7 tips for drama-free car hire in Italy
Photo: Stephan & Nakita
We are a team of frequent flyers over here at La Lista and our biggest dread as soon as we touch down…..the car hire experience.
A La Lista car hire company has been pitched in a team meeting once or twice, but until our mastermind plan comes into fruition (jokes), we are stuck with the choice from the airport arrivals hall. This is for the bog standard car hire for travel around Italy as opposed to hiring a showstopper car as seen in the pic above - but we couldn’t resist including!
7 tips on how to swerve the car hire dread….
Remember you need a credit card in the name of the named driver on the hire car. Most companies do not take debit cards as they need to hold money on your account
Many companies do not accept a store credit card – i.e. in the UK that would exclude John Lewis or M&S
Avoid paying the extortionate excess insurance pushed onto you at the hire desk and get yourself independent single trip or annual cover. A fav is Worldwide Insure.
Photo: Benjamin Stuart Photography
The cheaper car hire companies might seem to offer the similar packages at a lower cost, but be aware of:
queues at arrivals as more people opt for money-saving
car pick-ups tend to be positioned way down the car hire block. Something to note if you are carrying lots of luggage plus your wedding dress!
Petrol stations near the airport tend to be more expensive if you’re refilling at the end of your hire
Many car hire companies send you photos of the scratches and bumps on the car. It is always worth doing a quick check when you get to it to avoid nasty surprises when you return
Many car hire companies substitute cars with others of similar size, so don’t always bank on getting what you booked. This can change the boot space…..
Have a fav car hire company or a tip on how you make this experience seamless? We want to know! Share with us and other planning couples in our private community.
