Hire Car Ancona Tips, Experiences & Comparison

Exploring Ancona by Hire Car

Ancona, located in the province of Marche on the Italian Adriatic coast, is a port city with about 100,000 inhabitants. The tourist can expect a modern city, with beautiful shopping streets and lovingly designed squares.

Since the old town was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War and other parts of the city fell victim to an earthquake in 1972, one looks in vain for a historic core.

Never the less, Ancona has a lot to offer. Individual monuments from the history of the city are still preserved and many charming destinations in the surrounding area can be easily explored by hire car. For rental and travel we have compiled a few tips.

Taking over the hire car

At Ancona airport, you will find numerous hire car agencies right in the terminal. Before you book your hire car, just make sure that your hire car company is also there. This is because if your hire car company is just near the airport, it can sometimes take longer for a shuttle to get you there.

Booking the right car

The turbulent traffic in Ancona and the lack of parking spaces makes it advisable to book the smallest car possible. This will get you through everywhere and also make it easy to find a parking space.

Hire car prices

It’s not entirely cheap to hire a car in Ancona. You can usually get the cheapest deals by booking well in advance of your trip and using our handy price comparison tool.

hire car price comparison Ancona

Insuring the car properly

The spirited driving style of many Italians ensures that an accident can happen quickly. Cover yourself and book a car with fully comprehensive insurance with no excess. With liability insurance, it is important to pay attention to the amount of coverage. It should be at least one million euros.

Because if you are involved in an accident with personal injury with the hire car, it can quickly become very expensive. If the coverage of your rental company does not seem sufficient, you can provide further protection with a so-called Mallorca policy. Your insurance company will be happy to advise you.

age limit

You must be 21 years old to book a hire car in Ancona with most hire car companies. And drivers younger than 25 are often charged an additional fee. Check your rental company’s terms and conditions before booking.

Accessories

When looking for your hotel in Ancona, a navigation device will serve you well. And if children are accompanying you on the trip, suitable child seats belong in the car.

You will always need to order your accessories separately from your hire car company. Make reservations well in advance to ensure that the equipment you want is available on the day you pick up the car.

Tank control

Make sure to book with a rental company in Ancona where you pick up the car with a full tank of gas and return it with a full tank.

If the car is only rented with a partially filled tank, there is often a dispute about the correct level when you return it.

Language barrier

In Ancona, you may well find that the staff at a rental station speak poor English. If you have written down the phone number of your hire car company’s Italian headquarters before you travel, you have a good chance of finding someone there who can provide translation assistance.

Free kilometers

If you only want to explore Ancona and the immediate surroundings, it may be cheaper to hire car with limited kilometres. However, if the trip is to take you further afield, you should definitely go for a car with all kilometres free.

Bail

Rental companies that actually charge the deposit due to your credit card sometimes take a long time before you transfer the money back after you return the car. Rather, book with a hire car company that only blocks the amount on your credit card.

Customer Satisfaction Hire Car

Most of the customers are very satisfied with the hire car in Ancona. In very isolated cases, there are complaints about the external condition of the vehicles.

Take a close look at the car when you pick it up and have any defects such as dents or scratches confirmed in writing in a defect report. Keep the document in a safe place. This is the only way to avoid being held liable for damage that you did not cause when you return the car.

Safety hire car

Although you can usually expect to get a roadworthy hire car in Ancona, you should still check all your car’s lights before your first trip.

Don’t forget the brake light and indicators, too. And check that you have a first-aid kit, warning triangle and high-visibility vests on board. Then, after you’ve done a quick brake test in your rental company’s parking lot, the journey can begin.

Sights in Ancona

Lively harbour with triumphal arches

A stroll around town could begin at the lively harbor. The port area is open to the public and it’s fun to watch the large container ships come in and out. Here you can also visit the Arco di Traiano. The triumphal arch was built in 115 AD in honor of Emperor Trajan. Another triumphal arch nearby is much more recent. The Arco Clementino was built in 1738 and commemorates Pope Clement XII

Loccia de Mercanti: Discover Venetian Gothic

In the port district, the Loccia de Mercanti of Palazzo Benincasa is also worth a visit. Built in the 15th century, it impresses with magnificently decorated window arches in the Venetian Gothic style

Santa Maria del la Piazza and Palazzo del Senato: journey into the past

Journey further back in time when you visit the church of Santa Maria del la Piazza. It was built in the 13th century and has many Romanesque style elements. But there is still an older building to marvel at in Ancona. The Palazzo del Senato was built around 1200 and takes visitors back in time to the Middle Ages.

Mercato Pubblico: Turbulent market hustle and bustle

A stroll through the Mercato Pubblico could round off your city break. The large indoor market was built in 1926 in the style of the Gründerzeit. To this day, many of the city’s residents stock up on fresh food. Stroll from stall to stall and be amazed at the variety of goods on offer.

Finding the good restaurant

If you’re feeling peckish after a visit to the market halls, head for the Passetto restaurant. For decades, excellent fish specialties have been served here in a noble ambience.

But meat lovers will also get their money’s worth.

Finding the good hotel

As the tourist crowds pass by Ancona, the choice of good hotels is limited. We recommend the Grand Hotel Palace. You reside in an 18th-century palace and enjoy every modern-day comfort. Another advantage of the hotel is its central location near the harbour.

Exploring the surroundings by hire car

Fano: Medieval old town

Take the hire car to Fano. You will reach the town, 62 kilometres away, in just under an hour. In Fano, you can stroll through a medieval-themed old town that is closed to road traffic. You enter the historic centre through the Arco d’Augusto. It dates back to the 9th century and commemorates Emperor Augustus and the era of the Romans.

Continue your journey to the Middle Ages when you see the Palazzo della Ragione. It was built in 1299, only the tower is more recent, as the original campanile was destroyed in the war. Afterwards, you can simply stroll through Piazza XX Settembre, lined with facades from different eras, and then turn into one of the alleys of the old town. Browse the charming shops, sit down in a bar and enjoy a cup of espresso before getting back into your hire car.

Pesaro: destination with flair

Pesaro is your next destination, which you can reach in fifteen minutes by hire car. In this attractive town of around 90,000 inhabitants, you can relax on the four-kilometre-long beach, then stroll along the seafront promenade and then hunt for original souvenirs in the largely car-free alleyways of the old town. Since Pesaro has so far been spared from the very big tourist crowds, you can still discover authentic Italian everyday life there.

Perugia: student town with a rich history

Before you drive back to Ancona with your hire car, you can still make a stop in Perugia. It will take you about two hours to get there. The capital of Umbria is a lively and bustling city thanks to its many students, but it also retains much of its medieval atmosphere. Visit the mighty cathedral of San Lorenzo.

It took from 1345 to 1490 before the construction was completed. Despite the long construction time, the creators had to make cutbacks. The original plan was to cover the entire façade with marble, but apart from a few tentative beginnings, nothing can be seen of this project. But it is exactly this unfinishedness that makes the charm of the cathedral. In front of the cathedral, you will be enthralled by the Fontana Maggiore fountain. The three-storey work of art was designed by Ms Bevignate in 1275 and impresses with its richness of facets.

At the end of your stroll, you can visit the National Gallery of Umbria, where you can admire works by Piero della Francesca, Pietro Vannucci or Benozzo Gozzoli, all of whom were active in the 15th century. You should now allow two hours for the return journey to Ancona. There you can think at your leisure about where to go next with your hire car.

conclusion

Ancona is best suited for a round trip by hire car. The airport with numerous hire car agencies is not far away and the destinations in the area can be reached perfectly by car. With our practical price comparison you can easily find a suitable car at a reasonable price.