Car Rental Italy Guide

Car Rental in Italy is undoubtedly the best way to explore the secret places, quaint country villages and out of the way hill towns of the Italian countryside. Unless of course you are great on a bike!

Fiat 500 by Kim Madsen

Trains in Italy are excellent and affordable but they're really only ideal if you are visiting the major cities and towns.

To really discover Italy and have a holiday of a lifetime, you need to base yourself in a country town, in the heart of the Italian countryside, and rent a car. These are the type of places I recommend.

If you are going to be visiting only cities like Rome, Turin, Naples or Venice then you are better off without a car rental anyway. The traffic in the major Italian cities is scary, with Naples being by far the worst. 

However, should you decide to drive in Rome, Milan etc. you'll need to know where the restricted driving zones are in order to avoid huge fines - here are the essential maps and vital information on all the main ones.

In Venice you'll find driving a little difficult... unless your car floats!

Who to Rent With?

When it comes to car rental in Italy I have tried a variety of car hire companies. Some are good and some are very bad.

Most of the big names like Avis and Budget have always provided me with good service and, while not always the cheapest, they are reliable and you're unlike to encounter any nasty surprises.

The option I now use when travelling is DiscoverCarHire. From experience I've found they seem to offer the best car rental rates.

I had a nightmare in the past when I rented a car from a very cheap and very tiny car rental company and ... long story really... less said the better. The moral of the story is don't make the same mistake.

My personal advice is to hire your car before you arrive as rates are normally better doing it this way and you have more choice of cars. Stick to one of the better known car rental companies too. 

  1. Home
    2. ›
  2. Train Travel in Italy
    3. ›
  3. Car Rental in Italy

You might like these

  • The Best Guide to Shopping in Milan

    Planning on shopping in Milan? Then you have to read our guide! It is packed full of advice on where to shop, what to buy and where the bargains are to be found.

  • An Italian Butcher's Tale from Sarnano

    There is a macelleria inside the gates of Sarnano, an Italian butcher shop, the subject of our interest. The couple who run it are old, the store is old. The store is at and in the old wall. The meat is worked the way it was for decades, centuries.

  • Living in Sarnano

    Our apartment in Sarnano, Le Marche, Italy, is in the Centro Storico, the historic center, The windows look out at the mountains and a small cortile(courtyard) in which we take our morning coffee and the sun.

Please Book with Us...

Like us? Why not support me and Maria.

All you need do is book via the search box below, or any of the hotel links elsewhere on the website. It can be for travel to Italy... or anywhere else on earth.

You'll get the best deal available and the income we receive helps us to:

  • Stay independent and to keep bringing you the best of Italy.
  • Never have to accept money from hotels directly - meaning that we can share only those we genuinely love.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

Recent Articles

RSS

  1. The Italian Panettone Recipe - An Essential Part of Christmas in Italy

    Sep 06, 19 11:58 AM

    Maria's traditional Italian Panettone recipe. The most famous Italian Christmas cake of them all. Bake yourself a taste of Italy this Christmas.

    Read More

  2. The Perfect Italian Itinerary

    Sep 06, 19 11:51 AM

    Planning a trip to Italy? Then you really need to read our Italian itinerary before you book a single thing.

    Read More

  3. The Best Guide to Shopping in Milan

    Sep 06, 19 10:52 AM

    Planning on shopping in Milan? Then you have to read our guide! It is packed full of advice on where to shop, what to buy and where the bargains are to be found.

    Read More

  4. The Best Italian Ski Resorts

    Sep 03, 19 04:06 AM

    Which are the best Italian ski resorts? Visit my insiders guide and discover the answer.

    Read More

  5. Need Cheap Flights to Turin?

    Sep 03, 19 03:54 AM

    The cheapest flights toTurin from the UK, Ireland, Germany and the USA. You no longer have an excuse not to visit one of Europe's greatest cities.

    Read More

  6. The Riviera of Monte Conero Italy. My Son's Favourite in Le Marche

    Sep 03, 19 03:36 AM

    Great beaches lapped by the waters of the Adriatic and stunning scenery make the Italian Riviera of Monte Conero a great place to visit.

    Read More