as above, any recommendations?

the usual companies are quoting £700ish for a focus-alike (for 2 weeks), the other smaller companies are quoting less, but come with terrifying reviews on tripadvisor…

Not sure about recommendations, but I’ve used europcar on both occasions I’ve been (fiat 500 for 3 days, each time). No problems, but the hire companies are all in the same building, which is a slightly weird walk around the edge of the airport away from the gate.

Pizza in the airport is nice though! (Which, I recognise, is even less helpful than the above…)

There is a quick train to central Florence, so you could try prices for there too.

Edit – and do you really need a focus sized motor? In Italy, less is definitely more when it comes to cars. 4 of us were in a panda for a week around Como in April and it was plenty big enough.

I went there about 10 times last year, I used europecar everytime, with no hassles.

And as mentioned above, dont use the lazy bus, walk round to the car hire building 🙂

thankyou mr/mrs fadda, you have been very helpful 🙂

edit: crikey! – so many responses while i was typing that!

ta everyone!

i will wait to see what anyone else might say, but europcar are now at the top our list!

there are only 2 of us, but we’re taking bikes, which will be boxed up…

do not use hertz[b] from there. they tried ripping us off for fuel. it took months to sort out, and that is with my Italian wife giving them hell!. possibly use the train to Florence, we managed with 2 people 2 bikes in panda, but it easy enough to upgrade when there with these guys in pizza.

are you doing the L’erocia by any chance? we did it the past 3 years via Pizza.http://www.eroicafan.it/en/

try budget car. we used them the last couple of weeks from Venice. get them to check car and fuel tank and keep signed check sheet.

do not use the bus or buy the ticket on the plane for bus. it is a load of rubbish and is not well managed.

we flew with the bikes a few months ago, you can just about squeeze 2 bike boxes into a citroen C4, there’s no way they’ll fit in a panda.

(which is a shame, as the fiat panda is just about my favourite car ever)

l’eroica? – no, but one day… (my dad’s 1980’s dawes should just about cut the mustard)

re Hertz: they’re quite honest about the expensive tank of fuel you have buy from them. it’s the horror stories about charges (hundreds of euros) made against your credit card from the likes of f*****y, G*****r, etc. for damage to an already-shagged car, months after you’ve returned home, that are worrying.

why are prices 50% higher in italy? – i’ll be honest, it’s putting me off going again/at all.