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Car rental in Bergamo
Car rental in Bergamo is an extremely popular option, so rental offices can be found both in the city and at the airport. Registering a car for renting, as a rule, takes no more than 20 minutes if there are no queues at the rental point. To rent a car in Bergamo, you need to have a passport, a driver’s license and a bank card to pay for the service.
I have travelled a lot along the roads in Europe so I can confirm they are pretty much comfortable and it is often the fastest way to get to the desired destination. Plus, you can conveniently and safely move around the Northern regions available from Bergamo as the road connections are highly-developed here. After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to rent a car in Bergamo to travel around Northern Italy.
During registration, you will be asked to select a car of the required class, sign a rental agreement for the required number of days and obtain travel insurance. When paying for services, the deposit is also blocked on the card. If there is no damage to the car, fines or other troubles upon returning, the deposit will be unblocked and got returned to the card. Deposit is required in most international rental companies.
In addition, when renting a car in Bergamo, you should know that it is customary to return the car with a full tank of fuel (they will also give it to you with a full tank). You can pick up a car at one rental office and drop it off at another, but you need to clarify the availability of this option during registration (not all, but most international rental companies have offices in other cities). If you plan to travel outside of Italy, you need to clarify whether additional cross-border insurance is required.
Based on my research, there are some rental offices open at the following addresses in Bergamo:
- 133 A, Via San Bernardino (the rental company is Keddy),
- 9/D, Via Carducci (the rental company is Hertz),
- 133, Via San Bernardino (the rental company is Europcar).
You can find a car with more affordable price conditions at Orio al Serio airport, where rental offices of as many as 23 suppliers are open (the higher competition, the lower prices). You can compare car rental offers in Bergamo via specialized online services and book a car in advance in chosen location be it the city or the airport:
Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and saving on car rentals;
Economybookings is a service for finding cheap car rentals around the world.
I can recommend both services as they have a decent search with a lot of useful options to find out the best available car rentals.
When booking a car in advance, it will help you avoid queues at rental offices, because tourists who have booked a car in advance are served in a separate car rental point. In order to find the most suitable option in terms of price and quality, you can check the offers on all the listed services for comparison.
Why is it better to book car rental services in advance?
In my opinion, it is better to book car rental services in advance for several reasons.
Firstly, the earlier you make a reservation, the wider the choice of available options. Without reservation, you may encounter a situation where all the cars of the class you need will already be taken, and you will have to take a car in a more expensive segment.
Secondly, renting a car at a rental point without prior reservation is almost always more expensive. This is due to dynamic pricing, increased demand, and the fact that online services often offer various discounts and promotions, with which you can also save some money.
Thirdly, by making a reservation in advance, you will reduce the time spent on registration in the office, because some of the papers will already be filled out automatically when booking via online service.
Car rental at Bergamo airport
According to my research, at Bergamo Airport there are offices of 23 + more different rental companies, among which such well-known international rental companies as Dollar, Maggiore, Budget, Thrifty, Avis, Hertz, Locauto, Sicily by Car, Europcar, Enterprise, Keddy, InterRent, Firefly and others. The total number of cars for renting at Bergamo Airport is almost 300 units of various classes. Some rental points are located right in the arrival terminal; in that case you should look for the sign “Car Rental Center”. Some rental offices are located outside the airport, but free shuttles run there, which is often no less convenient.
Tourists are offered cars of different classes, including mini, economy, compact, medium-capacity, family cars, minivans, convertibles, and SUVs. The cost of car rental in Bergamo at the airport starts from 24 euros per day, which is slightly cheaper than at similar rental points in the city center. At rental offices you can choose a car with unlimited or limited mileage, with or without air conditioning, with automatic or manual transmission.
If you book a car in advance via specialized services, then additional options may be included, such as free cancellation or changes 48 hours before the start of the renting, coverage in case of theft or coverage in case of an accident, etc. There are also often other special offers available when booking in advance (check when booking). You can do your own search for finding the best car option to rent at the airport:
My tips on how to book a car in advance via international online services:
To my mind, this procedure is very simple; it allows you to choose the best option in terms of price and quality and reduces the time for registration in the office when picking up a car.
1.First, you need to indicate the input data including such information as where you want to book a car (at the airport, in the city center, anywhere else); on what dates; where you plan to return the car. Also, here you need to check the box that you meet the age range from 21 to 65 years.
2.Next you will go to the search page, where you will see available offers from rental companies for your dates. On this page you can filter the search results in more detail. For example, in the filters you can specify the rental companies you are interested in, a certain class of car, an automatic or manual transmission, with or without mileage restrictions, etc. This way you can more accurately outline the range of available options, suitable exactly for you.
3.Under each offer you are interested in there will be more detailed rental information. The tab is called “Rental Conditions”. Pressing it you can find out what documents are required for registration, the amount of the deposit, and some other additional conditions.
4.Having chosen the appropriate option, go to the booking page. At this stage, you will need to provide your personal information to place an order, including a first name, a last name, a telephone number, email address, a flight number and a time you arrive in. Then payment is made. Payment can be full or partial, depending on the booking conditions.
5.After payment, a voucher will be sent to the specified email address. It must be printed and presented at the registration deck (or presented via smartphone). Here you will need to sign an agreement, pay the remaining amount of money (if the payment on the site was made in advance), block the deposit and pick up the keys. If you made a reservation in advance, then you will need no more than 20 minutes on site for all the formalities.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Bergamo?
The price for renting a car in Bergamo starts from 20-25 euros per day. Moreover, the cost of renting at the airport is, as a rule, somewhat cheaper than in city offices. This is due to the fact that the car park at the airport is more extensive. Also, to save money, it is recommended to book the desired class of car in advance, so you can catch discounts or take part in promotions. The optimal period for which it is better to order a car is at least 2-4 weeks before your travel dates. Cost may also vary, depending on the season. In the “high” summer season, the price can increase by 20-30%.
Based on my experience, I can say that it is also worth paying attention to additional options. They are usually paid separately. Such options usually mean a navigator, a child seat or booster, winter chains, a roof rack, a second driver in the contract, and an extended insurance.
Where to go from Bergamo
Bergamo is a convenient starting point for travel to Northern Italy, be it lakes, mountains or historical centers and cities. After some map research, I found out the best travel destinations from Bergamo and here they are. Below is useful information where to go from Bergamo and what are the distances (with routes on the map).
| From | To | Distance | Route |
| Bergamo | Milan | 50 km (or 31 miles) | Route No. A4/E64 |
| Bergamo | Brescia | 95 km (or 59 miles) | Route No. A4 |
| Bergamo | Verona | 117 km (or 73 miles) | Route No. A4 |
| Bergamo | Turin | 185 km (or 115 miles) | Route No. A4 |
| Bergamo | Lake Garda | 84 km (or 52 miles) | Route No. A4 |
| Bergamo | Lake Como | 90 km (or 56 miles) | Route No. A4/E64 |
| Bergamo | Lake Maggiore | 131 km (or 81 miles) | Route No. A4/E64 |
| Bergamo | Genoa | 200 km (or 124 miles) | Route No. A7 |
| Bergamo | Val Gardena | 280 km (or 174 miles) | Routes No. A4 & A22/E35 |
| Bergamo | Val di Fassa | 277 km (or 172 miles) | Routes No. A4 & A22/E35 |
Driving rules in Bergamo
Bergamo is a historical city in Northern Italy, located 80 km from Milan. The city has many attractions and historical monuments. Besides, Bergamo Orio al Serio airport is the “gateway” to Northern Italy. Bergamo is conveniently located relatively close to other interesting places in the region, including lakes Garda and Como, the cities of Brescia, Verona, Milan, the Dolomites region and some others.
Despite the fact that Italy is a developed country in terms of public transport, not all attractions in the north of the country can be reached by train or bus. For example, the beauty of the Dolomites or most of the small towns of Lake Garda and Como can only be seen by driving along serpentine roads; public transport does not go there.
That is why car rental in Bergamo and other large cities of Northern Italy (Milan, Verona) are very popular tourist options. The convenience of car rental is that you can rent a suitable car at numerous rental offices, which can be found even at the airport upon arrival, and the roads of Italy are of a high level of quality, so you can move along them quickly and comfortably.
Please note that some highways and tunnels in Italy are toll roads. To pay for travel on a toll section, you need to take a special coupon when entering, and when leaving, pay in cash or by card at an automatic machine or at the cashier.
To avoid toll highways, you can use free duplicated roads. Their quality is no worse, however, the speed of driving is somewhat lower (usually lower, on average, by 20 km/h). In addition, duplicated roads often pass through picturesque countryside and you can stop at various colorful Italian towns, so such a trip can be an excellent idea to view the natural landscapes and life of the country.
They are refueled in Italy with gasoline with an octane rating of 95 or 98, as well as diesel. Refills can be manual or automatic (with a special reading device), but the first option is more common, i.e. You can pay by card or cash at the cashier.
In my point of view, the driving rules are intuitive and often coincide with international ones, so there are no problems in understanding. Recording of violations on Italian roads is often automatic, although you can also find inspectors who can issue fines, but payment is not made on the spot.
AS I see it, renting a car in Bergamo is often not only a convenient, but also a necessary option, especially if you plan to go to explore the natural beauty of the region. Some places in Northern Italy can only be reached by car; public transport is not always available everywhere. The convenience of car rental in Bergamo is that rental offices can be found both in the city and at the airport of Orio al Serio.
The cost of renting a car is also one of the cheapest in Italy and starts from 23-24 euros per day. Taking into account all these circumstances, a rented car is not only the most convenient and fastest way to travel, but also in terms of money, during active travel, it is also the cheapest one.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Alex
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…