Anyone in the know will tell you... The best Italy has to offer can only be accessed by car. If you limit yourself to planes and trains, you may see some amazing cities and monuments, but you will miss out on the best Italy has to offer. Still, if you plan on staying inside the big cities, you should absoluetely avoid having a car, as driving in the cities can be hectic and the public transportation is excellent.

Where to Rent

Pretty much all of the major rental agencies rent in Italy. If you want something dirt cheap, and don't mind having a rental that is a traveling billboard, check out Sixt (click here).At the time of this writing, they offer rentals for as low as 5 Euro per day. If you want more of a traditional vehicle, you may wish to check out Dollar Rent A Car - Click Here .

What to Rent

We suggest that you rent the smallest car you can possibly fit into. In Italy, smaller is better. Many roads are very narrow, and if you find yourself renting a larger car, you may end up very frustrated. My personal favorite is the Smart forFour, which seats four, has decent luggage capacity, is fast and powerful for its size, and is quite fun to drive.

Manual Transmission vs. Automatic

In Italy, cars with automatic transmission are very rare. Italians are typically passionate drivers, and many believe that automatic transmissions rob you of the pleasure of driving (I happen to agree). I have seen it happen on more than one occasion that a person reserved an automatic, only to find themselves renting a stick shift. If you do find yourself in this situation, make sure you note it right away at the rental counter, before you go to your car. This is one of the reasons we offer Dollar as a good choice, as they are very accustomed to dealing with American customers who more often request automatics. If you can drive a stick, you may strongly consider getting it in favor of an automatic, as gasoline prices are very high in Italy.

Insurance

Italy requires that your car is insured. Check with your insurance carrier and credit card company to see if you will be covered in Italy, and what the restrictions are. If you do not have full coverage, I strongly suggest you get insurance from your rental agency.

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