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Car hire in Verona - For the Best of Northern Italy

Affectionately known as Little Rome (Piccolo Roma), Verona is an excellent city-break destination with centuries of fascinating history and an abundance of wonderful attractions to explore. Popular for its narrow cobblestone streets lined with beautiful baroque buildings, particularly around the UNESCO-protected Old Quarter (Centro Storico), the city is a major draw for tourists who flock in droves to soak up the romantic setting of Shakespeare's most famous play - Romeu and Juliet.

Verona was founded in the 1st century BC and there are plenty of vestiges from this period, most notably the Arco dei Gavi (a first-century stone-arched gate that once spanned a Roman road) and the Arena di Verona, arguably the most impressive Roman amphitheatre outside of Rome itself. But it's the Casa di Giulietta that most visitors have come to see, a Gothic-style 1300s house with a famous stone balcony where the mythical Juliet was wooed by her love-struck Romeo.

Verona is also a city of churches, many of them very old, including Sant'Anastasia (known for its fine Italian Gothic architecture), Santa Maria in Organo (home to the finest choir stall in Italy) and San Giorgio in Braida which features rare artwork by Tintoretto and Veronese. But it's the 12th-century Duomo di Santa Maria Matricolare (Cathedral) that tops the list, chiefly for its grand organ and vast array of rich decorative architectural detail.

With a car hire in Verona you can see all the main sights and head out into the surrounding countryside to visit some of the best places in northern Italy. Venice is just over an hour's motorway drive due east of the city and Lake Garda is equally accessible in a westerly direction. Other popular day-trip options from the centre of Verona include Vicenza (a 50-kilometre drive to the north-east) and Padua (90 km due east), both very enchanting cities with lots of places of great tourist interest.

Founded in 1954, Auto Europe is one of the world’s longest-established car rental brokers. We collaborate with all the top car hire companies, such as Alamo, Avis, Hertz, Alamo, Dollar, Enterprise, Europcar, Sixt, etc. You can book your low-cost car hire in Verona very quickly and easily in just a few clicks by using Auto Europe's state-of-the-art booking engine, or you can speak to our reservation specialists on +441233225114 who will help you with your reservation and find you the best deal.

Please also take a look at our Verona car hire reviews page to find out what previous Auto Europe customers thought about their recent car hire experience in the city.

How is the traffic in Verona?

Be aware of the restricted traffic zones if you plan to enter the centre with your cheap car rental in Verona. It's important to remember that the historic quarter is now a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone), which covers most parts of the inner-city north of Piazza Bra within the arc of the River Adige. Visitors are allowed to drive into the city centre if their hotel is located within the ZTL, but you must let the hotel staff know that you will be arriving with a car so that they can register your license plate with the local police and tell you where to park.

Please consult our Italy Driving Guide for general advice on getting around Verona and the rest of the country by car.

Where can I park my car hire in Verona?

Verona is a large, bustling city so finding a suitable place to park your car rental in Verona can sometimes take time and patience. Blue road markings denote pay-and-display parking where you can buy tickets at the meter or at the nearest tobacconist. One of the most convenient car parks in the centre of Verona is located at Piazza Cittadella, but arrive early because it tends to get busy, especially during the peak tourist season. Another popular choice is the one situated at Via M.Bentegodi 8/Piazza Bra, which is also in close proximity to many of the city's top attractions.

Verona Airport

Serving the central region of northern Italy, Verona Airport (officially known as Verona Villafranca Airport) is located just 9km (6 miles) south-west of the city centre. The airport has two terminals (departures and arrivals) adjacent to each other and a whole host of modern passenger facilities comprising several restaurants (including a number of pizzerias and an excellent Japanese sushi bar), numerous bars, cafés and snack outlets. Verona Airport also has a chapel, children's play area, first-aid post and baby-changing areas. The car rental desks are located in a dedicated building next to the Arrivals Hall.

Verona Airport (VRN)
Telephone: +39 045 809 5666
Address: 37066 Caselle VR, Italy
Website: www.aeroportoverona.it/en/

What to do in Verona

There is much to see and do in Verona - in fact a whole day can easily be spent just wandering around the historic centre (a UNESCO-classified World Heritage Site) visiting the many old churches, museums and tourist attractions. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your Verona sightseeing itinerary;

• Arena di Verona: Verona's magnificent Roman amphitheatre (the Arena di Verona) has remained mostly intact for nigh on two thousand years. Only the Colosseum and the arena in Capua are larger and more impressive. Once the scene of violent combat, today it hosts a series of upmarket events, including major concerts and Verona's world-famous summer opera programme.


• Verona Cathedral: Dating back to the 12th century, Verona's strikingly-decorative Romanesque Duomo features a grand organ and several chapels adorned with ancient religious artwork. Look out for the fine reliefs of Jonah and the Whale on the 12th-century south porch and Titian's 16th-century Assumption in the first chapel on the left.


• San Zeno Maggiore: One of the world's finest Romanesque churches, Verona's San Zeno Maggiore is notable for its two medieval bell-towers and imposing 12th-century portal. Representing the 'Wheel of Fortune', the church's delightful 13th-century rose window is a major attraction for visitors, as is the tomb of the martyred bishop St Zeno whose body rests in the crypt.


• Castelvecchio (Old Castle): With its massive walls, towers, turrets and vast medieval courtyard, Verona's ancient castle was originally built for Cangrande II della Scala in 1354. Surrounded by atmospheric cobblestone streets lined with lovely old buildings and palaces, it houses an excellent museum (the Museo di Castelvecchio) with a vast collection of Veronese paintings and sculptures from the 15th-18th centuries. Other highlights include the 14th-century Via Trezza jewels, Cangrande's sword and some of the castle's original painted walls.


• Casa di Giulietta: Legend has it that Juliet's famous words: 'O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?' were uttered from the balcony of this famous house in the heart of historic Verona. Whether or not it's true, this early 14th-century building located at Via Cappello 23 attracts incurable romantics from all over the world who flock there to soak up the atmosphere of one of Shakespeare's most popular pieces of work.

Best day-trips with my car rental in Verona

Well located in the heart of northern Italy, the city offers plenty of day-trip potential to visitors who choose to rent a car in Verona and explore the surrounding areas. Chief among the most popular options are Venice, one of the world's top tourist destinations, and the peaceful shores of Lake Garda, the nearest point of which lies just 30km (18 miles) west of Verona.

Padua

The ancient city of Padua (one of the oldest places in the whole of Italy) makes for a very pleasant day's excursion from Verona. Located just over an hour's drive to the east, it is a very historic city with an abundance of old churches, some dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Founded in 1222, Padua University is where Galileo lectured and designed the world's first astronomical telescopic lens.

Venice

A place that needs no introduction, Venice is up there with Paris on the list of Europe's must-visit city destinations. Most first-timers flock to St Mark's Square (famous for its basilica) before jumping into a gondola for that essential cruise up and down the Grand Canal. Other highlights include the iconic Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Lake Garda

Peace and quiet is the order of the day at Lake Garda, Italy's largest and most family-friendly lake. Nestling among the foothills of the Alps, it's a short drive west of Verona and offers visitors a pleasant setting for a relaxing lunch after a busy few days' city sightseeing. Swimming, fine mountain views and wonderfully fresh fish dishes are key ingredients for day-trippers looking for a few hours' of tranquillity at one of Europe's most idyllic lake-side settings.

Vicenza

Midway between Verona and Venice lies Vicenza, a charming city in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains. UNESCO were so impressed with its sheer beauty that the whole city of Vicenza and the Palladian villas of the Veneto were classified as a World Heritage Site in 1994. Don't miss the Teatro Olimpico, a fine Renaissance adaption of ancient theatres, nor the Torre di Piazza, an elaborately-constructed defensive tower built in 1174.

How to get around Verona

Getting around Verona by car is quick and eco-friendly if you make the right choices. For instance, you can leave your vehicle outside the city centre and get around by bus or hire a bike from Verona Bike. The majority of the city centre is a restricted traffic area (ZTL), which means it's closed to normal vehicles apart from residents, hotel guests and for deliveries during specific time periods. If you are visiting the city with a car hire in Verona, you can opt to park your vehicle in a covered car park close to downtown, plus there are free car parks a little further out that are served by express buses straight to the city centre. The airport is just a ten-minute drive from the Verona's Old Town and you have a choice of the Airlink bus (20 minutes) or you can take a taxi from outside the Arrivals Hall. Buses operate from around 5am to midnight and there are two different types in Verona, the Urbani (a city bus) or the Extraurbani for out-of-town services. Tickets can be purchased at tourist offices, tobacconists (tabbacherias) and ATV shops (Azienda Trasporti Verona). Verona Train Station is known as Verona Porta Nouva and direct trains run to Verona daily from most cities in northern Italy, with many services operating every hour.

Useful links

Verona Tourist Info