Renting a Car in Italy: Shocking Common Mistakes & Advice

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So you’ve booked your flight, set your plan, and are ready for that much anticipated Italian dolce vita to bless you with a stress-free, wine-inspired, pasta stuffing vacation, but there are a few details you still have to sort out. Details like, “Should I be renting a car in Italy?” and “Does it make sense for where I’m going?“

Let’s get into what you need to consider before, during, and after renting a car in Italy, advice based on my 2+ years of experience road tripping through Italy.

Is renting a car in Italy worth it?

This is the first question you should ask yourself before even getting into how and where to rent a car in Italy. Here’s my advice on where and when a car is needed, and where and when it is not.

Where in Italy IS it worth renting a car?

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking you don’t need a car in Italy because public transportation is available, it’s cheap, and driving in Italy is super hectic.

There are a few regions and times when it’s worth renting a car.

• Mountain regions like the Dolomites in the northern region of Italy. While public transportation and buses are great in the mountains, it’s a hassle to navigate when you’re trying to hit the trails.
• Islands like Sicily and Sardinia as public transport is not great or consistent.
• When you’re thinking of doing a week-long or longer road trip where the towns and stops are not accessible easily or directly by public transportation, like busses and trains.

This is Where I Check Prices for Rental Cars in Italy
▶️ DISCOVER CARS ◀️

Where in Italy is it NOT worth renting a car?

Big cities are terrible places to have a car, for many reasons.

• Public transport is good in places like Rome, Milan, Naples, and Bari.
• Parking is hard to find and expensive in big cities.
• Driving in big cities is like an advanced game of Frogger, as pedestrian and road rules are mere suggestions, and everything seems to be jumping onto the street at any moment.
• Chaos at its finest is what it feels like driving in Italian cities.

It’s also not worth having a car when you’re only in Italy for a short time, like a long weekend or a few days. If this is the case, consider public transportation like trains or buses for your day trips, or booking guided tours which usually take care of the transportation for you!

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Renting a Car in Italy: Common Mistakes

As an American renting cars all over Europe, there were a lot of assumptions I made and later corrected. Here are some of the common mistakes I made while renting a car in Italy, and how you can avoid them.

An International Driver’s License in Italy

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking you don’t need an International Driver’s License when picking up your rental car in Italy.

You will need a passport, your driver’s license, and an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) to rent a car in Italy.

An IDP is a document that allows you to drive in other countries if you have a valid U.S. driver’s license and is essentially a translation of your driver’s license. Before you ask, yes, I have been asked to show my IDP to pick up my rental in multiple cities in Italy.

You can get an IDP from AAA or the State Department (form here). You do not need to have a AAA membership to go through this application process. The IDP is valid for 1 year and must be carried with your driver’s license when you’re driving. Be sure to bring 2 passport-style photos with you when you apply for the IDP, your US driver’s license, and a method of payment to cover the application fee (cash or credit is fine).

Average Cost for Renting a Car

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking it’s cheaper to rent on the spot in Italy versus ahead of time online. Or that renting from smaller cities is cheaper – it’s not. In fact, it’s usually more expensive.

Average costs for a rental car depend on many things, but a rental in Italy should be about $30-$70 a day. A few factors to note:

• Longer car rental periods like 2 weeks or 3 weeks tend to have a discount
• Renting and returning to the same location is cheaper (sometimes significantly)
• Renting your car about a month ahead of time is cheaper than waiting until the last minute.
• High seasons (like summer and fall months) will be more expensive due to the demand
• Automatic transmission cars are more expensive (sometimes double) compared to manual transmissions

Check Prices in Italy using
▶️ DISCOVER CARS ◀️
This is what I personally use to compare options.

If you’re planning on renting a car in Italy and crossing country borders for a road trip from Italy to Switzerland, there is a ~$100 fee for this upfront. Otherwise, you will be charged double when you return. Remember that every rental car is equipped with GPS. 🙂

Rental Car Insurance

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking you don’t need car insurance for your rental in Italy.

Ok, normally I don’t get car insurance with my rental because my Chase Preferred Credit Card comes with basic rental insurance and most countries are decently easy to drive in.

Then there is Italy. With its small streets, tiny parking spots, winding mountain roads, crazy ass drivers, and the ever-present domestic animals on the road… I get car insurance in Italy.

PRO TIP: What you don’t need is the expensive additional add-on GPS for the car. Just make sure you get an international plan for your stay in Italy and connect the Google Maps on your phone to the car. Splurge on the car insurance, not the built-in GPS.

Rental Car Companies

COMMON MISTAKE
Assuming only American brands are ‘safe’ to rent from and have good cars.

In fact, European rental car companies have larger car fleets, newer cars, are safe, have great customer service, and most times offer cheaper rental deals. The top European companies you might be less familiar with but are AWESOME are Europcar, OKMobility, and Sixt. I think OKMobility tends to be on the budget end and Europcar/Sixt on the more expensive side.

Deciding on Automatic vs. Manual

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking all (or the default) rental car in Italy is automatic.

Most cars in Europe run on a manual transmission, and so are cheaper to rent – more supply, lower price. If you only know how to drive an automatic vehicle, it’s a good idea to rent an automatic vehicle a little earlier (about a month before you travel), especially in the high season May through September.

Watching Where You Park

COMMON MISTAKE
Thinking parking lots are free and that you can park anywhere on the streets (because you see other Italians doing it).

Nobody tells you this, but Old Towns are almost all parking-free zones unless you are a local. Park outside of Old Towns unless you want crazy tickets – and trust me, there are cameras all around taking note of incoming and outgoing cars.

EasyPark App: A great app for being able to remotely manage your parking meter. Helped out a lot in France and Italy.

If you get a parking ticket, you can use Google Translate to decipher the payment instructions. Usually, you can pay online, with a discounted price if you take care of it quickly. If not, you can look for the closest Post Office, where some parking tickets can also be paid for 

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Renting a Car in Italy: Documentation & FAQ

Here are the questions I had when I was renting a car in Italy for the first time.

Can I rent a car in Italy with a US Driver’s license?

You will need your US Drivers License, yes. But you will also need a Passport and International Driver’s Permit to rent the car. No rental car will give you a car without all 3 things:

• A Drivers License
• A Passport
• An International Driver’s Permit

Do I need an International Driver’s License in Italy?

Yes. You can get an International Drivers Permit (IDP) from AAA or the State Department (form here). You do not need to have a AAA membership to go through this application process.

The IDP is valid for 1 year and must be carried with your driver’s license when you’re driving. Be sure to bring 2 passport-style photos with you when you apply for the IDP, your US driver’s license, and a method of payment to cover the application fee (cash or credit is fine).

How much does it cost to rent a car in Italy for a week?

In the high season between May and August in the summer and fall, you should expect the weekly cost of an automatic rental car in Italy to be around $300 – $400.

In the low season between September and April in the winter and spring, you should expect the weekly cost of an automatic rental car to be around $100.

The 3 main indicators of cost, in order of importance:

• Time of Year, specifically High Tourist season (May-August) vs Off Season (September – April)
• Manual vs Automatic transmission
• How ahead of time do you rent (a few weeks to a month ahead is ideal)

Is it difficult to drive a car in Italy?

All in all, driving in Italy is the toughest for an American compared to all other European countries. A few observations I’ve made after multiple road trips in Italy:

1. Lanes are fluid – Only Italians see an invisible 3rd lane in the middle of the road, which is mostly used for stalling traffic, general meandering in a passive-aggressive way, and/or to scare rule-abiding westerners out of their respective left or right lanes.
   
2. Use all your senses – Italians love to honk… to say hello to their besties on the road, before they pass you, to flip you off, to express road rage, and sometimes I think just for fun. Basically, honking is a big part of Italian driving culture, so don’t take it personally when people are consistently leaning on their horns. When in Italy, it’s ideal to use all the means of communication with other cars!
   
3. Mind the pedestrians – And by that, I mean the cows, sheep, ducks, and occasional humans crossing the road in the middle of high-speed traffic like it’s a game of Frogger and their life is somehow safe in the hands of Baby Jesus.

That said, you got this! Life is an adventure.

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Renting a Car in Italy: Driving Tips

General Driving

Speed traps are common. You can’t see them but there are cameras everywhere on the highways and in the cities.

Roundabouts are common. Roundabouts may seem strange at first, but they’re actually a very efficient way to move traffic. And once you get the hang of them, driving in them will be a breeze!

• Yield to traffic already in the circle.
• Enter the circle from the right lane.
• Drive counterclockwise around the circle until you reach your exit.
• Use your turn signal when you exit the circle.

Types of roads

• The Autostrada is the highway system, usually two lanes per side. These roads are usually tolled and are marked with green signs.
• Strada Statale is the one-lane per side state road leading to cities and town centers. They are numbered and named with an SS prefix. Road signs for these are blue.
• Strada Comunale is the local tiny road. Speed limits vary (so watch out for speed traps) and the road signs are blue with white text.

Tolls in Italy

It’s good to ask your rental car company if your car is equipped with an automatic toll tag, but most in Italy are not.

Tolls in Italy are just like in the States, and you can pay with cash or a credit card if you don’t have cash. Just make sure you get in the line for cash/card, and not the automated toll tag one.

When you get to the beginning of a toll road, the first toll station will prompt you to pull out a paper toll receipt. When you exit the toll road, you will have to insert the paper toll receipt and pay the toll fee. Most times, there is a person at the booth helping you through the transition.

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Best Places to Roadtrip in Italy

So you’ve rented a car and need a bit of inspiration?! Here’s where I’ve been and loved.

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