Budget Italia Reviews 

Absolutely agree with the other terrible reviews. Downright dishonest. Lying about the time I returned the car to charge me an extra day. Lying about refuelling the car. Lying about damage to the car. They should be in jail.

Budget in Cagliari recalculated the cost of a 2 day hire when I returned the car. I had booked online in the UK directly with Budget. The revised price was £36 more than quoted. They insisted on charging this as that is what the computer said. There was no valid reason. We had a long debate about this in the airport car park, which unfortunately held up others. I won’t be using Avis-Budget again. It’s a racket.

I'd give zero stars if I could! Firstly, this was Budget from Bari booked through Ryanair. Budget bombard you with emails and phone calls, ostensibly to speed the pick up process but really trying to sell you insurance and breakdown cover. The pick up process at Bari was diabolical, despite having completed all the online forms and the phone call. Queues were terrible, and this was late September !
Now, as it was an out of hours key drop return, they're trying to stitch me up with damage charges ( luckily my videos and photos should put paid to that!) and additional hire charges - for which I paid Ryanair in full.
What a shambolic mess.
Avoid them like the plague and don't believe any positive reviews you read.
I've hired dozens of cars from airports all over the world and this was the worst experience by a very long way.

This place is terrible never rent from them. They charged me €6000 for a car rental stated that I had a major car accident and I never did could not get my money back from them no matter how many times I wrote to them. when I called budget head office they told me it’s my problem. I will never rent from budget again be very careful. I even sent them photos after I dropped off the car saying that it was in perfect condition. They would not speak to me. Don’t rent from this place. You can buy a new car for what they charge you.

Horrendous experience - avoid at all costs. Terrible service when picking up the car and made to wait hours. Checked the vehicle with the attendant and despite this are still withholding deposit. No answer from the Customer service contact given. Removing from our companies providers of car rental. Do not use

Terrible experience!!!

The car they handed me was in an awful state and had scratches nearly everywhere (6 listed in their own remittance documents). I inspected the car but was eager to pursue the trip, and I somewhat trusted the company - which is a big name - for having done the identification thoroughly, so I didn't really tried to identify if there were any other flaws.

All went well (the motor and air condition worked fine), until the last day.
Upon my restitution of the car, to my surprise they made a fuss about a very tiny scratch (they photographed it in their report using a special lighting which makes it appear far most serious than it is in reality).
I objected that it was impossible to affirm whether the scratch had been there before given the awful condition of the car.
They ignored my objections and, barely 5 minutes after "discovering" the scratch, handed me a document called "Budget's estimate of rental charges". I obviously refused to sign it, as the damages were grossly exaggerated and the repair costs totally unrealistic, together with other unclear / unexplained charges presented in a total mess, but this did not prevent them from unilaterally debiting my Visa Card for an amount in excess of 1.000Euros,
Later, when they sent the final invoice (dated from the day after but sent 2 weeks later), it bizarrely showed exactly the same amount that they had "estimated" witin a few seconds upon remittance. This proves that they are not charging real repair costs, but a widely exaggerated lump sum. I even suspect that they overstate the amount so that they can repair all of the car's former anomalies at my expenses.
Thus, while the whole car rental was supposed to cost me less than 200€ for one week as per Booking.com, I found myself paying 6 times that amount!

Fortunately enough, I had subscribed a full protection insurance and I managed to get a reimbursement, but that's certainly not thanks to Budget Milan, and i cannot imagine how terrible the experience must be for those who don't take the insurance!!!

Large deposit taken. Deposit return is 28 working days. After the 28 days they will give you a number of reason's why they won't be refunding your deposit.
DO NOT TRUST BUDGET........
After the 28 working days your holiday is over and your on the other side of the world. Good luck.

Car provided had lots of dents and scratches on collection, when returning the car they tried to say that one small scuff mark was new and we would need to invoke our insurance excess.
The car also had a headlight not working so was unroadworthy.

One of the worst rental experiences I’ve ever had. The car we received already had a lot of damage, which was even noted on the rental agreement. However, the pickup agent did not go over the vehicle with us, did not point out the existing damage, and did not mark it in our presence.
Later, we were charged a very high amount for “new” damage — despite the fact that it was already recorded on the agreement and I photos that I took before we started our journey.

I did not authorize this charge, nor did I sign anything admitting I was at fault, yet they processed the payment anyway. I have already sent an email with proof and tried to call, but have received no response.

On top of that, one of the agents was rude, and the car had a faulty window that never closed, creating loud wind noise for our entire 10-day trip and making the drive uncomfortable.

This experience has been frustrating, costly, and unacceptable. I will not rent from this company again and urge others to be cautious.

I need to be honest, the reviews about car rentals in IT were horrific, I was apprehensive about what was going to happen. It turned out that everything was flawless, even a deviation in the amount of fuel was fixed by then without any stress. Based on my experience, I recommend Budget!

I can only say that we had a very positive experience with this company on Pisa airport. We booked in advance via Booking.com including their insurance. When we picked up tha car there was absolutely no pressure to take extra insurance. Also the return of the car was fast and easy, done by a very friendly man.

First car: the doors dont open and the window isnt working.
Second car: all the spy on, doesnt start, is blocked 2 times in 3 days.
All the phone numbers of assistance dont respond or help.
Ah yes the problem is that HAS WORN BRAKE PADS. ON A ISLAND. FOR 10 DAYS IN WICH 4 OF THEM 2 CARS CHANGE. AVOID

Left stranded by the roadside with two elderly relatives! Hired a 7 seater from Pisa airport, nice new car (albeit in the wrong parking bay and referenced a white, but was black on the documentation) Suffered a double puncture on day 2 of 4. Called roadside assistance (paid extra for the “plus” service) eventually got through after being on hold over an hour. Said they would dispatch a truck, two hour later got a text that they were 45 minutes away, did not turn up. Called and advised they would come tomorrow and they could not arrange transportation for us. Spent 8 hours by the roadside, was getting dark and cold, managed to bribe a kind local man 300euros to take us to safety. No communication from Budget, called multiple times only to be h7ng up on, no response to email complaint system either in the UK or Italy. Cannot block ring fenced payment so completely at their mercy as to what extra money they take, lost two days of car hire also, it to mention the 300 euros. Will be pursuing with MD and CEOs when we return to the UK after putting our elderly relatives at such risk.

We went to get our rented car in Rome airport. Terrible experience. We waited in a queue in the parking lot for 50 mins in 30 degrees (with two small kids). Whereafter we were given the wrong car twice - they even asked us to redo the queue to get the car we had booked. Terrible service staff, not kind. Will never use budget again

Horribly disorganized. They must enjoy losing business.
No order to picking up cars even with pre booking in Polermo Airport. Several workers walking around checking individuals names off of an outdated that was printed a day before. For what reason? No reasonable person would know.

Absolutely unacceptable experience – avoid at all costs.

I have been renting cars internationally for years, and I can confidently say this was the worst experience I have ever had.

We booked our vehicle in advance and paid the full rental amount upfront. At the counter, we purchased full insurance coverage, including roadside assistance, expecting peace of mind for the duration of our trip.

Unfortunately, that could not have been further from the truth.

We encountered a serious tire issue during our rental. When we contacted roadside assistance, we were told they only provide towing and would not help. When we called the rental office directly, we were told they could not do anything. No support, no alternative, no solution. We were forced to cancel our plans, repeatedly stop to inflate the tire, and drive under unsafe conditions just to return the vehicle—entirely unsupported.

The ordeal didn’t end there. After we returned the car, the company charged us again for the rental, despite having already paid in full in advance. When we called to resolve the issue, a staff member simply said it wasn’t her problem and hung up on us.

To this day, the issue remains unresolved.

This is hands down the worst customer service experience I have encountered. The disregard for basic safety, accountability, and professionalism is astonishing. If I could rate this company zero stars, I would.

Never again. Do yourself a favor—stay away.

If your Tuscan adventure hinges on a well-planned road trip with friends or family, and you’ve carefully booked a rental car months in advance to ensure comfort, space, and affordability—do yourself a favor and steer clear of Budget Rent a Car in Florence. Trust me, your travel sanity depends on it.
Our group of four lifelong friends (40 years and counting!) had finally carved out time for a long-awaited Italian escape. We booked a spacious car with a large trunk to accommodate our luggage, found a great deal, and ensured all documents were valid and ready. Certain Car rental agent Ramona L.—a Budget employee whose talent for turning joy into chaos deserves its own review.
Ramona greeted us with a smile that could curdle milk and a demeanor better suited to border patrol than hospitality. Despite presenting valid international documents and dual citizenship proof (all ID documents, including Italian), she invented bureaucratic hurdles on the spot. She demanded proof that I was no longer an Italian resident—something not required by any rental policy—and rejected my documents based on her own personal interpretation of reality.
When I offered an alternative set of documents from my other nationality, she refused them too, citing, “I’ve already seen you’re Italian,” as if nationality were a disqualifier. Even when we tried to add another driver with a “valid” set of documents (according to her), she declined, insisting the primary renter was “invalid.” The logic? Nonexistent.
We booked through Booking.com, and when we contacted their support, Ramona initially refused to speak with them. After 15 minutes of persuasion, she finally did—only to ignore their advice and continue denying the car. Her parting gift? Telling us her manager would be available the next morning, leaving us stranded.
The fallout? A last-minute scramble to replan our trip during peak tourist season, €500 in unexpected costs, and a €150 cancellation fee because Budget treated this fiasco as a “no-show.” We ended up renting a much smaller car in a Tuscan village—for double the daily rate—using the exact same documents Ramona had deemed unacceptable. That agent didn’t bat an eye.
Final tally: €650 in extra expenses—one-third of our total trip cost.
Moral of the story: If you value your time, money, and travel happiness, skip Budget/Avis in Florence. There are plenty of other agencies that understand the difference between customer service and power trips.

I rented a car on 30 May -1 June 2025 from Budget at Bologna Airport and had a very disappointing experience. The car was handed over dirty, with no windshield washer fluid, and was covered in scratches and damage that were clearly not properly documented by staff.

After returning the car, I was charged for a scratch that was already there when I picked it up. I have video proof showing the scratch at the time of collection, yet Budget still issued the charge, using a blurry, low-quality photo as supposed “evidence.” It feels like they rely on the poor condition of their cars to shift blame to customers — borderline fraudulent behavior.

The process of disputing this charge has wasted my time and caused unnecessary stress. I strongly advise others to avoid Budget at Bologna Airport — inspect everything thoroughly, film the entire car, or better yet, book with a more reputable company.

I rented a car from Avis/Budget Italia in Naples, Italy through my Airline’s frequent flier program. Avis/Budget Italia is a partner site of the Airline. The booking confirmation stated that the total cost of the rental was covered by my frequent flier program.

When I picked up the car, I agreed to add two “extras” to the agreement (a second driver and fee to return the car without a full tank of gas). These were clearly stipulated in the rental agreement as totaling $144.

After returning the car, I saw my credit card was billed $503. I also got a final receipt with unclear charges and terms that did not match the booking confirmation or agreement. These included $191 in “miscellaneous fees” with no explanation of what they are. I contacted Avis/Budget’s customer service in the US, and was told I have to resolve it directly with the rental office in Italy. The email address provided bounces back as “domain not found” and the phone number is “not in service”. The website is in Italian with no option for English (I don’t speak Italian).

It’s absurd that I can’t get support from Budget in the US and a global company has no oversight of their international locations. I’ve had to file disputes for the charges with my airline and bank. Avis/Budget’s suspicious billing practices and total lack of support are unacceptable.

Update 4/12/2025: I received a response from Avis/Budget customer service that they are unable to locate my rental agreement, yet I attached a copy of it when I contacted them and wrote out all the information in my email. They are asking for the same information again. This is all very concerning.

We tried to rent a car on the spot and were given a very high price. I stepped away from the counter and booked the car online with them half the price. The rep never honored online reservation and was incredibly rude to us. I would stay away from them.