Retuning rental car to airport before counter opens

[Caroline]

We will be in Naples in April. We have an early flight out and will need to return the car before 7am. I am aware that there is a drop box for the car keys. Has anyone done this. There seem to be so many problems related to extra charges imposed by the rental companies lately.

 

[chiaro di Luna]

I would suggest contacting the agency closer to the time of travel. I have done this without a problem, but things change. The open/closing times are not always up to date online. Can you drop off the evening before? That solves any worry about unknown charges I would hope.

 

[Chris]

I would also take photographs (with a time stamp) of the entire exterior of the car when you drop it off. I always do this when I pick up a car and when I return it so I'll have something to show in case the car rental firm tries to charge me for damage to the car.

 

[Pauline]

I always do this too - photos when I pickup and when I dropoff the car. Also vacation rentals - photos when I leave (to prove I did not trash the place).

 

[ItalophileNJ]

I recall from the time I rented a car in Naples a few years ago that most of the companies have convenient downtown locations. If it were I doing this, I would return the car there the night before and take a taxi to the airport. Less stress and the cost of the taxi is somewhat offset by one day's less rental cost.

 

[Pauline]

I recall from the time I rented a car in Naples a few years ago that most of the companies have convenient downtown locations. If it were I doing this, I would return the car there the night before and take a taxi to the airport. Less stress and the cost of the taxi is somewhat offset by one day's less rental cost.

But then you would be driving in Naples!!

 

[ItalophileNJ]

Aah, I was assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that the OP was staying in Naples that night. If they are staying elsewhere, such as Amalfi coast, of course that's a different story. But if they ARE staying in Naples, the rental places are not bad; just take a look at a map and decide.

 

[Valerie]

My cousin dropped off at Naples before opening time, leaving the keys in the box. She had a scrape-up (literally, scraped the hell out of the doors getting stuck in a narrow street). She had called when it happened to tell them. They said "no problem, turn it in as usual and we'll sort it out." She expected loads of calls, adjustors, and fees. They never said a word, never billed her anything, and never sent any kind of notice. She figured they just knew that Naples driving always involved scrapes and dents!

 

[Caroline]

Thanks for all your replies. We will be driving back to the Naples airport after 3 nights in Matera. We had wanted to spend our night before the flight in Caserta Vecchia, but, recently there have been bad experiences reported regarding car rental companies. So we decided not to risk leaving the car before the office opens. So the afternoon before we fly home we will return the car to the airport and take a taxi into Naples for our last night. I like Naples but ideally would have skipped the confusion this time. This will be a quiet 2 week trip in the Puglia countryside and Matera. We are flying to Naples and not Brindisi because Meridiana Airlines has a super good price.

 

[Pauline]

You could return the car as late as possible the night before and stay at an airport hotel, since you have such an early flight. This would also let you have the afternoon and early evening somewhere on the way to the airport. We are doing this for our stay in April, returning the car to Bari airport.