Question 1

About us

Accepted Answer

DS Autonoleggio is a family-run car rental company in Lamezia Terme, started in 2023 with two small cars and one van. The fleet now counts 14 cars, checked before every handover. The office is at SS 280 dei Due Mari, 88046 Lamezia Terme (CZ), but we hand the cars over at Lamezia Terme airport or at Lamezia Terme Centrale station. We are not a chain: the person who answers the phone is the same one who hands you the keys.

Question 2

Opening hours

Accepted Answer

Office hours in Lamezia Terme: Monday to Friday 09:00 - 12:00 and 15:00 - 19:00; Saturday 09:00 - 12:00; Pick-ups and returns booked in advance at any hour, by arrangement. Outside these hours pick-up and drop-off are still possible with the 25 euro out-of-hours fee, arranged in advance. At the airport we also cover night flights on request.

Question 3

Age and licence requirements

Accepted Answer

You just need to be 18 or over, with a valid category B licence. If you have held your licence for less than a year you can drive the cars marked for new drivers, stated on each car's page. We charge no young-driver surcharge. The check is automatic: the form asks how long you have held your licence and, if it is under a year, shows only the new-driver cars. There is no young-driver surcharge: the driver's age does not change the price.

Question 4

Documents needed at pick-up

Accepted Answer

Two things are needed at pick-up: a valid category B driving licence in the driver's name and an identity document. We do not ask for a credit card as a guarantee, because we hold no security deposits. The balance is settled however you prefer: cash, card, debit card or bank transfer. If you have held your licence for less than a year you drive the cars marked for new drivers. Licences issued outside the European Union also require an International Driving Permit.

Question 5

Excess and cover

Accepted Answer

We ask for no security deposit: we block nothing and hold nothing on your card, neither at booking nor when you collect the car. What you would owe if the car is damaged is the excess, starting at 1,500 euro. Every car carries third-party liability, theft and fire cover. With the full damage waiver the excess drops to 500 euro on any car.

Question 6

Where to pick up and drop off

Accepted Answer

You collect and return the car in one of two places, your choice: Lamezia Terme International Airport or Lamezia Terme Centrale railway station, in Sant'Eufemia. We bring it to you at the time you arrive, at no extra cost, and you can return it at the other one. Pick-up is not at the office, and we do not deliver to hotels or other addresses. If your flight is late we wait for you, just let us know. Pick-up needs at least two hours' notice; between midnight and 8 am the 25 euro out-of-hours fee applies.

Question 7

Fuel policy

Accepted Answer

You return the car with the fuel it had at handover: collect it half full, return it half full. We note the level together on the handover sheet, so it is never a question of memory. If fuel is missing we charge it at pump price, with no mark-up and no service fee. We do not sell prepaid tanks.

Question 8

Mileage included

Accepted Answer

Mileage is unlimited anywhere in Calabria: there is no daily cap and we count nothing on return. To drive outside the region a one-off supplement applies, depending on the car's class — 20 euro for the small cars, 25 for the medium, 30 for the large and the nine-seater — and it must be declared when you book, not afterwards. There are no per-kilometre charges and no mileage packages to buy.

Question 9

Changes and cancellations

Accepted Answer

Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before pick-up, that is three days: we refund the whole deposit within five working days and to the same card. After that, or for a no-show, we keep the deposit: since you only paid 20 per cent online, nothing else is charged to you. Date changes are free if notified at least 24 hours ahead and subject to availability. For a cancelled or badly delayed flight we apply no penalty: just send us the airline's notice.

Question 10

How to pay

Accepted Answer

When you book you pay a 20 per cent deposit online, by card: that is what holds the car in your name. The balance is settled when you collect the vehicle, and the exact figure is already written in the quote and in the confirmation email. You can settle the balance however you like: cash, card, debit card or bank transfer. If you cancel more than 72 hours before pick-up the deposit comes back in full, within five working days and to the same card; after that, or for a no-show, we keep the deposit and nothing else is charged to you. For a cancelled or badly delayed flight we retain nothing. We ask for no security deposit, neither at booking nor on collection. An invoice is requested by ticking the "company invoice" box when booking: an Italian company needs its VAT number and recipient code (or PEC) and the invoice goes through the exchange system; an EU company just needs its EU VAT number and a non-EU company its home-country tax ID, and in those two cases the invoice arrives by email.

Question 11

The model you book and the car you get

Accepted Answer

The rental is for a segment, not a number plate: you book a category and the model in the photograph is what we hand over almost every time. When it does not come back in time on those dates, or it is off the road for servicing, you get a car from the same segment with the same seats, the same boot, the same gearbox and the same fuel, or better, at no extra cost. It may come from one of the suppliers we have worked with for years. We tell you before pick-up, not at the desk, and if the substitute does not suit you, you can cancel without penalty right up to pick-up. I cannot guarantee a specific number plate or trim: if you need exactly that model, ask us and we will check.

Question 12

Leaving Italy and ferries

Accepted Answer

The cars do not cross the national border: no rental is authorised abroad, inside the European Union or outside it. Within Italy you drive freely, with unlimited mileage in Calabria and the out-of-region supplement declared when you book. The ferry to Sicily is allowed, because Sicily is still Italy.

Question 13

Breakdowns and roadside assistance

Accepted Answer

Every car includes round-the-clock roadside assistance in the price, with towing. Each car carries an inflation and repair kit, and some a spare wheel, so a puncture is solved on the spot. We do not provide a replacement car; if the vehicle is off the road through no fault of yours, you do not pay for the days you lose. In case of an accident call us first on 351 714 0226 and fill in the European accident statement form.

Question 14

Long-term rental

Accepted Answer

Each car's rate already falls as the days add up. Beyond a month we leave the price list behind: we prepare a written quote with a fixed monthly fee, tailored to the model and the period. It suits companies, VAT-registered professionals who deduct the fee, and anyone staying in Lamezia for a working season. These contracts do not go through the online form: ask by phone or email.

Question 15

Pets, smoking and cleaning

Accepted Answer

Pets are allowed in every car if they travel in a carrier or behind the dog guard, which we lend free of charge. Smoking is not allowed in the cars: sanitising costs 80 euro. Returning the car with sand or dirt beyond normal use incurs a 40 euro deep-cleaning charge.

Question 16

How to book

Accepted Answer

Booking takes three steps on the site: choose the dates and where to pick up and drop off; choose from the cars actually free in that period; enter your details. The quote is complete and final, with no costs appearing later. You get an email with your request code straight away and we confirm availability within one working hour. You can also book on WhatsApp at 351 714 0226 or by phone on 351 714 0226.

Question 17

How the price is calculated

Accepted Answer

Every car has its own price list and the daily rate falls as the days add up: there is no percentage discount, the price per day is written out for each band. For example the Fiat Panda: low season 1-9 days 45 euro per day, 10 days or more 40 euro per day; high season 1 day 70 euro per day, 2-3 days 60 euro per day, 4 days or more 50 euro per day. Two price lists exist, low season and high season (15 december - 15 january and 15 july - 15 september); if even one day of the rental falls in high season, the high-season list applies to the whole booking. Nothing else is added except the extras you choose and, between midnight and eight in the morning, the 25 euro out-of-hours fee. Mileage is unlimited within Calabria and there is no security deposit. All amounts include VAT and the quote lists every single item.

Frequently asked questions