Italy: Rome - Florence - Venice - Dolomites - Germany: Neuschwanstein Castle - King's Lake - Munich

Highly efficient

When returning the car, we were required to fill up the tank. After doing so, the fuel gauge still didn't show full, and they charged us without explanation. Fortunately, we noticed and went back to dispute it. We took the staff to the gas station, filled the tank again, and the gauge still showed one bar less, causing us to waste money on extra fuel, as the automatic machine didn't give change. Going back again for a refund wasted a lot of our time.

The car pickup speed was reasonable, mainly because I was the first one there, and it took 15 minutes to complete the process. At first, they did recommend some additional insurance, but when I insisted on sticking with the order amount, they didn't push it. Italians have a relaxed approach, handling business while making phone calls, but overall, it was fine with no unpleasant experiences. If you're unlucky and there's a queue, the waiting time could be long.

I picked up the car at Rome Fiumicino Airport. The directions from the arrival hall to the second floor were very clear, and the counter service was quick. Self-pickup car, a brand new hybrid with only 21 kilometers. Returning the car outside Florence Airport was initially challenging as I had trouble finding it. After asking for directions, I finally found it. It wasn’t far, but the route was somewhat complex. Car return involved a simple inspection and some questions. Not sure if there will be any issues later since the pre-authorization is still pending.

Second time I used Hertz and found the service below average and the amount of time for picking up car way too long.