Italy car hire

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    peter19
    Participant

    Evening all,
    I’m looking for some advice on Italy car rental from Naples airport.
    My usual go to is Avis but I noticed holiday autos website noted on the HFP site. I have never used them but I went to compare and they offered a significantly lower price on a rental with an offer of gps included with Sicily by car. I need gps for this trip and Avis were going to charge 100 extra on the price of the rental which was already more than the holiday autos quote.

    Has anybody experience with these guys as I have read conflicting stories online Specifically Sicily by car?

    Thanks


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I can’t comment specifically on either the company or Naples airport but I’ve used these sites quite a bit all over Europe, including Italy and have never had a problem. You often find the car will come from Avis or one of the majors anyway.


    peter19
    Participant

    Hi LP, Thanks yes i did know they often used stock form other rental companies but i have heard stories specifically about Sicily online about waiting times, big deposits along with issues after returning the rental.

    I may just go back to Avis and be more confident on what i am getting..


    Alsacienne
    Participant

    Please do read the small print. Even if your car comes from one of the major car hirers you may find something in the T&C when you go through a broker or third party, that bites you in the bum …. limited mileage/kilometrage (not mentioned except in the smallest of print …) plus obligatory insurance premiums that you thought were covered in the car hire agreement, but, surprise surprise, need to be paid (again?) at the rental desk before the car is released to you. And then there’s always the local refuelling policy …

    Caveat emptor, and if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is …. (IMH experience).


    AnthonyDunn
    Participant

    @ peter19 – 07/03/2016 11:17 GMT

    I have used Avis from NAP and they were reasonable. Do remember to photograph your hire vehicle before you drive it out of the car lot and upon return. That way, there is no arguing about any pre-existing damage – or what might happen after you’ve returned the vehicle.

    From Halfords’ UK website (other electronics websites are available…), they are selling Garmin car GPS systems from GBP70 upwards. Would it not be worthwhile buying your own in advance? I always take my own TomTom GPS system with a flexible mounting for any dashboard/windscreen – which means that I know how to use the system without recourse to user manuals etc.

    Remember to take out your own excess cover insurance. An annual policy from insurance4carhire.com will save you a fair amount – particularly if you are a regular hirer.

    Beyond that, driving south of Rome is, in my experience, “an experience….” Just don’t expect anyone either to use indicators to show that are going to pull out in front of you or to demonstrate “lane discipline”. And unless you are driving a large and loud German car brand, don’t be surprised if another one comes right up behind you on the autostrada at well over 130kph, with their horn blaring and headlights flashing approximately one metre behind your rear bumper. Unsurprisingly, accident rates across Italy are substantially higher than in northern Europe.


    nibbler
    Participant

    Sat nav on a rental car has gone the way of in hotel internet for me. You can get good sat nav apps for your smart phones for a very reasonable cost. I have navigon (its part of garmin) for a few countries. Israel bought iGo. Worst case if you have roaming data you can use google maps. Navigon Italy is 29.99 on iTunes – get some vouchers from tesco at the moment and you save 15% i think.

    To cover battery life I have a cigarette lighter charger in my bag (its tiny) and a small vent mount. A lot of hire cars have a 3.5mm jack you can plug into otherwise the speaker is usually enough.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    And if you have your own GPS you can programme it at home using the device or Base Camp then uploading the route.


    peter19
    Participant

    I agree nibbler re the cost of some associated products these days when it’s a more norm to expect it. I have managed to get a hold of a gps from some family so I’m now sorted on that front. It’s all built in these days.
    Thanks for the link Anthony re the excess it’s probably something worth looking into in Italy so I will investigate. I only rent a couple times a year and in familiar locations so I often have no concerns.

    Pictures are also key. Even putting my car in for a service I take the precautions. I have used it in the past when alloys have come back with scratches.


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    Hi Peter19,

    I also prefer to book direct, but do trust Holiday Autos as much as I trust any travel broker. Sometimes the cheapest way to get Hol Autos is through Skyscanner.net Car Hire.

    Alternatively, if booking direct with Holiday Autos use Quidco to get 5% > 10% cashback. Also use Quidco to get 10% > 20% cashback on insurance4carhire.com Insurance4carhire are, in my experience, reputable and they pay out quickly. Of course you have to pay the hire company and claim back from the insurer Insurance4carhire.

    Holiday Autos now let you have no fee cancellation so you can book, read the small print, and cancel if you find any restrictions that you do not like.

    My rule on using “unknown” car hire companies is that, if they don’t take Amex, or any other charge card, I don’t use them as I do not want €1,000 taken out of Visa.


    peter19
    Participant

    Having a look today on insurance4carhire.com looks good. The cost saving is a no brainer. For yearly cover its a third of the price quoted for 9 days on a Full CDW cover.
    Its surprising the bigger companies cant quote online to reduce the CDW Excess to zero, its only possible to do this at the local rental site. Anyway, the cost is not justified just the GPS!

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