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Car rental in Genoa
Car rental in Genoa is a very popular option, especially for those tourists who plan to travel outside of Genoa. To the south of Genoa there are such beautiful resorts of the Ligurian shore as Portofino, Cinque Terre, Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, San Fruttuoso, Portovenere and then the Tuscan Riviera. To the north of Genoa there are no less significant resorts, such as Sanremo, Alassio, Savona, Finale Ligure, Imperia, Ventimiglia and then the French Riviera. You can rent a car in Genoa either at rental offices in the city or at the airport.
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 region available from Genoa as the road connections are developed quite decently. After some research and based on my own experience, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to rent a car in Genoa to travel around Liguria and other regions.
The most popular rental companies in Genoa are the international companies such as Thrifty, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, Europcar, Avis and local Italian companies Maggiore, Locauto, Sicily by Car and some others. All of these rental companies have many years of experience and a good reputation, so booking a rental car with these suppliers is as safe and fast as possible.
As I figured out, the cost of car rental in Genoa starts from 20 euros/day for a small car, from 25 euros/day for a medium-sized car, from 30 euros for a large car, from 35 euros for a station wagon, from 35-37 euros for an SUV, from 40 euros for a minivan. You can compare the cost of renting a car in Genoa from all rental companies and book the car you need in advance using specialized online services, thus reducing the time it takes to register a car on the spot. Such services include:
Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and saving on car rentals;
Economybookings is a service for comparing offers from rental companies around the world.
⇒ 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. I can recommend both online services as they have a decent search with a lot of useful options to find out the best available car rentals.
Why is it better to book car rental services in advance?
Car rental in Italy is very popular among tourists, because this is the best way to explore the country or one of its regions on your own. A rented car allows you to travel at your own pace and rhythm, create individual routes taking into account your own wishes, and explore remote attractions that are not so easy to reach by public transport. That is why the car rental option is in demand and that is why it is better to book the desired class of car in advance. Without prior reservation, you may encounter a situation where there is simply no car of the class you need, and you will have to take a car in a more expensive segment.
In addition, early booking allows you to save a lot, since the cost of rental on the spot is almost always higher. The optimal time to order a car is at least 2-4 weeks before your travel dates.
Finding rental offices in Genoa is quite easy. According to my research, there are several rental companies operating in the city center:
- Maggiore rental office is open at 275 R, Corso Sardegna
- Hertz operates at 1-3R, Via Eugenio Ruspoli
- Keddy and Europcar are open at 42/1, Via G. Casaregis
- at 4R, Via Paolo Boselli company MoriniRent operates.

Car rental at Genoa airport
You can also hire a car at the international airport of Genoa, where 15 different car suppliers are located. They include more than 200 cars in total. Renting a car at Genoa airport is one of the popular options, especially for those who do not plan to stay in Genoa, but are in a hurry to one (or several) resorts on the Ligurian shore.
In addition, renting a car in Genoa is also an opportunity to visit the resorts of a neighboring country – France with its Cote d’Azur shore. The distance between Genoa and the border with France is only about 175 km. You cannot travel from Genoa to France by train without a change, and this is another plus in favor of a rented car.
As I found out, the following car rental companies operate at Genoa Airport: Ecovia, Thrifty, Locauto, Sicily by Car, Enterprise, Maggiore, Budget, Hertz, Keddy, Europcar, Avis, Sixt, WinRent, Alamo, Autovia and some others. As you can see, almost all the largest global and local suppliers are represented at the airport. It is safe to book a car from a reputable rental brand, as such companies have a high reputation and high level of trust.
As a rule, global and local companies include additional options for renting a car, such as free cancellation of the order 48 hours before the date of picking up the car, free changes to the order, coverage in case of theft, coverage in case of accidents, etc. The cost of renting a car at Genoa airport starts from 29 euros/day, depending on the date of picking up the car (it is more profitable to book in advance, since a larger number of cars are available for renting).
You can find rental offices at the airport in a special sector called the “Airport Car Rental Center”. When booking in advance, the processing time will be reduced, because most options will be taken into account in advance. All you have to do is to inspect the selected car for damage (if any, it is better to record them) and sign the rental agreement. You can search a car for renting for specific dates via different online services, for instance:
In my opinion, it is worth noting that in Genoa it is not very convenient to travel in a large car, since the streets of the old city are quite narrow. If you are going to the south of the Ligurian shore, then you should also keep in mind that there will occasionally be serpentines along the road. Serpentines are also typical for the section of road on the border with France. Throughout the rest of the route, the roads are as comfortable as possible for driving and having picturesque panoramic views at the same moment.
My tips how to book a car in advance using online services:
For those who have decided to order a car for renting for the first time, there are step by step instructions on how to book a car via online services. You must have your driver’s license and bank card on hand.
1.On the main page of the service you need to fill out basic information for the search. It is the place of picking up and dropping off and the dates and time of your arrival. Please, note, that if you wish, you can choose different pickup and drop off locations. This option is relevant for those travelers who are planning a non-circular route.
2.Next you will be redirected to the search page, where all the results available for your dates will be displayed. Here you can see offers from various companies with different rental conditions. On the right or below (depending on the service) prices for the period will be indicated. Typically, the default sorting is from lowest prices to most expensive (you can change a filter).
3.For the rental offer you like, you can look at the conditions in more detail in a separate tab, which is usually located at the bottom, immediately after the offer. The “Rental Conditions” tab contains parameters such as the documents required for registration, the amount of the franchise and deposit allowed for card payment, mileage and fuel conditions, insurance and other important things.
4.Having selected the appropriate option, go to the booking page by clicking the “Book” button. Here you will need to indicate your personal data: last name, first name, phone number, email, time and flight number (if you rent a car at the airport). Next, you will need to pay for the order (in full or in part, depending on the rental conditions). A booking confirmation voucher will be sent to the email address provided. You will need to print it out and present it at the rental office (or just show it on your smartphone).

Driving rules in Genoa
For active travel around Italy and its regions, there is nothing better than a rented car, since there is no need to be tied to the public transport schedule. In addition, despite the extensive train network in Italy, some small towns cannot be reached by train (a classic example is the famous Ligurian resort of Portofino).
In order to rent a car in Genoa or in any other city in Italy, you must have an international driver’s license or a national driver’s license with duplicate writing in the Latin alphabet.
In addition to an international driver’s license, you must have a bank card to pay for services and block a deposit. A deposit is a certain amount of money that is blocked on your bank card for the period of renting a car in case of unforeseen circumstances (fines issued, damage to the car, lack of fuel in the tank when returning the car, etc.).
The deposit will be safely released within a month after the car is returned. Temporary blocking of the deposit is a common practice of international and local car rental companies, so it is worth making sure in advance that there is enough money on the card. The cost of the deposit depends on the selected car class.
Also, when renting a car, large rental companies always offer to take out road insurance. It is not recommended to neglect insurance, since it is not so difficult to get minor damage while driving a car in Italy because of narrow historical streets, which are difficult to pass, and equally narrow parking spaces. As you can see, the set of documents for renting a car in Italy is standard and does not differ from other European countries.
Some information about road rules and additional costs that I discovered:
- Traffic rules, signs and markings on Italian roads are similar to ours, so there should not be any big problems in understanding. They are refueled in Italy with gasoline with an octane rating of 95 or 98, as well as diesel. In addition to gasoline, you will also have to pay for travel on toll highways.
- In total, there are about 80 toll roads in Italy (+ travel through tunnels). The payment principle is as follows: at the entrance to the toll section, you need to take a ticket, and when leaving, pay it in cash or by card at the machine or at the cashier. The cost varies depending on the mileage.
- There is one life hack on how to avoid driving on toll roads. You use duplicate roads that pass through rural areas. The speed on such roads is slightly lower (on average, 20 km/h lower), but this will help you to avoid paying tolls; in addition, the advantage of choosing duplicate roads is that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Italian natural landscapes.
- Also, additional financial expenses may await you in the historical centers of large Italian cities, where it is customary to pay an environmental entry fee and stick a special sticker. To avoid unnecessary expenses, it is recommended to park outside the main streets and explore the historical center on foot.

Parking in Genoa
One of the problems in Genoa remains the problem of parking. The city is one of the narrowest for road transport, so to travel around Genoa it is recommended to rent small cars. Based on my research, finding parking spaces in Genoa is not easy, especially in the historical part of the city, so I would recommend taking care of it in advance. You can find parking in the center of Genoa at the following addresses:
- Genova Parcheggi S.pA., Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, outdoor parking, capacity for 40 spaces, cost is from 2.5 euros/hour;
- Genova Parcheggi SpA, Viale Enrico Caviglia, outdoor parking, capacity for 110 spaces, cost is from 2.5 euros/hour;
- Metropark SpA., Genova Brignole, Via Edmondo de Amicis, 10, covered parking, capacity for 80 spaces, cost is from 2.5 euros/hour;
- Park & Wash San Vincenzo, Vico del Corallo, underground parking, capacity for 40 spaces, cost is from 2 euros/hour.
More parking spaces can be found at some distance from the city center:
- Autorimessa Excelsior, Viale Sauli, 22/R, San Vincenzo, underground parking, capacity for 85 spaces, cost is from 3 euros/hour;
- Autorimessa Gino, Via Malta, 1C, underground parking, capacity for 40 spaces, cost is from 2 euros/hour;
- APCOA Parking Italia SpA, Vittoria Multipiano, Piazza della Vittoria, 27/C, covered parking, capacity for 770 spaces, cost is from 2.10 euros/hour;
- Genova Parcheggi SpA., Piazza Paolo Da Novi, Brignole, surface parking, capacity for 50 spaces, cost is from 2.50 euros/hour;
- APCOA Parking Italia SpA., Vittoria Superficie (Ex Aci), Piazza della Vittoria, outdoor parking, capacity for 320 spaces, cost is from 2.40 eur/hour.

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: Kent Wang

Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…