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Exploring Brescia by Hire Car

The Italian city of Brescia, the second largest city in Lombardy, has a lot to offer holidaymakers.

There are ruins from Roman times to discover, magnificent churches to explore and a charming old town to conquer.

The surrounding countryside is also exceedingly charming and waiting to be discovered by hire car. We have put together a few tips for rental and travel.

Taking over the hire car

Many travellers who spend their holidays in Brescia reach the city via Milan airport. From there, the journey by hire car takes just over an hour. At the airport, you will find numerous hire car agencies in the arrival terminal.

Before you book your car, however, you should make sure that your rental company is also located at the airport. If they have an office near the airport, it can take longer for a shuttle to take you there.

Booking the right hire car

Turbulent city traffic in Brescia and a chronic shortage of parking spaces make it advisable to book the smallest possible hire car. This will allow you to get through everywhere and make use of tight parking spaces.

Before renting, you should only consider how much luggage you want to take with you on your trip. Otherwise, it may happen that you stand in front of your hire car and find that the trunk is too small for the numerous pieces of luggage.

Hire car prices

Hire car prices in Brescia are usually in the middle range. It often gets cheaper if you book the car in Milan. Our handy price comparison will help you find a cheap deal for the trip.

hire car price comparison Brescia

Insuring the car properly

In the lively Italian road traffic, a small accident can happen quickly. With comprehensive insurance without excess, you are well insured in the event of damage. With liability, you should pay attention to the amount of coverage.

It should be at least one million euros, so that you have at least some protection if people are injured in an accident or several vehicles are involved. If the coverage amount of your rental company seems too low, you can additionally protect yourself with a so-called Mallorca policy. Ask your insurance company for advice.

age limit

You must be 19 years of age and have held a valid driver’s license for at least one year to be eligible for hire car in Brescia and Milan with most hire car companies.

And numerous providers charge extra if the driver is under 25. Still others won’t rent cars from drivers older than 75. Check out your rental company’s terms and conditions before booking.

Accessories

When you are looking for your hotel in Brescia, you will appreciate the help of a navigation device. You will always have to order this and other accessories, such as child seats, separately from your rental company.

Make your reservations well in advance. This is the only way to ensure that the items you want will be available at your rental station on the day you reserve the car.

Language barrier

It is not guaranteed that the staff at your hire car station will speak English or even German without mistakes. Before you travel, make a note of the telephone number of the Italian head office of your hire car company. There you will find in case of language difficulties with luck a staff member who can translate.

Free kilometers

To get to know the beautiful countryside around Brescia to the fullest, you should book a car with all the kilometres free.

Tank control

With most rental companies in Brescia and Milan, you will receive the car with a full tank of fuel and you will also return the car with a full tank of fuel. As this is the cleanest and fairest solution, you should make sure that your hire car company does the same.

Bail

It’s also important to pay attention to how your hire car company handles the deposit. Some charge the amount to your credit card and then take their time after you return the car before refunding the money.

Better book with a rental company that just blocks the amount on your credit card. And make sure your credit line is also sufficient to cover the deposit.

Customer Satisfaction Hire Car

Most customers are quite satisfied with the rental companies in Brescia and Milan. However, some find fault with the external condition of the vehicles. Have defects such as scratches or dents confirmed in writing as soon as you pick up the vehicle. This is the only way to be sure that you will not be charged for defects that you did not cause when you return the car.

Safety hire car

Although most hire cars in Brescia and Milan are quite roadworthy, you should still check your car’s lights before your first trip.

Also check that you have first-aid kits, high-visibility vests and a warning triangle on board. And do a quick brake test in the parking lot of your hire car. If you do this on the road, you risk a rear-end collision.

Sights in Brescia

Dom Square: Magnificent Churches
Dom Square is a good point to start a stroll through Brescia. There are two churches to admire here at once. While the 18th-century Duomo Nuovo looks huge with its neoclassical façade, the 12th-century Duomo Vecchio next to it seems small and as if it has sunk into the ground.

Inside the old Duomo, you can still see parts of the mosaic floor of a Roman thermal complex that once stood on its site. And the round shape of the church is also interesting. It was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In the vernacular, the Duomo Vecchio is also called Rotonda , the round one.

Manasteria di Santa Giulia: Traveling through time
You will feel like you are in the Middle Ages when you visit the Manasteria di Santa Giulia. Churches from three eras can be admired here. The Basilica of San Salvadore is of Longobard style. The church of Santa Maria in Salario was built during the Romanesque period and Santa Giulia is from the Renaissance.

But the heart of the complex is the town museum. Here you can see over 11,000 exhibits showing the town’s history from prehistoric times to the 18th century.

Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinego: Enchanting works of art
If you want to learn about art styles from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, you should visit the Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinego. Here you can see many paintings by Brescia painters and other artists.

Finding the good restaurant

Many tourists leave Brescia to the left, the locals are largely among themselves. This is good for the cuisine, which doesn’t have to conform to mass international tastes. We recommend the restaurant La Sosta. You dine in a 17th-century palace and enjoy genuine Lombard dishes.

Finding the good hotel

We recommend the Hotel Ambasciatore. The house is centrally located, the rooms are comfortable and cozy. Good alternatives are rare anyway.

A worthwhile destination in the area

Sirminone: Mediterranean atmosphere
Direct the hire car to Sirmione, on the southern shore of Lake Garda. You can reach the town, 41 kilometres away, in less than an hour by hire car. A charming old town awaits you in Sirmione, which will make you feel like you are in the deep south of Italy. The view of Lake Garda, which exudes Mediterranean lightness here, is fantastic. Palm trees line the shore, windsurfers make their laps and you can see the imposing backdrop of the Alps in the distance.

Frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries can be admired in the church of San Pietro in Mavino. Otherwise, the place does not have many sights to offer. You can stroll through the picturesque alleys, enjoy an ice cream in a gelateria and soak up the holiday atmosphere. Afterwards, a visit to a restaurant is worthwhile, perhaps Il Grifone. Here the best fish specialities are served, some of them directly from the lake. While you wait for your meal, you can plan at your leisure which destinations around Brescia you would like to visit next.

Suggestion for a trip by hire car

Cremona: Metropolis of violin making
A nice round trip with a hire car could lead you first to Cremona. In three quarters of an hour you will be there. Cremona is one of the centers of violin making in Italy. It is not for nothing that the famous violin maker Antonio Stradivari was probably born in Cremona and also had his workshop there.

Today you can learn a lot about the art of violin making at the Museo del Violino. Afterwards, it’s worth climbing the tower of the magnificent cathedral. From the top you can enjoy a magnificent view over the city.

Langhirano and Parma: Ham Paradise
Gourmets should now steer the hire car in about an hour and a half to Langhirano near Parma. There, a worthwhile museum provides information on the production of air-dried Parma ham, which has found its devotees around the world.

Afterwards, you will still have the opportunity to go to the lively student town of Parma and buy a nice ham in a quaint shop for the Italian evenings at home.

Modena: Delicious Vinegar and Magnificent Duomo
The last stop on your hire car trip could be Modena, which you can reach in less than an hour from Parma. Modena is home to another Italian delicacy. The distinctively mild Aceto Balsamico di Modena not only enhances salads, but also roasts and even desserts.

But it’s not just the legendary vinegar that makes Modena a worthwhile stop. The city is also home to one of the region’s most magnificent cathedrals, considered a prime example of the Romanesque architectural style. Your hire car will take you back to Brescia in a good hour and a half, where you can recover from the experiences of your hire car tour.

Conclusion

Brescia is ideal as a location for a trip by hire car. Numerous exciting destinations lie in the surrounding area and can be easily reached by hire car. And with our handy price comparison, you will always find a suitable car at a good price.

Hire car Brescia