The International license you refer to is really an International Drivers Permit, which merely trans

What is the best way to go about renting a car in Italy? We've always relied on trains avis rent a car canada and buses in Europe but have never rented a car so are at a loss on how to start. Rent through USA car rental or Italian car rental? International driver's license needed? avis rent a car canada If so, how do we get one? Make reservations avis rent a car canada in advance or on the spot? What about insurance? For those who've rented a car in Florence - too expensive? We're really babes in the woods on this one! Trying to figure out if renting a car would be better than taking a bus/train to see some of the hill cities of Tuscany, using Florence as our base.
The International license you refer to is really an International Drivers Permit, which merely translates your state drivers license into another language. It is NOT optional. It is required by Italian law. Kent is right about obtaining it at AAA.
Ask your local insurance agent if you are covered where you will be. And ask what he recommends you do about the CDW. I always ask my agent each time I go and in the past he has always told me NOT to buy because I am covered. If I have a problem he tells me to give it to him.
Yes, rent a car for Tuscany; Florence is a good base. Take your car at a Florence suburban office if possible. Visiting those small towns will be much more convenient than riding the train or bus. Buy a good highway map when you arrive in Florence. You will be glad you did.
We recently made a similar trip. Rented from Avis location listed as the rail station. It is several blocks from the station, but has easy access to the freeway south. You don't say where you are returning the car. Sometimes that really changes who you want to rent from. We returned to Bologna airport and Avis was good. I don't know that I agree with the diesel/auto avis rent a car canada recommendation. In late spring, diesel was about the same price as gasoline. If you are comfortable with stick, they are far more available. If you are returning full, be sure to plan fill up well in advance. Fuel stations can be difficult to find.
I used AutoEurope to rent a car in Italy and was happy with it. We picked up the car in Siena and used that city as our home base, and that worked very well. Siena traffic can still be busy at times, but I think it's a lot less stressful than driving in Florence. Note that Siena and Florence are just a cheap 75-minute avis rent a car canada bus ride apart. Optionally, you can usually pick up the car in one city and return it a few days later to a different city (often for no extra charge) if that helps your itinerary. I didn't have an international drivers avis rent a car canada license (and the rental company never asked to see one), but I probably avis rent a car canada just got lucky. If I would have gotten stopped avis rent a car canada by a police officer, I likely would have been in trouble.
avis rent a car canada I would suggest bringing along your own GPS with European map data, instead of relying on the rental avis rent a car canada company because they may not be able to guarantee availability. If you don't own one, you might shop around (Costco.com is selling the Garmin 270 for $199 until the end of the month) or see if a relative/neighbor has one you could borrow.
Does anyone have any recommendations on the size of the car to rent? We have 4 travelers including one grandma with a large suitcase. Someone recommended a Volkswagen golf with manual transmission. Has anyone used this car in Italy?
Almost any car you rent in Italy will be standard, automatics are only found on the real high end cars, or maybe if you request it. The VW Golf is nice, there is a bigger version called the Golf Plus. For a rental the Fiat Grande Punto is a great car, a good size for four people with a powerful motor.