Don't Rent a Car in Italy Before Watching This! Real Stories, Essential Tips

[@FortunateXpat]

Pro tips for driving in Sicily…. 1. Never put your phone down. And remember, texting while driving is a skill that needs to be practiced. 2. Drive as fast and reckless as possible. When you see pedestrians or bicyclists on the road, don't slow down. Try to see how dangerously close you can get without hitting them. Especially at crosswalks. The same rule applies to driving near motorcyclists on the autostrada. 3. When entering a roadway or intersection, never look in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Only look in the direction that you want to drive. If there's traffic, block the oncoming cars and wait until there is an opening in the lane you need. And of course, never use your indicators. 4. Ignore all speed limits and stop signs. When at a traffic light, honk your horn as soon as the light turns green. Don't be shy, horns are made for honking. 5. Parking. Make sure that when double parking you block as much traffic as possible. 6. If the car or motorcyclist in front of you is not going as fast as you want, be sure to tailgate at least a half meter from their bumper. Don't forget to dangerously pass whenever possible, even on blind corners.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Nice ! The only one of these that I actually do is when I have to make a left turn and in the other lane, there is a straight line of cars blocking my way. I slowly nudge my way in until someone gives me enough space to pass by Honestly, I hate doing that but sometimes it’s necessary otherwise you create a huge lab of traffic behind you.

[@FortunateXpat]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Lol! I do the same, but it’s a little more dangerous for me as I live near Palermo and only have a motorcycle for transportation. 😂

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s understandable Your previous response was an absolute riot ! My mom loved it too !

[@mahlettessema7505]

​@@DavidsDoseofItaly Hi David can you tell me please?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi. What do you want me to tell you

[@JohnPaul-pb4eu]

Great info, very helpful and to the point.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊

[@russwoodward8917]

Thanks for the video David. I agree with your narrative. Some places in Italy, you really need a rental car. I always purchase the full insurance. I have a couple of stories. Thank you again for the videos, they are always informative! 1:14

[@SavvyFuoco]

Great advice and video as always 👍🏼 I love driving when im in Italia! It can be very fun! You are one of the best Italian American youtubers 🔥 🇮🇹 🇺🇲

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi ! Come ti chiami ??? I think you’re probably one of the only people I’ve ever heard who said that driving in Italy is fun! Thank you for the compliment !

[@SavvyFuoco]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Mi chiamo Saverio. I've watched your channel for years and appreciate your informative content! It's always an adventure driving in Italia but it's relaxing compared to driving in NYC, LA, or Miami 😭😂

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you ever so so much for watching Saverio. To hear somebody say they’ve been watching me for years is comforting because it makes me realize that I’ve been doing this thing for four years. It’s awesome! You know, I would be very curious driving in these American cities after having driven here! I tend to think that city driving does have some similarities all over the world.

[@tiusernamenabalw]

I have driven a lot across all of Italy. The amount of fines you accumulate without understanding why is out of this world! I am going again this summer but I have budgeted.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Definitely agree. I went the speed limit this summer in Sicily. Glad I did. So far no fines.

[@a004]

I agree, I literally drove in to Verona for dinner. Spent maybe 2hrs there tops, and I've gotten fines months later totaling 500€

[@edmarth1899]

I have rented twice out of Venice airport. On the recommendation of a friend I used Europcar booked through their website. First class service both times, fair price, and no nasty surprises when returning the car. I have read reviews of cheaper companies that ding you when you return the car. I also used Europcar in Marseille France with the same experience. Regardless of which company you use, ALWAYS take numerous photos with your cell phone before you even unlock the car. Point to every scratch and dent that may be pre-existing on the car as you snap photos. Include the rental agent in the photos if they come out with you to inspect the car. Also, open the hood and make sure the brake fluid reservoir and oil dipstick show full. If the car comes with a GPS, find out how to change the language to English before leaving the rental car lot. Set the "home" button to the rental car lot, so you don't even have to plug in the address when returning the car.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Excellent advice. Thank you Before I rented the car, the rental car employee came to the car and pointed out. The damage was already there. however, I decided to take pictures anyway.

[@geezer2tech154]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Frequently that can be a scam. The employee comes out and begins notating scratches so minute that you practically need a microscope to see them. You're thinking, WOW, this guy is really thorough and looking after my interests. Thinking that he's doing a great job for you, you let him finish going around the car without paying too much attention to him. After you quit watching him, he leaves off one or more major scratches or dents so they are not on the form. Guess who is going to pay for these when the car is returned? It happened to me but I had the photos to prove they were already there.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thanks for the heads up. Yeah I always take pics before driving it and do a full inspection

[@dalewun]

Good tips. I rented over Christmas to go from Rome to Basilicata… and got the snow chains because 1. Fines for getting caught without em is supposedly high. 2. Adventuring through the mountains in winter where I had not been before, I might actually need them. I forgot the cost, but worth the peace of mind. I paid cash at tolls with 10’s and 20’s, and worked out ok.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Believe it or not, I never had chains on my tires in winter in Connecticut.

[@ginafleming4281]

Thanks for the tips, David! Very helpful for planning my trip!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Gina ! Thank you, looking forward to seeing you here.

[@yoster39]

One thing about the speed cameras here in italy, most of them are fake/empty boxes. It's made to force you to always stay on your toes and not go over the limit without actually needing the infrastructure to maintain them. However the empty boxes can be made to contain an actual speed camera so at any point a "fake speed cam" can become a true one. When this happens there's usually police or carabinieri closeby.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I’ve always suspected that. Thanks

[@kellydragna7632]

Just watched the entire video today. I appreciate the information. My wife and I went Sicilia in October. We rented a car in Palermo and drove to Corleone. Then we drove from Corleone to Taormina and dropped the car off there in Taormina. Driving in Palermo is like driving anarchy, meaning hardly anybody follows the rules and laws. Our friends in Corleone said it is worse in Naples. I have told you in past that I am now a dual citizen. My wife and I are kicking around the idea of moving to Sicilia. I would like to converse with you more about life in Italy as you are another person from United States. Can we make that happen? Please let me know. Prego

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi ! Oh yes, Naples is quite a jungle and actually I never drove there really Sure we can discuss whatever you want. Go to pretty much any link in my videos and there click on the one for buy me a coffee. From there we can set up a zoom call. Speak to you soon.!

[@kellydragna7632]

Sounds great! @@DavidsDoseofItaly

[@mr-vet]

Great advice. We normally just rent cars using our AMEX Platinum card and don’t buy any extra insurance, as we’re covered with the AmEX and our own US auto insurance. Wife and I visiting Abruzzo area in May-will be looking at several properties for purchase. And since our 30th wedding anniversary is the end of May, we plan to have a vow renewal ceremony-hopefully our adult children will join us for that. We plan to fly into Rome and drive to Pescara-using it as our base of operations for the property search. Not sure where we’ll do the vow renewal ceremony, however. Still need to work out all the details.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi and thank you for watching! To be honest, I’m not really sure that they do vow renewal ceremonies here in Italy. I’m not even sure where to find that information. However, the first place that I would start would be the pastor of a local church.

[@catherineburt4085]

FYI insurance coverage on Amex Platinum is specifically excluded in Italy. Ask me how I know. 😮

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@catherineburt4085 asked 😏. American Express is hit or miss here in Italy.

[@22Jeffreyb]

Great info my friend.

[@pec757]

Hi . . we're planning a trip to Italy taking us from Florence, where we will rent a car, and driving to a villa about 20km North of Siena. Do you know if I need an international license or permit to get and operate a rental car?

[@praesentius]

I would say that, barring a planned road trip, most visitors can simply ignore the concept of a car rental. The trains are just far too good and ridiculously on-schedule compared to other countries. But, if visitors want to drive, don't forget an international drivers license/permit. It's much harder to get when you're in country. Oh, and if you live here, don't forget that you can't drive after 1 year of residence on your foreign license. You gotta buck up and learn Italian and go to driving school! One last thing... did you guys catch "Bau the way" on the extra costs part of the video? So Italian! Bau! Bau!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I agree with you. To get to most big cities, uneven small towns the train system is rather efficient. Also yes, we all do need to get our Italian licenses eventually. What is bau bau ? I am not familiar with this.

[@praesentius]

Bau is the Italian equivalent of "woof" or "bow wow" for dogs. They'll occasionally refer to dogs as "Bau", sometimes on signs that say "Bau friendly" or "Bau welcome".@@DavidsDoseofItaly

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ah ok. I knew bau bau as the onomatopoeic word for dog barking. I just didn’t know exactly what you were referring to.

[@praesentius]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Oh,yeah... the reference was in the video. A screenshot from a website and it said, "Bau the way..." I think it was for dog insurance or something.

[@kathleengarber9685]

Helpful video, thank you. How do you know where the areas are that you get fined for driving into? We are going to drive to a small town and have heard there are huge fines if you accidentally drive into a restiricted area.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I thought I responded to this, but I don’t see it here on my yt studio app. Autovelox.it and Waze can tell you where they are

[@khaledsehem7626]

Thanks David, We are planning to drive from Germany to Rome. We are four people, and we are considering renting a car. Since we also want to visit the beach and the sea, what would you suggest? Is it worth it, or can we visit the beach and the sea using public transportation.?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi, sorry for the late response. I would definitely recommend renting a car if you’re going to be going to the sea or beach I don’t think public transportation very common in a lot of places in Italy. I would go and visit the beaches in Calabria, but I am told that the real beautiful ones are in Sardinia

[@patriciamurray2668]

Hi David, thank you for this valuable info! I will be travelling with my adult daughter. We need to rent a car from Castiglione della Pescaia, Tuscany to Venice...with stops along the way. Suggestions?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sounds awesome! What type of suggestions did you have in mind ? I’d check for the speed cameras. Study the roads on google maps if you’re going anywhere super specific. Watch out for ZTL zones.

[@likebliss]

So is the "full coverage" through discover cars actually full coverage? The price seems too good to be true. I can't find any info/terms on their website. What's the catch?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It is. It’s just that if you have to file a claim discover cars reimburses you after you’ve paid anything to the rental car company. If my car had been stolen for example I would not have been liable and what happens after that would depend on the rental car companies theft policy. But in the end discover cars would cover you. I mention this in the video but the point is that theft and damages (not caused by you ) are ultimately covered by you. The actual car rental company may not be aware of your arrangement with Discovercars and so they offer you their list of insurance options. Upselling In the end you decide if you need their extras. Hope that clears things up.

[@aarongeorges9770]

Any tips specifically driving from Rome to Tuscany?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah, the hardest part of that trip will be getting out of Rome. My best advice is to study the roads that you wanna drive on and to find where the speed cameras are.

[@flugschulerfluglehrer]

I booked a car with “Sicily by Car” in advance for my 75 year old mother and payed everything with my Visa card. Once on the airport, they said that they need the Visa card of the driver for the security deposit. My mother has no Visa card. Fortunately my father was with her. They told him that he had to pay a 20 % fee as second driver if he wanted to use his Visa card. He has no PIN code for the card so he thought he could pay with passport and signature. Upon request, VISA told us, that that works if the car company wanted to. But they did not want that. Instead they now wanted a 50 % fee for paying with a debit card. And if you pay with debit card, you are down graded. We told them to keep their old car. The cancelation fee is 100 % but in exceptional cases (lol) they will charge only 70 %.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. I think the lesson to be learned is that perhaps it may be better to go with larger companies who have more stringent and clear guidelines to be followed The fee for the second driver to me seems somewhat reasonable although not absolutely necessary. The fee for using one card or another I don't see the logic because as long as there are funds on the card and the bank approves the transaction I don't understand why the need to jack up the price by 50%. I'll avoid this company too!

[@flugschulerfluglehrer]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Plus: Money (Cash) is legal tender. I understand that this could be a security problem but it is illegal not to accept cash.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It most certainly is. Classic case of Italians not following rules and with a plausible excuse (for them )

[@primozsever1367]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I was just looking to rent a car in sicily my self and looking trough the options I found out almost all of them want credit card in the name of the primary driver... Luckly I found one company that allows you to pay everything with debit card and if you take the premium coverage there is no deposit at counter. Final price was a bit higher but it's still not that expensive. I mean I had to leave 120€ deposit for full to full tank and I got it back when I returned the car in cash.

[@sultiib6647]

@@primozsever1367hey, what company did you use?

Grande David 🙏

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Grazie ☺️

[@andrewjohnston5303]

I'm about to take my family to Italy, and I'm renting a car. Will the the car rental place offer for me to buy a TellaPass for the toll booths?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Andrew. that's a good question. I'd ask the company if they offer it. if not, have plenty of cash and coins on hand because I dont know if all the toll boths are equiped with tap and pay and stuff of the like.

[@HubertNapiorski]

Thank you, David. It is very useful for the drivers.

[@karenrauch8613]

Hello, would you be able to do an updated on Vodafone for 2024. I saw you post for the Dolce Vita plan on your Feb 2, 2020 post. I'll be touring Southern Italy for 3 weeks in October 2024 and would like to purchase a month plan and don't know which to get. Can you advise? Thanks

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hello Karen, thank you because this reminds me that I need to update this video.

[@shaunmilligan]

Question? I'll be in Rome in mid September and I've never been before. My wife and I would like to rent a car to drive from Rome to Florence instead of the train. The only rental options I see are at the airport. Is that correct? Do you have any suggestions on where to rent a car? FYI, your videos are awesome!! Just what I needed as a first-timer in Italy.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Shaun and thank you very much! While the train might be the cheaper and easier option, the advantage of having a car is that you are in full control and for me that’s worth the price The airport is your best option because you can drop it off when you have to come back and take your flight home Otherwise I really don’t recommend going into the city of Rome to look for the rental car company. My gut says that this would just be problematic.

[@shaunmilligan]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Thanks. I'll go ahead and reserve a car to pick up at the airport. Great channel, I'm in the process of watching your videos.

[@imdk1284]

@@shaunmilligani am planning to do the same. I have infants kids? How was your experience?😊

[@dardaraveiga6512]

If you pick one place in Italy to stay forever, where would that be?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Great question That’s a hard one but I suppose somewhere in Umbria. I would need somewhere quiet, but not too isolated and within driving distance of Rome.

[@FortunateXpat]

Sicily.

[@DA-ep6rp]

What’s the name of the car company?

[@williammarengo1442]

I am researching renting a vehicle in Italy (picking up at the Florence airport). So far every agency I have contacted informs me of a requirement that my drivers license must be held for at least 12 months before they will rent me a vehicle. Is this a policy or law for all rentals in Italy?? Can someone confirm this for me please?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It looks like the person in the image is asking whether a 12-month driver’s license holding period is required by law for renting a vehicle in Italy, specifically when picking up at Florence airport. The answer to this is that in Italy, most car rental companies do indeed require that renters have held a valid driver’s license for at least 12 months, but this is more of a company policy than a legal requirement. While there isn’t a specific Italian law enforcing this, it is common for rental agencies to ask this from renters.

[@damonoriente736]

Some interesting car rental thoughts here, and I appreciate them. Intercity travel by train is excellent in Italy, but for some travel, a car is essential. As a suggestion, I think that a guide to the fundamental aspects of rental would be useful, especially as you are well-placed to understand the. For example, confirming that third-party liability is included by law, but that CDW is not; some credit cards cover this and so it can be declined- and sometimes the customer has to be forceful to overcome the fear and resist that pressure. As well, note that CC card coverage does not include breakdown recovery (usually) so that may be a stand-alone option. As well, there is usually a premium to be paid for airport pick up and drop off, though rental costs in some smaller towns can also be much higher than, say, FCO. BTW, I totally agree about Napoli; its not always easy as a tourist, but absolutely worth spending time there.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi. Thank you for the suggestion, and for those tidbits of information. Since this was really my first rental in Italy, I am not 100% well-versed on all the conditions. To be honest, bureaucracy has always scared me so I did my best to cover as best I could in this video.

[@damonoriente736]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Thanks for the reply. We've had very good and one very poor rental experience in Italy; that was with Alamo/ Maggiore (very long story). Because a car is a great asset for many trips, all contributions are welcome, so thanks for your work and time to give us all a bit more insight.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

My pleasure ! Hopefully this is the year where I can up the video production again

[@JimellePeluso-rz1nf]

What do you use to edit your videos?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Imovie

[@JimellePeluso-rz1nf]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Did you learn on your own or did you take a course?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@JimellePeluso-rz1nf Mainly on my own really but I used youtube itself for many tips. I also looked at other videos and got inspiration from them.

[@jamesdean9943]

Great tips! I do have a question. Will my credit card company cover a rental car in Italy. I’m in the U.S.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you! I don’t see why it shouldn’t Just to be in a safe side make sure that your credit card is allowed to work overseas. In the past I had problems with my US debit card and I had to tell the bank that I needed it to work over here.

[@mysticrosehealings]

I called my credit card (Southwest rapid rewards through Chase) and they said they cover rental cars in Italy unless the car company has a mandatory insurance requirement through them if not then it’s covered by Chase. I believe my Chase Sapphire also covered Italy. I used it in Israel too.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

In my experience with discovercards.com. There was no mandatory insurance requirement. If you go with them, you should be good to go.

[@jamesdean9943]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I’m thinking of playing it safe and get the insurance anyway. Thanks again for the info!

[@imdk1284]

We are doing 2 road trips. Rome to florence Milan to lake como I have toddler kids and we think it would be better to have the freedom to stop where we want? Let us know what you think. I live in us ans have driven for more than ten plus years. Love watching your videos

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yes, most definitely. I have a toddler as well and so when we drive, it’s nice to be able to stop and take care of her when you need to. Also if you’re going to Lake Como to me seems like an area with a lot of little towns and with a car you can visit them more easily

[@imdk1284]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Thank you so much for your response

[@Amanda_K_001]

Do US folks need an international driving permit to rent?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I strongly recommend it.

[@obfuscateidentity2329]

Most ofthe speed cameras do not work

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

The ones in Rome I would say work 🫤

[@Dreamerxx2]

Lake garda to lake como is it worth renting a car

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I agree

[@JG-zo2lu]

I can say autooone is trash…. Garbage car, trash service, keep coming for extra fees, they terrible

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thanks for the feedback. Thus why I recommended doing research on the company before you make the purchase

[@888_p3t3r]

They’re not only crap, they actually try to scam you.

[@ButtersOhh]

​@@888_p3t3r Isn't that like most budget rental companies in Europe?

[@888_p3t3r]

@@ButtersOhh I never had that experience, not in Spain, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Greece or Italy. Ofcourse they try to sell you extra insurance, but if you tell them you have extra insurance included in your travel insurance they’re often OK with it.

[@ButtersOhh]

@@888_p3t3r I meant the try to scam you part. They're always trying to grab money with overcharging and hidden fees