Italy Off The Beaten Path: Getting Around…via a French Auto Lease

While traveling between Rome, Florence and Venice is easy by train, wandering farther afield can be tricky. Tools like Rome2Rio make planning a trip from point A to point B a breeze using planes, trains, and automobiles. These travel tools leave little room for serendipity. A rental car is an obvious choice, but that comes with complexities, such as the mandatory Italian insurance offered in multiple mind-numbing forms. Many travelers worry about Italian driving on congested curvy roads, but there is no need for concern outside the large cities, off the beaten path.

There is an alternative to traditional car rental, the French auto lease. While I fail to understand its economics, I am grateful that it cuts my transportation costs when visiting Italy in France. It required advanced planning, but it is well worth it for stays of two weeks or more. The big savings accrue for holidays of a month or more. The French government created a program for European visitors to boost the production of French vehicles.  

Peugeot and Renault both offer the program, and both are excellent. Go to their site six months before your trip to reserve your car. There is more paperwork than a typical rental but justified by the savings. Upon arrival at the Rome (or Milan) airport, and this is where things get a bit strange, call the number provided with the reservation. A guy in a van will magically appear to take you and your party to an off-site lot, where your French car awaits you. The cars are new and have unlimited mileage, and 24-hour roadside service is part of the price.

My favorite part of the program is the inclusion of insurance. On several occasions I have returned cars to Renault with dings, one with a legitimate dent in the rear quarter panel. No issues, no questions, and no cost. Another plus is the flexibility offered to drivers. On a trip last year with our friends Pat and Tammie, I could drive as long as they were in the car. There was no need to pay for additional drivers as we would need to do with Hertz.

Beyond the joys of taking the road less traveled, I learned a bit about globalization through the French lease program in 2022. While attempting to book a car back then, a French lease appeared impossible. There were no cars available for over six months. After trying adjustments to our itinerary in the hopes of finding a French car, I gave up. At long last, I discovered the explanation. French auto manufacturing had reached a standstill due to the war in Ukraine, as critical components of the building process are based in Ukraine. The world is getting smaller by the day.

Back to our topic of wandering beyond the big cities behind the wheel of your French car, I suggest mapping to the scenic route rather than the fastest route. Via Michelin has this functionality under options, select Discovery route. If you zoom in on their maps, the “green roads” are always magical. Another excellent site for alternative routing veering on the scenic side is Wanderlog. Stumbling into the bar of a small village that has little more than that bar, I always walk away with a greater appreciation of Italian culture and experience than I could ever hope to on a daylong bus tour.