Car Rental

[cool]

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[roysee]

Including our daughters holidays we spend about 9 weeks a year in Scalea and like you find car hire expensive, so in May we are driving our old car to Italy!
It has a recent MOT so we wont have to take it back for nearly a year, have arranged breakdown cover.
It should take about 3 days but hopefully well worth it

Hi Cool,

Have you tried www.carhiresearch.co.uk

I usually find these are quite good.

Regards
Melanie

[bella_ciao]

Originally Posted by cool

Hi Gang,, I am planning a trip down and need a car to take 7 people .I have tried the rental companys and they want 1250 euros for 2 weeks.Dont want to pay that,,,Any ideas?

Hi cool,
We are travelling over to Calabria in June and I recently posted some info. on this subject under the thread "Ryanair Timetable Changes".
What you have been quoted seems like an awful lot of money and I do think you'll make a considerable saving by booking your car hire from the UK. There are a number of companies and websites given on the other thread, so it pays to do some research and then go with whatever you feel is best for you. We used Holidayautos last year and were very happy with their quote and cover. This year, we booked our car hire with Ryanair when we booked our flights (they get a special deal with Hertz) and it was very reasonable indeed: however, we have since found out that we will have to pay a large excess in the event of an accident and it will mean paying nearly as much as our original premium to get rid of it :cry: - we will be given this option when we arrive at Lamezia T Airport. Nevertheless, for the reasons I have mentioned on the other thread, we are happy to go with our original car hire booking with Ryanair on this occasion.
Of course, if you are a frequent visitor to Italy, the idea of taking a car over there and bringing it back for its MOT, etc., seems to make sense. You just have to weigh up what suits you best.
Hope this has been of some help, though I expect there will be other members with some great suggestions re: car hire companies.
Ciao,
Frances.

[maisy]

Hiya
There is also another website by the name of http://
compare.carrentals.co.uk/search
Hope this is of help
Maisy

[billy]

Hi All,
To get rid of the ridiculous Excess Charges from ALL of the car hire companies I take out an Annual Insurance Policy with insurance4carhire which costs £50. This insurance company advertises in all of the Italian Magazines on sale in Britain and Ireland. The £50 is well worth it in my case as I hire a car in Italy at least 3 times a year for approximately 2 weeks at a time.
Regards, Billy.

[bella_ciao]

Hi Billy,
What a brilliant piece of advice! I've just logged on to the site you recommended and have paid for the insurance (the regular 31 days Europe option - costs just £51.45 with the 5% Insurance Premium Tax), which is absolutely necessary if you are going to purchase a car insurance like the one with Ryanair, or else you end up paying a huge excess if you have an accident. The accompanying letter with the excess insurance document tells you that, in the event of an accident, the excess will be charged to your credit card by the car hire agent at the time but you have to get your claim in quickly with this company, who certainly seem to be associated with well-recommended insurance companies. It it well worth the little extra you pay for this insurance for the peace of mind it gives you.
You need to turn down the option of excess cover premium they offer you when you pick up the vehicle at the airport (which is exorbitant in the case of a company like Hertz ) as this extra policy with insurance4carhire gives you the needed backup.
Thanks again for the info. - it was the only thing giving us any real concern this time, so a little help is worth a lot of pity!
Ciao a tutti,
Frances (& Lawrence)

[jpfable]

Try......

http://www.economycarhire.com/

I have used a few times and they seem very competitive and include a full no excess comprehensive cover unless I read their terms wrong.

JP

[bella_ciao]

Originally Posted by jpfable

Try......

http://www.economycarhire.com/

I have used a few times and they seem very competitive and include a full no excess comprehensive cover unless I read their terms wrong.

JP

Hi JP,
Yes, I think this company has already been recommended somewhere else on this forum because I already have it in my favourites. I just did a quote on the website, though, and it does seem pretty competitive and that the price is fully inclusive of comp., excess, etc., so what you see is what you get. It's a bit late for us this time but I'll definitely keep it in mind the next time we hire a car.
Thanks!
Ciao,
Frances

[jessie]

Hi everyone,
just on the subject of Insurance4carhire, we took out a policy just before we went to Scalea in March, like yourselves we didn't want to be faced with the expensive excess charges. It turned out to be very lucky for us as when we came out of our apartment one morning, someone had clipped the side of our car and no way were we ever going to find out who did it. We were charged £120 immediately by the hire car company on our credit card but had the amount refunded right away to our bank account on production of the credit card statement showing the charge. Everything was very straightforward so I would advise you to go ahead and take the policy!

[cool]

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[billy]

Hi Cool,
I've used Economycarhire twice in the past---once from Rome and once from Lamezia and Auto Europa was the rental company they used on both occasions.I rent a small car and find it cheaper using Novacarhire who also use Auto Europa and I back up the basic insurance offered by them with my annual insurance4carhire policy.
Regards,Billy.

[Alyson]

Hi Billy & Sheila

sorry we missed you on our last visit,2 very busy days of viewing with Tony.
just started the process of buying, in for a nice little flat in Petrosa,came through Stanstead last time,just wondered if you have found a better route,perhaps you can let us know...thanks Alyson & George

[billy]

Hello Alyson and George,
Nice to hear from you and very pleased to hear of your proposed purchase in the Petrosa area---We are going to be neighbours----Our apartment is in the same area. With regards to getting to Scalea: For our last few visits we have used Stansted as well. We travel with Easyjet from Edinburgh to Stansted,Staying one night,and then use Ryanair to Lamezia the next morning and drive up the SS18 to Scalea. However, we are returning to Scalea on 30th May and we are using the Prestwick to Rome Ciampino route,Again Ryanair.We should reach Scalea in one day but it means leaving our house in Stirlingshire at about 3 am to catch the early morning flight from Prestwick and then we have the drive south from Rome.I'll be needing a wee hauf by the time we get to Scalea.On the return journey we are staying one night in the Hotel Palacavicchi which is very close to Ciampino Airport to catch the 11 am flight back to Prestwick.I am using this route because I managed to pick up cheap flights from Ryanair and it cuts out the Easyjet flights.Having said all this----What we really need for us SCOTS is for Ryanair to start a route between Prestwick and Lamezia supposing it was only one flight per week---This would make Scalea a lot more Accessable for us SCOTTISH folk.
Regards, Billy and Sheila.

[Mac]

Hi Billy & Sheila
I agree. Wouldn't it be fantastic to fly from Scotland to Lamezia. I am going to Scalea on 30th May too - Easyjet Edinburgh to London then London to Lamezia. Maybe bump into you.

[billy]

Hello Mac,
We probably will bump into you when we are in Scalea. Can I ask you---Were you on the SKY TV program about Scalea that Tony did last year? If so,we met a young couple last year from Dundee who I think were staying in your apartment.I think they had travelled down to Scalea from Rome overnight by train. We met them at the ice cream place opposite the Talao Hotel.
Regards,Billy and Sheila.

[Mac]

Hi Billy & Sheila
Yes unfortunately it was me on Sky TV program. I get embarrassed every time I think about it.
Best Wishes Linda

[Alyson]

Hi Billy & Shiela,

We are heading back over to Scalea 16th June for a week,this time flying into Ciampino, arriving Saturday night, so will spend night at hotel,picking up car on Sunday morning, this will be our first experience of driving in Italy, so any tips including directions from airport would be much appreciated.......thanks regards Alyson & George

[cool]

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