254.10 for the full 10 days?!

On the other hand Excess Insurance with Worldwide Insure quotes a fee/premium of only £22.50 - covering a max of £2000 per claim and up to £3000 in total per rental agreement.

Both cover the same thing right? The CDW excess of €1000 or theft protection excess of €1700. How could there be such a difference in price???

Kinda struggling to get my head around it tbh

bamboozle

jt_dublin wrote: »

Hi Bamboozle,
Have a look at Weather Underground. You can choose your location and historic dates. This is the week around October 7th 2011.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LICJ/2011/10/7/WeeklyHistory.html

You can look back over the same date in previous years, and it will give you a good idea of what it is normally at that time of the year. Looks nice & pleasant to me! I have been swimming in the sea there as late as the start of November and it was lovely!

many thanks, looks promising for October!

bamboozle

Inkyhead wrote: »

Hi Bamboozle,

I got some great info here from fellow boardies: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056722954

May be of benefit to you!

thanks, had an interesting read of that thread. Look forward to reading a report after the trip.