You'll have a fantastic time in Italy, no matter what. However, if you haven't been before, be aware that nothing in Italy is really ever a sure thing.
My wife and I went about 5 years ago, and I contacted several rental agencies around Florence until I found one that told me they had Alfas in their fleet, and would guarantee me one. When we showed up, not only was there no Alfa for me, they apparently had NO alfas in that rental company anywhere near Florence/Tuscany. I suspect they never did. That said, the little turbo-diesel Fiat they gave us was actually quite a lot of fun (I don't remember the exact model). If you can, spend a few days in the small wine towns of Tuscany/Umbria. The roads are PRISTINE for driving - I don't remember a single pothole in that part of the country. Favorites of ours for day stops included Greve, Volterra, and Montalcino. If you go into Napoli/Sorrento, having a car is a giant headache, and I recommend ditching it unless you are planning a lot of day trips that require it. If you can afford the premium, there are more sport/luxury-oriented renters who can set you up with new or vintage wheels. My recollection was about $700 for a 3 day rental of a vintage car, but I'm not sure of that. -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
