ZERO STARS. BUYER BEWARE! DO NOT RENT FROM AVIS IN ITALY... or anywhere for that matter (Yes, I have experience with other rental car companies in Italy- have used Hertz while in Italy in past with zero issues). Renting from AVIS was a disaster from the very beginning- We arrived to Fiumicino and walked to the rental desk at about 11:30-12:00 o'clock on March 26, 2026, the agents were indifferent, not hospitable and a female agent attended to us. She asked for my documents Drivers License, Credit Card and passport. She goes for the hard up sell on the daily insurance of $35 per day and I decline it. She starts cursing me out and mumbling under her breath when I tell her that I have extra coverage with my own car insurance, booked full travel insurance and took out the recommended insurance when I booked the car through Delta AMEX. She tells me that its not enough and I won't be covered if theres damage or the car is stolen. I feel confident with the layers of insurance I have and continue to decline. She hands me my documents back, gives me the key and tells me the bay number. NO CONTRACT, THEY DIDNT HAVE ME SIGN ANYTHING. I go out bay number to 37 to the Black Ford KUGA. It is damaged on every panel and door of the vehicle. Its so damaged that it doesn't look like the passenger door is even closed properly. The vehicle smells heavily of cigarette smoke. I walk back in to the office and tell her, the car is heavily damaged I'd like a different one. She refuses my request with a rude comment "We don't rent brand new cars out here" I said, "Can I get a document of all the damage so I'm not responsible for it?" She declines that as well. She says its all been recorded in pictures. But where? And why don't I get a copy of those pictures? I feel scammed already and now I feel stuck. So we just have to accept this and make the best of it, not let it ruin our trip. We go to leave the parking garage and the security guard asks for the contract. I said "I wasn't given a contract" He replies "Everyone gets contract. You can't leave without it" I insist that I was given nothing. He now has to leave the stall and run over to the rental desk (He's of a senior age and its on the other side of the parking garage) A line is forming behind us in the garage. He returns. Says nothing and then gives us the print out ticket to get out of the garage on the ground level. STILL NO CONTRACT. About an hour later I get an alert on my AMEX that I'm charged for over $1,000. That means they waited until I left the premises to finalize a contract scam me with extra charges that I had declined multiple times. Did she photocopy my card? Enter the information manually? Now I feel more stuck as I have to lock the card thinking this scammer employee is going to continue to do dishonest things. The card I had for this trip is no longer available for my use during our honeymoon. You often hear about the pickpocket thieves to look out for on the trains and the tourist attractions, but I hadn't heard about the ones wearing red shirts at AVIS rental counters. So now I have to waste time and get on the phone/live chats with customer service and message AMEX and Delta vacations, that's who I reserved the car through. At a certain point we made a decision that this can't get in the way of our honeymoon, we have to accept it for what it is and fight it when we get home. Except, it came back at us when we dropped off the car at Fiumicino. (It should be noted that we dropped off the car early as we didn't enjoy the added stress of having a car from a company that we knew we were getting scammed by. We changed our trip plans and rerouted our course to drop off the car early and use the train instead) Soooo. We come to drop off the car. (Side note as we were told we were 8-9 litres short on gas: We filled up the tank near the airport, the gauge is showing FULL when we drop it off. We have the timed receipt from the petrol station.) We get our belongings out, they don't look at the exterior of the car they just bring the handheld over for me to sign, while very conveniently hiding the amount I'm signing for. I asked to see what I am signing for and he scrolls up in a quick manner and I give a very firm "NO. I did not agree to those charges/that amount." I have printed forms of my reservation, the charges that were already paid and what was due at pick up. I have copies of the insurances that I came prepared with. He asks me to come into their little vestible while they straighten it out. He asks for the contract from pick up day, I again insist that I was never given one. They make a phone call and go into the system to see that they never had my signature from the day I picked up the car. Now they say that they are giving me a $20 discount for my troubles and they "are not going to charge me for the missing gas" Theres NO missing gas. We just filled up and this is a hybrid vehicle. HOWEVER, theres a survey that they emailed on the spo read more

See all

Dear Avis Customer Relations, I am writing to formally complain about a series of failures involving two Avis reservations that resulted in significant stress, wasted time, and improper charges during our recent trip to Italy. The reservations at issue are xxx010 (Naples Airport) and xxx675 (Rome Fiumicino Airport). Naples Reservation - xxxxxxoo Due to a significant delay on United Airlines, our December 24 flight from Washington to Naples was canceled and we were rebooked to arrive in Rome on December 25, making it physically impossible for us to pick up our rental car in Naples. We made repeated attempts to modify or cancel the Naples reservation: 1. We were unable to reach anyone at the Avis Naples Airport desk, despite repeated calls. 2. The U.S. Avis reservations office told us they could not assist and that only the Naples Airport office could modify the reservation. 3. The Avis office in Rome also told us they could not help and that we had to contact Naples Airport again, which, as noted above, was unreachable. In short, we were trapped in a loop with no functional customer support. Rome Airport Experience - December 25 Upon arriving at Rome Fiumicino Airport, we approached the Avis/Budget/Maggiore desk and were initially told: - They could do nothing to assist with the Naples reservation, and - There were no cars available to rent. We were explicitly told to take a train instead. However, while still in the terminal waiting area, we checked online and found that both Avis and Budget were actively showing cars available at Rome Airport. To protect ourselves, we made online reservations with both companies. When we returned to the counter with confirmation numbers in hand, suddenly cars were available. At that point: - Staff could not initially locate the Avis Rome reservation (xxxx5) I had just made. - They did locate the Budget reservation, and we were finally provided a car -- nearly three hours after our arrival. Only afterward did staff locate the Avis reservation, at which point I was told it could not be canceled and that I would be charged for it, despite the fact that: - The reservation had been made only minutes earlier, - It was never used, and - The confusion was entirely the result of contradictory information provided by Avis staff. Requested Resolution I am requesting: 1. Immediate cancellation and full refund of reservation 0xxxxx with all charges reversed. 2. Waiver of any penalties or charges associated with the Naples reservation 0xxxxx which we were unable to cancel due solely to Avis's failure to provide reachable customer support. 3. A written explanation of why online inventory showed cars available while desk staff repeatedly stated none were available. This experience reflects a breakdown in communication, accountability, and basic customer service across multiple Avis offices. I expect these issues to be reviewed and resolved promptly. read more

do not rent from this company absolutely would not recommend it in any way shape or form .....my $900 quoted rental ended up costing me $2700....they are a TOTAL RIPOFF AND I TRUED EVERYTHING I COULD TO CONTEST THE BILL...btw...this was for a 10 day Dacia duster...no bmw no luxury sedan...these people are SCAMMERS....once u sign the bill u r DONE! we have rented many times in many different countries through Avis. This is not Avis. They pretend that they're Avis, but they bait and switch.... Every country I ever rented with maybe the bill is $300 more but not three times more..... do not even consider this Rental Car company move onto the next one.... read more

Never again -- WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. Avis operates with zero values, and here's why: 1. My rental was quoted at ~250€ online. In the end, I was charged double. 2. There was no signage to the Avis office (they had apparently moved buildings), making the process even more frustrating. 3. Check-in was a nightmare -- nearly one hour of waiting with only five people ahead of me. 4. At registration, the staff was blatantly unprofessional: the agent was rude, took a personal call while "assisting" me, and tried to downgrade me to a car far below the tier I had paid for. When I objected, she openly complained to her colleague about me, and instead of addressing her behavior, he backed her up -- all in front of me. 5. The clerk falsely told me I had no protection at all and tried to pressure me into buying unnecessary insurance. In reality, my rental already included coverage with an excess in case of accident. This was not a misunderstanding -- the entire conversation was in Italian, so there was no chance of "lost in translation." It was a blatant upsell attempt. 6. The car had a broken windscreen that was not even mentioned in the contract. 7. The final insult: Avis later called asking for a 10-star review in exchange for a 10% discount. Do they really think anyone would sell their integrity for €50? This company shows nothing but disregard for its customers. It should not even be in business. Close your doors -- WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. read more

My experience with Avis was frustrating. I booked a rental showing options like the Fiat 500, Fiat 500X, and Alfa Romeos, but none were available when I arrived. Instead, I was given a much less nicer car that was dirty, severly damaged, and still had commercial writing from its previous use. Even the gas tank wasn't full, despite what the contract stated. I tried to use the Avis app to switch cars, but it was useless. I had to wait in line to get a different car, which was OK (i.e. mediocre). Avis should ensure that the cars they advertise online are actually available and in good condition. I hope they improve their service for future customers. read more

It's really -5 stars if Yelp allows. Four months after I was scammed, they tried to charge my credit card again in April 2024 for no reason. I had to call capital one to close my account just to avoid mofos like Avis/Budget in Italy. read more

They charged me more than 2000 euros for 5 days mid-car which is unbelievable!!! The contract closed with 852 euros but they charged me additional money for nothing!! After many emails with customer service that took almost 4 weeks they apologized for wrong charges and they returns only 700 euros and for the remaining amount they referred me to Damage Department !!! Another three weeks from clarifications through email , they said they charged me 300 euros for Travel Companion Plan !!! I really don't know how they deal with customers like this.. They did change the contract , they charged me for additional costs that not agreed on,and they are not responding to emails nor calls !!! Never ever rent again from this company... I am still claiming for the remaining amount. read more

DO NOT USE THIS CAR RENTAL COMPANY... 2 years on from renting a car at Avis Rome Airport I am still receiving traffic violation fines on a car registration that Avis have agreed I didn't rent. Avis assured me they would send relevant traffic authorities notice that I was not driving the vehicle registered to me. I have spoken to Avis Italy directly on a number of occasions and they have proved to be utterly useless. Please save yourself lots of hassle and use another car rental company. read more

Good Evening. In the days following the return on my Jeep Compass rental at Rome Fumicino Airport, AVIS Fumicino claimed damage in the amount of EUR333.82 for a missing cargo cover and an idling charge. I tried contacting AVIS Fumicino by phone several times, but when I started speaking they would hang up the phone on me. I eventually got a hold of them through email and they said that I needed to provide evidence to prove that the cargo cover was missing when I picked up the vehicle (I had no idea a cargo cover was part of the vehicle, so I had no way of knowing it was missing when I picked up the vehicle). As for the idling charge, the vehicle was turned off when returned. The AVIS attendant who checked the fuel and milage turned on the vehicle to do his checks and left it running while we unloaded our luggage. The attendant took pictures of the drivers display, which I had just figured he was doing to document milage and fuel. I was outraged to find out later that the technician had used the photo to make a bogus claim that I left the vehicle idling. Having recently read reviews, it's clear this has been going on for years. Shame on AVIS corporate for allowing these disgusting acts of fraud to continue. I want a full refund for the fraudulent charges that were charged to my credit card and I want Avis Budget Group to put a stop to the systemic scamming that is taking place at the Rome Fumicino Airport location so that your customers stop falling victim to this CRIME!!! read more

They are a scam. They will charge you for pre existing damage on a car that has a lot of damage and refuse to respond to inquiries. I want proof of damage from past rentals. Crickets. They are about taking advantage of customers. Avoid them! read more

I had contracted 4 months ago for a small car. When we arrived, the attendants informed me they did not have any small car, just big vans. I told them I did not want a big van and they said they did not have a smaller vehicle. I had trouble getting the van out of the parking space and drove to the car exit area and knew I could not manage this large vehicle. I parked the car and went back to the desk and told them I CANNOT AND WILL NOT drive that big car. The attendants were not professional and all did not take responsibility, moving problems from one to another and did not hear the customer needs. They finally sent me to the managers, who both were VERY PROFESSIONAL, they found a smaller car, they were courteous, listened to my concerns, and understood my needs. They were great, they went out of their way for me, even one parked the van for me when I could not do it. The smaller car did have one small scratch on it and I photoed it right away and it only had half a tank of gas which I also photos it with the mileage, but the managers were great, too bad they had such lousy staff to deal with. read more

AVIS FCO service is terrible. I had a booking for 190 euro. When I arrive I asked if I can charge my credit card (the one different to my booking), they said it was not a problem but he need to update the booking. Before he made the change, I asked again if updating the booking will change the fee of the booking as my booking deal was only 190 euros, the AVIS guy said "no it will not change the booking fee". However, when I sign my booking I noticed that I was charged 700 euros. Then he said because I want to change the credit card for the booking, therefore, he had to cancel my original booking and open up a new booking, so the fee is different. Not only that I can't get the same charge, he downgraded my car as well. When I get back, my credit card also get charged a DOUBLE the miscellaneous fee. The AVIS guy tried every way to deceive you and get you to pay more of their options for additional fee. We had to express our anger and argue with him to make him get some discount but still end up paying almost triple compared to our original 200 euros deal. Will never go to AVIS again, I have been to other ones like Euro Car, Alamo, and never had a problem. read more

After almost 15 hours in transit we were greeted by a friendly smile, clean smoke free cars parked only a few steps away in an indoor garage and a complimentary upgrade. It was off season so 10 days rental at a price you couldn't beat in the United States only to be doubled by taking on the damage and liability insurance waiver costs. But I must say it was worth it we didn't put a Dent in that car or a scratch or a buff but having driven around the South of Italy for 10 days I could tell you we easily could have taken off a mirror or 2 or a bumper. When we returned the car it was very early in the morning before anything was open and they assured us that a security guard would let us in except the car and lock it up so there would be no liability on our behalf. And sure enough at 2:00 in the morning at the airport for returns there was a gentleman who came to the gate almost immediately after we blew the horn let us in showed us where to park and made sure that everything was in good order before letting us into the airport common area. Unlike others who have posted some negative reviews I have yet to receive any tickets or violations but sure enough I was speeding a couple times on the highway so I may get a fine or 2 but that is clearly my fault and not the rental company. Thank you for the upgrade and see you next year. read more

This is the worst car rental experience we have ever had in over 40 years of traveling in Europe. They charged 1000+ euros more than the contracted price. When we picked up the car at the airport we signed a contract for a specific car. When they claimed that they couldn't actually locate that car they handed us the keys for a different car and didn't give us any new paperwork. When we received the final bill there was a 300 euro charge for an "upgraded vehicle". They also charged for damage to the car, which was a small scratch on the rim of the tire. We don't know if that damage was there previously, since we carefully checked the body of the car, but not the tire rims. Their customer service department is useless and they just keep sending the same canned message that everything is in order. They don't deserve even one star! We have been renting from Avis for more than 30 years, but we will never rent from them again anywhere in the world after this experience. read more

It's been TWO Month's and they are still trying to charge my credit card with no notification!!!!

This is just pure fraud. Lots of hidden costs and poor service. Close to no one know English and they will charge you for it. We got a 620 Euro higher bill than we expected!! Keep away! read more

Never Again. After a 15 hour flight we were cheated and swindled at Avis Rome Airport. We were up-sold without our knowledge and hit with a bill and alleged damages totalling over three times the original agreed upon amount. When we rented the car our agent assured us in English that we were getting a special promotional offer - an upgraded car for less than the price of the car we had booked. Unfortunately what she told us in English was different than what was written in Italian in the contract she had us sign. To make matters worse, upon returning the car we were told we had damaged the underside of the bumper and were charged extra for damages because of the upgraded vehicle we had been tricked into renting. When I returned home and called Avis the international customer service rep was rude and unhelpful. I will never rent from Avis again. Don't rent from Avis Rome airport! read more

do not rent a car at avis Fiumicino , the operator at the desks said something different from what is written on the contract and if you don't read everything carefully they make you extra charges , it cost me for an old PUNTO FIAT that i payed 165 $ rental, more than 1000$ after i returned the car filled with fuel, also the they said it wasn't completely full shity service giuseppe tantino. read more

THE ABSOLUTE WORST RENTAL CAR ESTABLISHMENT!! I would give Avis negative stars if possible. I rented a car while I was in Italy in August. I started receiving these bills in the mail from Avis when I returned home. The notice literally said "Regarding the reason of the fine, please wait for the reason of the fine in the mail." I tried calling the numbers on the notice and emailing the email address provided, with no avail. The number kept ringing and the emails were bouncing back to me. Long story short, I never received a reason as to why I was getting these "fines," and they have been charging my card! Every notice was equivalent to $50, and I already got 5 notices! I just cancelled my credit card and changed me bank account so that they would not be able to charge me anymore without a reason. Absolutely ridiculous! Everyone keep away!! read more

On July 1, 2017 my Avis rental car was rear-ended (not my fault) at a stop light while I was on my way to return it to this location (Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy). When I arrived at the return location, I explained the situation, provided Avis with all of the information I had collected from the driver at fault, and was told that while I would be temporarily charged 800 Euros for the damage (small scratches and dents to the rear bumper), this charge would eventually be reimbursed to me once they had worked with the insurance company of the driver at fault. They would not let me leave until I signed for the 800 Euro charge. After returning to the US, I contacted Avis's US Customer Service department on 3 occasions to follow up, and each time they told me to be patient and that they were working on it. Just called a 4th time and spoke with the head supervisor at AVIS Customer Service and he said that AVIS's policy in situations like this is that they will never work with another insurance company to sort out a situation like this. In other words, not only I was lied to repeatedly by AVIS and their agents, but they also took 800 Euros from me and said there is nothing more they can do about it. 0 stars. Never rent from these people! read more

Ordered a car for our trip to Italy. Thought everything would be pre-paid through Expedia.. Wrong. Upon arrival I was charged additional insurance, second driver (your husband/wife is not included like here in the states), and taxes. Paid exactly twice as much 400Eur pre-paid + 398Eur extra... Not happy. read more

Do not rent a car here. They'll try everything to charge extras. I've had several problems with them about this.

BE AWARE. I needed to rent a car for my trip. I rented from AVIS, due to the low prices and that the insurance is included. But, that's not the case, because when your print the paper there is no metion of the included insurance. When I picked up the car I was hit with a numer of astronomical fees that were not mentioned before, and they were pointless fees. As well, I had rented a SUV, and they gave me a stationwagon, as they said that was the only automatic car that was available. read more