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If you have chosen to drive to the Dolomites, Excellent! The roads in the Dolomites are windy, and narrow, have no railing, steep drops, hairpin turns, and have no light at night but don't be intimidated.
In this blog post, I will share some of our tips for driving in the Dolomites and more tips on renting a car in general.
This is the best tip we can give you Driving through narrow windy roads in the day or night is much easier with a small car.
It was just the two of us, one big suitcase and two backpacks. If you're a big family and need a bigger car it IS DOABLE!
I love Waze but Waze is only as good as the information you provide. Waze relies on users to report road conditions (accidents, traffic) plus it does not take into account traffic lights, potentially slowing down arrival time. Refresh your destination the morning of your departure with enough time for Waze to recalibrate itself
Plus you'll see such beautiful views that you'll want to stop and take photos
The fastest way from Venice to the Dolomites by car is via the A4/E70 and A22/E45 which are toll highways. We used Waze to choose the options of roads without tolls because we heard that you need to pre-pay for the toll roads. Finding these toll stands as a tourist is not easy which will result in receiving a fine once they return back from their trip.
We also heard that it is hard to understand which lanes are for subscribers and which are for one-time users.
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔: Takes longer.
𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔:Scenic route has the best views.
The speed in Italy, generally is not proportional, for example, on the highway you can see a speed of 50 km but then on the WINDY road, you can see a speed mark of 80 km?! However, it is very important to drive according to the speed limit since Italy is highly networked with speed cameras everywhere and they are looking to give out speeding tickets. You'll see the locals speeding next to you, but they probably know exactly where the cameras are located, so don't risk it, if there are rows of cars behind you, don't fret, simply yield to the side if possible and let everyone pass. The turtle won the race anyway!!!
The gas stations in Italy were pretty odd. You can't find a convenience store at the gas stations so if you'd like a snack don't rely on the gas stops.
You should rent the car as early as possible, prices go up as you get closer to the date of travel.
It should be taken into account that an automatic vehicle costs much more than a manual vehicle, sometimes twice the amount., Yet, driving through the mountains manually is not always easy for those who are either inexperienced or uncomfortable with the manual. Take that into consideration.
You do not necessarily get the car you order but of a similar class. What do I mean? For example, we ordered a FIAT PANDA but we got a DACIA, a set of similar vehicles of the same size but it is not the car we ordered. That's how it is at car rental agencies.
We paid for a small vehicle manual transmission - $ 245 for 4 days. In the end, we were charged 305$. Why? Their reasoning, Parking Fees. It was not okay but we did not have the strength to fight them. Instead, we sent an email requesting the cancellation of the “Parking Fees”. Their response was “there is nothing to do, these are MESTRE procedures”. Before closing on your rental, you may want to ask, are there any “parking fees?”.
It is important that you have insurance to cancel the deductible - either when you sign the rental forms or when you do travel insurance abroad because it can sometimes cost a lot of money.
Pay attention to the exact times you take the vehicle and return it because they can charge you extra money.
Make sure to demand to return the car with a full fuel tank, because the rental company will charge you a lot of money for the fuel if they fill it up. You better do it.
When you receive the car, photograph it, and videotape it, from all angles. Pay attention to
any scratches, dents, or anything out of the ordinary. Immediately and tell the agent dealing with the vehicle. Taking both videos and photos is for your proof, otherwise, the insurance company can blame you for things you did not do thereby charging you for damages.
Before driving off with your rental, inspect the trunk/boot for your emergency kit in case of a puncture - tire jack, tire iron that fits the lug nuts, spare tire with air in it, to replace a wheel
In addition, make sure that you know how to operate the vehicle so slide into the driver's seat and test all car controls. It sounds silly but you will thank me in your heart. Driving an unfamiliar car is already a distraction, therefore you should make sure you’re all set and ready to focus on the road. Last but not least, know which fuel your car rental requires
Please note that you are to bring a valid driving license or an international license. Please note that you must have the credit card with which you made the booking of the vehicle otherwise it can cause you problems.
Everything was fine with EUROPCAR. We paid an extra $ 60 for returning the car to the parking lot, at night (as we were told).
Written on the receipt that we received in an email it turns out these are “MESTRE'S FEES”, something we were not told at the branch, not cool!
The explanation we received about returning the car was not great either, but that's how the Italians are. They do not like to elaborate and explain in depth.
Ask a lot of questions, make sure you know where to return the vehicle, and what happens if you are late