It seems like nobody but me is having problems with driving a car with manual transmission in Italy. I and my wife are planning to drive around Tuscany and Umbria in October. I've never driven a car with stick shift before and car rental agencies charge a $300 more on average for a car with automatic transmission (for 19 days). I am thinking about taking a driving lesson on a car with manual transmission before we leave but my son tells me that it took him about three months to switch from automatic to manual for good. So I am afraid that I may end up being totally frustrated trying to handle stick shift while watching the road and following directions. Should I swallow hard and pay up extra?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

Glad to know I'm not the only "shiftless" person in the world!!! IMO, YES!!!, go with the automatic...you will be so busy (sometimes) trying to find your way, merge, turn, etc, and even though I haven't seen Italians display the road rage we see over here, when you see a car coming up behind you...get over NOW!!! because they are coming at you at about 90 mph and EXPECT you to move. I think for your peace of mind, go automatic for now.

Shop around before you pay that much extra for an automatic transmission. I rented a car in Sicily for only a few dollars more than a stick. Check with www.autoeurope.com (through this site) and ask them.

I can't remember where I rented my car from but I will look through my files and see if I can find the info. I do remember that I spent a lot more on fuel than on the car.

Go for the automatic! Neither my husband nor I can drive a stick either (a product of growing up in the cities!)My husband took a few stick lessons once before going on a trip to Mexico, where we couldn't get an automatic at all. Fortunately for us, the rental car was small and light because more often then not, we ended up pushing it into parking spaces because trying to park with the stick shift was an effort in futility and frustration! We couldn't get it to go into reverse!! My husband swore off stick-shift forever after that trip---won't even consider it.

We rented a compact automatic through Autoeurope for about $680 for 11 days.

Janet

I can use a stick shift alright (comes from being brought up and living in relative poverty and also doing my own car maintenance) but I found the Fiat Seicento gearbox quite hard to use in particular getting reverse. Getting into a tight park was hard, as was 3-point turns on a street ('I said left but you know I really meant right!').

However I say take your time and do not be intimidated by the other drivers. They may express their impatience to you mut treat it as that and nothing more. Even on the autostrada if you see someone hassling you from behind please do not do anything hasty, take tour time to check all those things you need to check before indicating right and then moving over.

They're not going to ram you with their expensive car, and they can soon speed up again after you carefully move over.

If a gear is hard to find and you know you're pushibng the stick in the right direction, here's a tip: calm down and put the transmission into neutral again (the stick is left-right wobbly), then release your foot off the clutch.

Now try for reverse again.

The gearbox like the return to neutral before tryiong a gear, so give it a second chance.

Pay for the automatic. I only ever drove a manual car for a year (Steve's car when I met him and then I convinced him to get an automatic) so am not comfortable with a manual. Steve is fine. On various trips in Italy we have had both types - but only when we have an automatic do I feel totally comfortable in sharing the driving. It is just one more thing to worry about - in an already difficult driving situation.

We frequently fly into Switzerland and rent our car there - you used to be able to get automatics for not much more than manuals. But this year it seems like we are paying about $300 more for an automatic and then another $400 or so for dropping it off in Italy!! We are spending 2 weeks in Switzerland then 3 weeks in Italy, so at least the cost is spread over a longer time. Car rental rates seems to change all the time.

Have you read our Driving section on the web site?
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drive/about_drive.htm

What Brian said about taking your time and not feeling pushed to act too quickly. And as I say on the Driving page "never be daunted" - driving in Italy can be intense, but it can be done and you will get used to it.

Adding my voice to the chorus: When driving for the first time in a new country, the last things in the world you need to worry about are gearshifting and clutch, or stalling in the middle of an interchange. As to cost, Auto Europe seems to have a low cost automatic with A/C and I found that if you call them (toll free 1 800 223 5555; ask for Virgil!) they may have some options not mentioned on their web site.

Good luck and tell us what you did and how it went! Doru

As always, someone's seemingly personal question affects many people. I suffered from the same dilemma and decided to go automatic. I figured I will save the money in un-needed dental work as I gound both my teeth and gears. I have visions of never being able to backup and also having to push the car into parking spots. Thanks

Perhaps being a "golden oldie" has its rewards! I drove a VW Bug for over 30 years and when we finally decided I needed a newer car, I opted for a 4X4 Tracker. I honestly can't imagine driving a car I can't "shift." I learned to drive in 1936 and 1937 Fords, one with a floor shift and the other a column. I occasionally drive my husband's car and am constantly trying to step on the clutch. I guess I had forgotten you "youngsters" have always had automatic shift cars. So guess the arthritis, wrinkles, gray and thinning hair are somehow compensated for, at least when renting cars in Europe!

We rented through AutoEurope for France last year and Italy this year. We were very pleased with prices and service.

Perhaps I should start a driving school for gear shift deprived drivers planning European visits. LOL

Thank you everybody. You just confirmed what I already knew but was afraid to admit. I am going automatic and looking forward to our trip without fear. Certainly, I will shop around for a rental car and certainly, I will call AutoEurope after reading so many praises about this company. I let you know about results as soon as I finish looking for deals.
Thank you Pauline. I have read the SlowTrav section on driving in Italy. I find it, as well as many other sections, very useful.

Don't forget that if book with AutoEurope to call back frequently and ask if they are having any specials. I did this at least 5 times and everytime they knocked the price down for me! In the end my cost was $500.00 Cad less than the initial price I paid!

Good information Liz!! I am going to do that with our rental - it is more expensive than usual this year.

And it is lovely to be referred to as a "youngster"!!

Giovanna: Do it! Automatics use more fuel, too. I like to think in an emergancy I could drive anything. Tanks don't have automatic do they?

My memory has been jogged - I rented my automatic from www.car-rental-italy.com. It was a great deal, and www.autoeurope.com will match any price. Pauline, how would one inquire about matching a price from another company that would ensure slowtrav get a commission in the end?

Last year about this time I rented a car for 35 days from autoeurope.com and it was $650 for 35 days - I can't believe this year it is almost that for less than two weeks. I think I quoted car-rental-italy's price to get that low price for 35 days - and car-rental-italy did not even respond to my inquiry then! (Justifiable since I was picking the car up the very next day and they are in L.A.)
autoeurope was great - we were literally having a conversation with them in real time by e-mail in an internet cafe and the deal was done. We put over 4000 kilometers on that sucker.

I think as long as you start your booking by the click thru, even if you then phone them to get a better deal, SlowTrav gets the commission. But, first priority is get the best deal possible - second priority is that SlowTrav gets a commission.

You usually end up talking to them even when you do your booking online - you call them at the end to give them your credit card number and to go over final details.