The 5 best car rental companies in Italy

If you’re looking for an Italian car rental site offering both high quality vehicles and competitive rates, you’ve come to the right place. Finding the right car rental company—especially when you’re abroad—can be a real headache. It’s a competitive market, and so much choice can result in a serious case of option paralysis.

Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, on a budget or with a healthy credit card, Italy has got it all. Famously one of the most beautiful European countries, you have a wealth of destinations to choose from. From the sunny Amalfi Coast, to the tourist spots of Venice and Naples, to the business hubs of Rome, Florence and Milan, it’s all on your doorstep with a successful car hire.

To save you time—and headaches—we’ve gone through the top car rental companies in Italy with a fine tooth comb. To best compare the options, we searched each website for a 3-day midweek rental in Rome, for dates two weeks out from the time of writing. In fact, our research showed that Italy offers some of the best prices for car hire in Europe.

Armed with this list (and a valid driver’s license) you’ll be zipping down the Italian national motorways in no time, knowing you’ve got one of the best deals on the market.

Let’s go! Or, should we say, andiamo!

The 5 best car rental companies in Italy

1. TravelPerk: best for business travel

If you’re searching for the best car rental deals for business trips, travel management company TravelPerk might be your best bet. With multiple types of car available, from Compact to Economy, Intermediate to Mini, you’re free to pick the style that best caters to your specific needs.

TravelPerk offers a vast inventory, including both manual and automatic cars, from which to choose your rental car. If you’re looking for a sustainable option, there’s also a selection of electric cars available. Plus, VAT-friendly invoices are available for a number of car rental companies offered by TravelPerk, saving you a lot of time, hassle, and money. 

TravelPerk works with some of the top names on the market, including Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt. The list doesn’t end there—if you have specific needs requiring a specialized service, TravelPerk can get in touch with extra providers to find your ideal vehicle. From pick-up trucks to lorries to group convoys, the options available at TravelPerk are second to none.

A three-day family car rental for the start of August, booked two weeks in advance, offered various options between 69€ – 573€. 

2. Maggiore: catering to all requirements

With 146 offices in Italy, Maggiore offers a vast range of vehicles and car hire services. Maggiore is well established in the car rental industry, with over 65 years of experience in short, medium, and long-term vehicle rental. 

They offer special deals to group and business trips, with bonus options such as satellite navigation, and pick-up services. From van hire to corporate clients, Maggiore is a go-to option for many Italians.

Maggiore’s stand-out feature is their e-city cars, with competitive daily, weekend and weekly hire rates. Ideal for short city journeys as an alternative to public transport, such as airport transfers, or moving quickly around the city, their electric cars are sanitized at each rental and with a minimum charge of 70%. You can also purchase the Maggiore charging card as an additional extra, giving you access to a network of over 280,000 charging stations.

Maggiore’s key features include:

• App by Maggiore: an accessible app from where you can manage your bookings, and gain access to premium services
• Pick-up and drop-off services in select locations
• Competitive details for one-way rentals
• Partnerships with travel agencies and airlines, including ITA airways, British Airways Executive Club, Frecciarossa, and Volare
• Over 200 rental stations in travel hubs and major Italian cities
• Dedicated account manager and support team on hand

We found that a three-day family car rental for the start of August, booked two weeks in advance, offered various options between 52.50€ – 125.50€.

3. Locauto: ideal for short journeys and local know-how

Locauto is another leading car rental agency in Italy, also offering a wide selection of cars and services. With an array of positive customer reviews, Locauto is trusted by many Italians seeking efficient and reliable car hires. 

Offering car rentals for both leisure and corporate journeys, Locauto offers an impressive range of bonus features, including Smart Check-in, various sustainability measures (1 in 4 Locauto vehicles is hybrid), and regular car sanitisation.

One of Locauto’s stand-out features is their exclusive 6/12 hourly rate for short trips, helping you save up to 40% compared to the basic daily rate. 

Locauto’s key features include:

• Website offered in English and Italian 
• Easy and intuitive platform to manage bookings
• Smart Check-in service for fast, efficient pick-ups
• Exclusive rates for 6/12 hour rentals
• Locauto Elefast digital service, enabling users to rent in contactless mode
• ‘Don’t Worry Rate’ with protection against theft, damages and injuries
• Long term car rental options
• Transparent pricing system
• Bonus features such as child car seats
• Free cancellations made 24 hours before the car pick-up

According to our research, a three day rental for a family car in the middle of August, booked with two weeks’ notice, comes out at around 93€ – 309€.

4. Noleggiare: Italian through-and-through

Noleggiare is a reliable and internationally-recognized car provider, offering some of the best prices on the Italy car rental market. One of Noleggiare’s most attractive features is its Premium option, which offers a free additional driver, coverage for damage/theft, dedicated support during the booking process, and platinum insurance.

Sustainability is a priority at Noleggiare. When booking your rental vehicle, you can donate any amount from 1€ towards planting trees. Noleggiare will double the amount and invest it in forestation. Additionally, Noleggiare prioritizes renewable energy sources, with many zero-emission vehicles on offer.

If you’re a tourist looking for a car to take you around Italy, from Calabria to Tuscany and back via Bologna, the Noleggiare Local program offers exclusive tips and deals for tourist attractions and popular spots. They offer itinerary-planning services and all sorts of recommendations to ensure your road trip is a big success.

Noleggiare’s key features include:

• Website available in five languages: Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Russian
• Option to leave keys in Key Box when you return a car outside office hours
• Noleggiare Premium including Platinum Insurance and VIP Priority
• Sustainability measures for your car rental
• Noleggiare Loves Local program for tourists
• Over 100 drop-off locations around Italy
• 24/7 customer support telephone number

According to our research, a three day rental for a family car in the middle of August, booked with two weeks’ notice, comes out at around 104€ – 320€.

5. Sicily by Car: a standard car provider ticking all the boxes

The name Sicily by Car may be slightly misleading, as this leading car rental agency offers rentals all around the country, with offices in popular locations including Palermo, Cagliari, Alghero, Verona, and Florence. 

With a vast array of both trucks and cars on offer, Sicily by Car standard rental includes civic responsibility, penalty reduction for damages, and theft/fire penalty reduction. These rates also include an insurance policy that covers damage to third parties.

One stand-out feature at Sicily by Car is that prepaying online entitles users to a discount of 10% over the basic rate. Rentals up to 26 days have unlimited mileage, but watch out—from the 27th there is a limit of 3,500 km.month, with a surcharge per kilometer.

Features on offer at Sicily by Car include:

• Website in English and Italian 
• Bonus features including snow chains, GPS devices, priority service, child and booster seats
• Second Driver service which allows for up to two additional drivers and Young Driver service which allows customers under 23 to drive rental vehicles
• Option to rent monthly with debit payments
• Over 50 pick-up and drop-off locations around Italy
• Option to rent abroad
• Long-term rental options

During our research, prices for a family car rental at the start of August, booking two weeks’ in advance, gives options at around 110€ – 289€.

Find the right vehicle for you—oggi!

Whether you’re heading up to the picturesque Turin, down to sunny Catania, or desperate to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, now you know the top Italian rental car companies you’ll be using to get you there. When it comes to comparing these agencies, we’d recommend watching out for additional fees, read insurance small print, and understand mileage rates.

In terms of minimizing hassle, TravelPerk comes out on top for corporate travelers. Its all-in-one, intuitive platform means that you can easily visualize your options, get access to the best rates on the market, and avoid lengthy booking processes. TravelPerk is also ideal for those non-Italian speakers out there, as the website is available in English, French, German, or Spanish. From Fiat 500s to pick-up trucks, TravelPerk has got you covered. 

Buon viaggio!