Car Rental Rome

The glorious ‘Eternal City’ is one of the world’s greatest historical sights, packed with ancient monuments amid a colorful, friendly atmosphere. Rome is a unique place to visit for a business or for a holiday, and hiring a car means you can get around all the areas of this widespread city, as well as the remarkable attractions and fascinating towns nearby.

We’ve got dozens of car rental pick-up points across the city, including all the main airports and railway stations, and the commercial and tourist areas. So you’ll never be far from the opportunity to jump in a rental car.

All our offices in Rome operate our famous best-price guarantee: that means in the unlikely event that you find a cheaper Hertz hire car in Rome we’ll refund the difference. And we won’t charge anything for cancellations, amendments* or for using your credit card.

*When the booking is canceled within seven days of being made.

Rome is a unique, beguiling mix of old and new: you’ll find extraordinary historical landmarks next to modern architecture, shops and restaurants. And, as Italy’s biggest city and the fourth biggest in Europe, Rome is a very important road hub.

You’ll find a wide orbital ring road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare, circles the city. This helps you bypass the smaller streets of the historical heart and reach the far-flung areas of Rome. Also radiating from the center are many of Italy’s major routes, often following the lines of the original 2,000-year-old Roman highways heading for the outlying provinces of the Empire.

So you’ll often find very straight Roman roads, like those heading the short distance west to Fiumicino airport and the Tyrrhenian Sea. To the east, several roads link to the A1 running up and down the spine of Italy, while the SS1 heads north along the coast.

Of course, Italians are known for their love cars and they can be very passionate about driving. So hiring a car in Rome is part of the overall city experience. Driving here is usually fun, even though it can be very different to driving in a normal city.

Expect every journey to be a colorful adventure, with flower sellers in the middle of the road, plenty of mysterious hand signals and fabulous ancient monuments serving as roundabouts.

Italy’s driving rules are similar to the rest of Europe. The motorway speed limit is 80mph (68mph in the wet) and 68mph on dual carriageways (55mph in the wet). In built-up areas the maximum speed is 31mph. Find out more about the Italian driving regulations here.

Rome is one of Europe’s most cherished cities but you’ll find it’s not just on the list of historic sights it’s so famous for. The whole place has an atmosphere that resonates through the city.

The world’s smallest country

At the heart of Rome, you’ll find another country, there’s no border to cross, though, you can just walk right into The Vatican. It is, of course, home of the Pope and global focus of the Roman Catholic religion and it’s also an extraordinary place to visit. St Peter’s Basilica is the world’s largest Christian church and it stands in its own magnificent square, The Vatican Museum houses incredible papal treasures and the Sistine Chapel features the amazing ceiling mural painted by Michelangelo. You can also explore fortifications, palaces, gardens and underground chambers in this tiny country.

The ancient sights of Rome

If you’re looking to explore the most archaic sights of Rome, one of the many highlights is the Colosseum - the arena where gladiators entertained crowds of 87,000. Today you can tour the largest amphitheater ever built, pose for photos with actors dressed as centurions, and see the tunnels where gladiators and animals awaited their appearances in the ring.

The remaining arches, columns and statues of the Forum give you a chance to stroll through what was once the center of the Roman Empire. You’ll retrace footsteps of emperors imagining the fabulous processions that once happened here.
It’s not all relics of ancient Rome though. The 18th-century ornate baroque landmarks are some of the most romantic. They include perhaps the most famous fountain and staircase in the world. The pretty Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are often used as romantic locations in films and literature, today they’re also popular as backdrops for tourists’ selfies.

Exploring Rome today

Being surrounded by so much history, it’s easy to forget there’s a modern capital city living and working here. But you can find the latest Italian fashions in shops along Via del Corso and great food in trendy restaurants in the bohemian Trastevere district.

Often the most memorable Roman experiences are not the major sights, they’re stumbling upon an impromptu market in a tiny square or a family restaurant in a little back street.

Taking to the Italian east coast

If you’ve got a hire car, the gorgeous countryside of the Lazio area to the east gives you the chance to escape the crowds, and a short drive west takes you to the ancient seaport of Ostia. Today there are good seafood restaurants by the harbor while a short walk away is the remains of the ancient town, preserved like a mini version of Pompeii.

Just 20 miles to the east of Rome, the town of Tivoli makes a great day trip. The fabulous country palaces and estates of wealthy Roman families here have been declared a World Heritage Site. The best is the Emperor Hadrian’s enormous private villa and garden.

And just to the south of the city, is the most spectacular of a series of small round lakes is Lago Albano. It’s a steep volcanic crater now full of water with forested slopes. The old town of Castel Gondolfo clings to the crater’s edge and is the Pope’s summer residence. It’s easy to find a restaurant terrace and enjoy local cuisine overlooking the lake.