How to rent a car in Italy ?

– Dos and Don’t of Car Rental in Italy

Italy is one of the most loved tourist places. The main reason behind that is the country is filled with beautiful mountains, natural sceneries, amazing museums, and so much more. All these wonderful places make it an ideal destination for tourists. Talking about exploring Italy, one of the best ways of doing that is by using  Car rental Italy. It allows you to enjoy the rustic countryside, see off the beaten track like Bergamo. You can also save yourself from the language barrier, panicking in public transport and make the most out of your trip using Carrental in Italy. 

However, many people are unaware of renting a car in Italy. That’s why in the following post we’ve discussed all the dos and don’ts of car rental in Italy. But before that let’s clear the most common myth about car rental in Italy that it’s very expensive to hire a car there. Is it true? Let’s find out

CarRental Doesn’t have to break the bank 

It’s a common myth that car rentals are very expensive in Italy. In reality, it’s not. Italy car rental prices are generally lower than most of the other countries which is another reason why many visitors hire a car for exploring Italy. That said, here are some of the dos and don’ts of car rental in Italy. 

Do’s of car rental 

Book car online from home

Do not wait to arrive in Italy to rent a car. Instead, book it online in advance from a car rental company in Italy from your home. In this way, you can increase your chances of finding the best car rental deals in Italy and it will also save you from last-minute problems, like the availability of good car options, car size, and other preferences. Also, you can get airport pickup from some car rental companies in Italy if you book online in advance.

Apply for an international driving permit 

An international driving permit has become absolutely necessary to drive in Italy if you’re coming from a non-EU country. However, if you hold an EU driving license then you don’t need to get an IDP. The rental companies don’t always ask for the permit but you can be fined for not having that if the police ever stopped you to check the documents. Getting an Internation driving permit is very easy and inexpensive. It cost around 15 USD and you can apply for it online before leaving for the trip.

Get insurance for car rental

One of the most common mistakes that many tourists make is they don’t get car insurance while hiring a car in Italy and lie to the rental companies about having insurance on their credit cards. Due to that many car rental companies in Italy now ask people to sign a waiver stating that they have insurance on their credit card and they are obliged to pay all the cost upfront in case of any damages. They can claim it back from your credit card company later. So, we recommend everyone get car rental insurance in Italy. 

Get a Sim Card

Sim card plays a vital role in doing real-time navigation. You’ll be needing to research new places while driving in Italy. That’s why it’s highly recommended to get a sim card as soon as you arrive in Italy. 

Request a Diesel Car 

Petrol costs more than diesel in Italy so try asking for a diesel car from a car rental company. Especially if you’re planning to drive on a long route and explore different cities. For refueling, you can find many fuel stations on the motorways and in cities as well. However, fuel on motorway stations is generally cheaper. 

Look for an automatic car:

Driving an automatic car on the busy streets of Italy can be more convenient for tourists as compared to manual ones. But, you need to make the reservation for an automatic car in advance from the car rental company in Italy because usually manual cars are given to the people who don’t specify about the transmission at the time of reservation. 

Choose the right car size

Although selecting a car-size depends on the number of passengers, many people make this decision by analyzing the traffic and road condition of a place. Italy has good roads, renting a standard car size is fine. However, if you’re planning to explore smaller cities, you should select a small size or hatchback vehicle. Also, if you’re visiting Italy in summer you can treat yourself to a convertible car and enjoy the driving experience along the countryside of Italy. 

Wear Seat Belts and follow traffic rules

Wearing a seat belt is not only mandatory for drivers but all passengers must wear seatbelts when traveling in a car in Italy. Also, you must study the traffic rules of Italy before driving a car. 

Don’ts

Booking a car from a small city 

Avoid booking a car from a small city in Italy. It can cost you more expensive hiring a car from a small city. Also, it can be hard for tourists to drive in small cities and congested roads. 

Spend too much on Car GPS

Another common mistake that people make while renting a car in Italy is they spend extra money to get GPS from the car rental company. You don’t need to do that. Instead, you can save that money by using your Italian sim card in your smartphone and use it for navigation purposes. Google Maps offline are very accurate and can provide you accurate locations. 

Driving in Zona Traffico Limitato:

ZTLs are the special zones in different cities of Italy where car access is limited to locals only or someone with special permission. Almost all the historic sites in Italy have a ZTL to reduce the traffic and protect the historic places. Many tourists driving a rented car mistakenly enter the ZTL and get caught through the cameras. You can easily avoid this by searching for the ZTL areas online and not entering those places by rental car. Another way is to apply for permission from your hotel to stay by providing them with your car’s details. 

Renting an Old Car:

The majority of the car rental companies are using the latest models of cars but you might find any car rental company offering old cars and charging low prices. You must avoid saving a few bucks and hiring an older model car. As you’ll be traveling in a new country, the last thing you would want is to deal with the car engine or other maintenance problems in your road trips. So, don’t save a few bucks and hire a good car. 

Over Speeding 

Overspeeding is one of the most common mistakes that tourists make in rented cars. Make sure you’re well aware of traffic rules and speech limits before driving in Italy. Otherwise, you can be fined heavily for breaking traffic rules. You can drive max at 130Km/h on motorways and 50 to 100km/h on the local roads. 

Using Paid Parking 

In Italy, you’ll find many parking spaces with a blue sign. These spaces are paid parking spaces. You can avoid paid parking by parking your car in the designated car parks. It’s also safer than parking the car on the streets.

Drink and Drive

It’s highly recommended not to drink and drink in a foreign country. However, the legal limit for alcohol is around 50mg per 100ml. But you must avoid taking any chances as it can put your and other’s lives in danger. 

Final Words 

Exploring an exotic destination like Italy has its own charm. But please don’t try to explore everything in a single trip. Many tourists who desperately attempt to see everything usually end up missing the real fun of the trip. So, take your time, hire a car and be sure to stop and absorb every little thing around you as you might never visit this place again. ​Ciao for now.