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Counterwise

FCO · Report · November 2026

Rome Fiumicino Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 37 car rental desks we rate at Rome Fiumicino "Leonardo da Vinci" Airport (FCO), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
37
8,209 reviews analysed
Average score
4.6/10
median 4.6
Median starting deposit
€200
13 of 37 deposits known
No credit card needed
24%
9 of 37 desks, 16 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 37 car rental desks at Rome Fiumicino "Leonardo da Vinci" Airport (FCO): 0 Great (8 or more out of 10), 5 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 32 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 4.6/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Rome Fiumicino Airport is Flizzr (7.9/10); the lowest-rated is Surprice (1.9/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (13 of 37 desks), the typical starting deposit at Rome Fiumicino Airport is €200 (median), from €100 at Locauto up to €2,300 at Centauro.
  • 9 of 37 desks at Rome Fiumicino Airport (24%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 16 desks.
  • 24 desks at Rome Fiumicino Airport are a short walk from the terminal (average score 4.6) and 13 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 4.5).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Rome Fiumicino Airport are booking not honoured or price changed (32 of 37 desks), damage charges after return (31 of 37 desks) and pressure to buy insurance or extras (30 of 37 desks).

Score distribution

How the 37 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 37. SurpriceDozens of reviews, including many from the last 12 months, say cards were refused at the counter (non-embossed, Visa, Amex, debit, online-bank cards) and then accepted once the desk's own insurance was bought, at a cost often several times the rental price. Some say the card rules were not clear at booking.1.9 · Poor
  2. 36. NoleggiareA large share of kept reviews, including many from the last six months, report charges of about €150-430 (often a repair fee plus roughly €80 admin fee) for tiny marks found at return, often under the bumper, on wheels or on the windscreen. Reviewers say these marks were missing from the pickup report or too small to show on their photos, and that this mostly affects those without the desk's own full cover.2.2 · Poor
  3. 35. DrivaliaMany recent reviews (about 30 in the past year) report damage charges of roughly 60 to 700 euros that travellers say cover marks already on the car, often with photos or video disputed or ignored by the claims team.2.2 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€100 (Locauto)
Highest amount
€2,300 (Centauro)
Median starting deposit
€200
Deposit known
13 of 37 desks

Not confirmed yet for 24 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
9 of 37 · 24%
Credit card required
12 of 37 · 32%
Not confirmed yet
16 of 37 · 43%

Debit cards accepted at: Flizzr, Centauro, Locauto, Enterprise, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, Avis.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
0
none
Short walk
24
avg score 4.6
Shuttle
13
avg score 4.5

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.6/10; shuttle desks average 4.5/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Booking not honoured or price changed32 of 37 · 86%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Ecovia, EuropaRent, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, Locauto, GaldieriRent, U-Save, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Europcar, Keddy by Europcar, Carwiz, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, RentSmart24, Budget, Avis, Italy Car Rent, Maggiore, Rental Plus, Drivalia, Noleggiare, Surprice.

  2. Damage charges after return31 of 37 · 84%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Automania, Ecovia, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, Locauto, U-Save, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Europcar, Rent4U, Vivarent, Keddy by Europcar, Carwiz, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, RentSmart24, Budget, Avis, Italy Car Rent, Maggiore, Rental Plus, Drivalia, Surprice.

  3. Pressure to buy insurance or extras30 of 37 · 81%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Automania, Ecovia, Centauro, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, GaldieriRent, U-Save, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Vivarent, Keddy by Europcar, Carwiz, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, RentSmart24, Budget, Avis, Italy Car Rent, Maggiore, Rental Plus, Noleggiare, Surprice.

  4. Long queues or waits25 of 37 · 68%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Sixt, Automania, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Locauto, GaldieriRent, U-Save, Enterprise, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Europcar, Vivarent, Keddy by Europcar, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Avis, Maggiore, Drivalia, Surprice.

  5. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules24 of 37 · 65%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, Locauto, GaldieriRent, U-Save, OK Mobility, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Vivarent, Keddy by Europcar, Record Go, Alamo, RentSmart24, Italy Car Rent, Rental Plus, Drivalia, Noleggiare, Surprice.

  6. Deposit or refund held back22 of 37 · 59%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Key'n Go, Rhodium, U-Save, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Europcar, Rent4U, Keddy by Europcar, Carwiz, Record Go, Hertz, Budget, Italy Car Rent, Drivalia, Noleggiare.

  7. Fuel charges or fuel policy22 of 37 · 59%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Ecovia, Centauro, Sicily by Car, Key'n Go, Rhodium, Locauto, OK Mobility, Europcar, Keddy by Europcar, Dollar, Record Go, Hertz, Alamo, RentSmart24, Budget, Avis, Maggiore, Rental Plus, Drivalia, Surprice.

  8. Hard-to-reach customer service18 of 37 · 49%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Flizzr, Sixt, Centauro, GaldieriRent, U-Save, Enterprise, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Green Motion, Rent4U, Dollar, Hertz, Budget, Avis, Italy Car Rent, Maggiore, Surprice.

  9. Car condition problems17 of 37 · 46%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Automania, Ecovia, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, Locauto, U-Save, OK Mobility, Viaggiare, Europcar, Rent4U, Vivarent, Carwiz, RentSmart24, Italy Car Rent, Drivalia, Surprice.

  10. Closed desk or late-arrival problems15 of 37 · 41%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Ecovia, Goldcar, Key'n Go, Rhodium, GaldieriRent, OK Mobility, Wheego, Dryyve, Viaggiare, Green Motion, Vivarent, Carwiz, RentSmart24, Italy Car Rent, Rental Plus.

  11. Other fees after the rental15 of 37 · 41%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Automania, Sicily by Car, Key'n Go, Rhodium, U-Save, OK Mobility, Viaggiare, Vivarent, Keddy by Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Maggiore, Rental Plus, Drivalia, Noleggiare.

  12. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find10 of 37 · 27%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Flizzr, Centauro, Sicily by Car, U-Save, Enterprise, Carwiz, Dollar, Alamo, Rental Plus, Surprice.

  13. Toll device pushed or charged2 of 37 · 5%

    Toll transponders sold or charged without a clear explanation of the cost. Desks: Budget, Avis.

The data behind this report

  • 8,209 traveller reviews analysed across 37 desks.
  • 9,187 recent reviews read; 978 (11%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 821; about another location: 72; duplicates: 51). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 13 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Rome Fiumicino Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/fco/report (data updated 13 November 2026).

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