Rental Car Pick-Up In Rome

[artnbarb]

Next spring we'll spend a few days in Rome at the beginning of our vacation, so dragging all our stuff back out to FCO to pick up a rental car seems crazy. Where IS the best, least stressful, easy-to-access pick-up spot in Rome?

We'll be booking through AutoEurope - Here's a link to their page with a map showing all Rome pick-up sites: ROME MAP. Scroll down for the map.

We'll be dropping off at FCO, so that part is (relatively) easy.

Thanks!

 

[GailS]

This past July we picked up from AutoEurope at Via Flaminia Nuova 216. It was the Rome Corso Francia office. We were headed north to Montalcino and it was the easiest pick up point we've had to get out of the city. The office is closed on Sundays.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks Gail, I'll check it out!

Update: I can't find this address on the AutoEurope map. It could be a company they don't use, or maybe the map isn't up-to-date.

 

[Andrew]

That address does show on the map in your link as it shows to me. It's possibly the north-most marker, next to the written SP 493 and Muncipio XV.

Often addresses close to the GRA are recommended, including some on via Tiburtina. There seems to be a change from what I've seen before in locations, but via del Casale Cavallari would be one. I've gotten used to the Via Veneto area locations on via Sardegna, if I've studied the route in advance and there's a GPS to supplement it.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks Andrew, I guess I'll have to take another look. Studying the route in advance, Google Earth and GPS are definitively part of the plan!

 

[Pauline]

On ST we always recommended train to Chiusi and pickup car rental there. I've never done that, but recently was in Chiusi at the train station and it was an easy in and out from that area.

 

[artnbarb]

Chiusi is still a good way from where we stay in Umbria, but I will check into it. I hate it that AutoEurope no longer has a partner in Orvieto!

 

[Anne]

The very first time I ever drove in Italy, we picked up a car through AutoEurope from the Hertz office in Villa Borghese and drove out via Salaria to the autostrada. The experience was considerably less stressful than I'd anticipated. That office is now closed, but I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a car at one of the via Sardegna locations if renting out of Rome again.

Having said that....we returned the car to the office in Chiusi because we were heading north. As Pauline notes, it's an easy location to get in and out of. If you prefer not to pick up in Rome, Chiusi would be a really good option, I think.

I'm a wee bit envious....so wish I was planning a trip to Umbria right now - enjoy!!

 

[Mom83]

I have a question for you all. We are picking up our rental car at FCO upon our arrival from the US and driving 2 hrs north into Tuscany. We have done this on previous trips, but have always returned the car to FCO as we were flying home that same day or the next morning. This trip, we will be spending 4/5 days in Rome after our week in Tuscany. Is there a better place in Rome to return the rental car than FCO? Our apartment is one we have stayed in before - about a block from Campo dei Fiori.

 

[Andrew]

You can see what's been said before on this thread, but with a study in advance and a GPS, I've felt reasonably comfortable with the Via Sardegna locations.

 

[Mom83]

Thanks Andrew! I will look into that one.

 

[Pauline]

Another option is to return the car at Chiusi in Tuscany, then take the train to Rome. This means you would have to deal with your luggage.

In the past we have returned the car to FCO and taken a taxi to Rome, just to avoid driving in the city.

 

[Mom83]

Thanks Pauline. The idea of returning the car in Chiusi has never appealed to me since we find driving to FCO and returning the car there so easy. But then we have always flown home early the next morning and stayed at a hotel right at the airport. This time we are staying in Rome for another 4 days.

I was originally planning that we would return the car to FCO and take a taxi or Uber (is there Uber in Rome?) to our apartment. But then I started wondering if there was a rental return closer to the city that might be better. One other time, we arrived in Rome on a Sunday from Venice, drove to our apartment in the Jewish ghetto (ZTL not in effect on Sundays then) and dropped off our luggage, and returned the car somewhere near the the Villa Borghese, I think. This was in 2005, so my memory is a little fuzzy.

I am going to look at some of the return locations in the Via Sardegna area as suggested above and decide whether that might make more sense.

 

[Rome Addict]

Uber is now illegal in Italy. This came about recently. Have no idea if the website still works or has been taken down. There might be a VPN work around but I am not sure how long the wait etc would be. If you are going to Umbria take a train to the closest large city (except Florence) and pick up your car there with a FCO drop off. There may not be a auto Europe in Orvieto but in November there was a Maggiore sign near the train station.

 

[Andrew]

In the last couple of weeks there were taxi strikes and demonstrations over legislation that would regulate Uber. I think the situation has been that it isn't allowed for people to use their personal cars as taxis, but Uber can be used for licensed car services, such as the nice cars serving the airport, to arrange rides, and that's staying the same.

 

[Tery]

For our trip in May/June this year, we are flying into Pisa and picking up our car at the airport there. But, we are spending our last 3 nights of the trip in Rome, and we are returning the car at Termini Station. We'll be staying in an apartment in Monti, about 2 blocks south of Santa Maria Maggiore, and Termini seemed to be the closest drop off place for us. We've never returned a car anywhere else in Rome except FCO. Has anyone dropped off their car at Termini? Is is fairly simple to get to and drop off the car, or is it a nightmare? Any tips would be appreciated! We will be driving up to Rome from Cisternino, Puglia.

 

[Valerie]

We always picked up at Termini, but maybe that's more "city driving" than you want? I remember I wrote very detailed instructions for Pauline on SlowTrav on driving out of Rome from Termini. Not sure if I still have the doc on that.

 

[Andrew]

On our last trip, we considered a return at Termini because it was the location with the best deal open on Sunday. We finally booked something else that was at least apparently better. I haven't done a return there, but I would put it at least potentially in the nightmare category. The return (and pickup, after doing the paperwork at the station) is at a garage at via Giolitti 267. Charting the route in advance, I was ready to try it with trepidation. From the north, it calls for being sure you're on the left side of the divider when entering the underpass under the tracks at Termini, then being led to a section of via Giolitti where a divider makes the traffic British-style, keeping you on the left. If you come from the south, including being on the wrong side of the divider under the tracks, there's a terrible maze of one-ways to get to that garage. If going to central Rome, I would try the Via Veneto-area locations, mostly on via Sardegna.

 

[Valerie]

I have to say, getting OUT of Rome from Via Giolitti is a LOT easier than getting in! We dropped off only once and didn't do that again. But we've picked up a few times, and driving out of the city isn't as complicated. The easiest location is at EUR if that's available.

 

[KeithfromVA]

We've picked up at Termini once and had no issues driving out of Rome. It was a Saturday, though.