Autovia
Autovia is an Italian car rental company. The company is among the largest in the country. Autovia was founded in 1999 and has continued to expand within Italy (and even abroad) ever since. In 2005, the company had two locations, about 100 cars, and 5 employees. By 2015, the company had 67 locations, a fleet of over 8,000 vehicles, and more than 250 employees. In 2020, the company opened franchise branches in Albania, Morocco, and Malta. Autovia also has locations in Turkey.
Autovi's most popular locations within mainland Italy include Bergamo Airport, Brindisi Airport, Rome Fiumicino Airport, and Naples Airport. On Sicily, the company is popular at Palermo Airport and Catania-Fontanarossa Airport. On Sardinia, the company has locations at all major airports, with Olbia Airport being the most popular.
In 2021, Autovia rebranded with a new slogan — Life in motion — after years of expansion and development. As of 2023, Autovia has sponsored the Serie A club Sassuolo Calcio for five years in a row.
The company’s mission is “to contribute to spreading the culture of effective and eco-sustainable mobility, thanks to clear prices and a transparent policy towards the customer.” The company has a large employee base, both service technicians and customer service representatives to help renters both before and after their rental.
Autovia also owns and operates a sister brand, Ecovia. In almost all locations, the two companies share the same offices or desks at the airport. To many customers, it may be difficult to understand why they are two separate brands at all.
With locations across Italy, Autovia is a large company and has an extensive fleet of vehicles. From small, mini and economy cars, all the way up to large passenger vans, the company is likely able to provide a vehicle that fits almost any traveler’s needs.
One issue that causes frustration for many renters is that many rental companies only accept credit cards, particularly when it comes to leaving the security deposit. Unfortunately, Autovia is one of these companies (at least at its locations in Italy). You’ll have to have a credit card to rent a vehicle from Autovia (and its sister brand, Ecovia).
Those renting vehicles from Autovia in Italy are able to travel outside of Italy to certain countries with the vehicles (though one-way international rentals aren’t allowed by the company). You should be aware, though, that there’s an additional cost for this. You’ll need to let the company know that you’re planning to take the vehicle outside of Italy when picking up the car and pay the additional fee. If you fail to do both of these and still take the vehicle outside of Italy, you’ll incur a penalty (which will be taken from your secret deposit).
In Italy, Autovia offers one-way rentals. This means that you can pick up a car in one location and drop it off in another. Of course, you need to book this in advance, and you’ll also have to pay a one-way fee for this. Keep in mind that while you can take a vehicle from Sicily and drop it off somewhere in mainland Italy for an even higher fee, the company doesn’t allow one-way rentals to or from Sardinia at all.
Autovia, and its sister brand Ecovia, have an extensive fleet and great customer service and are therefore a great choice for anyone considering renting a car almost anywhere in Italy.
