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I posed a similar question before and received no response. I've rephrased it so hopefully someone can respond soon as we are traveling there this spring.
Our insurance company said our auto liability insurance is only good in the US. So, do we need to get a separate policy while in Italy or should it be already included in the rental.
Also, our credit card company says to decline CDW as it is included when we use it pay for the rental. However, I've read that they do not allow this to be declined in Italy. It is mandatory and so is an international drivers license..
So can someone clarify things so I know we are covered while in Italy for a week?
We drove through Italy and did have an International driver's license. It's really cheap and you can get it at your AAA office. The reason I recommend it is if you get pulled over, that license is translated into Italian so you won't have issues with translating your info. You will need your current license and 2 Passport photos in order to get one.
Be aware of the extremely high toll rates in Italy. It's seriously ridiculous to drive on the highways in Europe, but Italy was by far the worst country we've driven to. The fees are outrageous there.
Also be aware that certain cities have hours where unless you have a permit, you cannot drive there. If you get caught, the fines are stiff.
Our cc company covered our insurance, so we declined everything and did not have a problem with it. Be aware that AMEX does not cover car rentals in Italy. Here's a site that has a ton of info on renting a car in Italy. It should be answer all your questions.
I've always declined car rental insurance, even if I was not covered. The extreme rate never matched the risk. It's called "self insured".
But see if your credit card will cover you - as someone said AMEX works in some countries, but not others.
I've rented cars in Europe, but I would generally advice against it - traffic is too hectic for a North American, parking in cities is terrible and traffic even worse, a car is actually a liability in a city, highway tolls are expensive, and public transportation is so available and easy as to make renting a car unnessecary. I've never used an international drivers license.
We didn't find traffic to be hectic at all. And we drove through 6 different countries! It's no different than driving in the US. You just have to become familiar with their road signs, since they are in foreign languages.
The only time it was a little crazy was Rome. We covered a lot of territory, from the Amalfi to Rome to the Maremma (lower Tuscany), then Tuscany down into Umbria and back to Rome, and everything was fine.
t was beautiful driving on the country roads. Getting lost was okay there.
We once got a tire in a ditch and some nice young men helped us out.
One thing I do remember: In the States we are used to lots and lots of highway signage, getting lots of little reminders that your exit is coming.
In Italy, there did not seem to be as much, and if you missed your exit you could go many miles out of your way.
We did not get an international driver's license or insurance, and I guess we just lucked out.
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