Goldcar has an extremely bad reputation in Europe as they always try to upsell their expensive excess insurance and they will try and charge you for all sorts of added extras.
I was very aware of renting from Goldcar as the reviews were terrible and obviously I did not want to end up being unhappy customer 599. In the end I rented a five door Ford Focus at Venice Treviso airport from Goldcar through Holiday Autos as they were the cheapest option for an automatic.
The car came in at £52, excluding insurance, having made the booking two months in advance. Flying to Venice Treviso Airport will give you the opportunity to travel at a lower cost and also to visit places by renting a car instead of using a gondola everywhere!
Anyhow, in this Goldcar car hire review I will explain what you should be aware of and how to prepare yourself for a (hopefully) positive experience!
By the way, you can get 5% off if you use this Holiday Autos link for your next booking.
I made the booking on the Holiday Autos website. Holiday Autos is a web firm offering low cost car hire around the world. I have been using them for years and have not had any problems with them – they even have a special membership scheme where I reached silver level in a couple of years.
Having rented quite a few times already I knew what I would need to hand over at pick up: my credit card with at least €1,500 on it for deposit, my passport, driving license and the rental confirmation.
Here, I rented full-to-full again with unlimited mileage which is not always what Italian firms offer so make sure you read the small print before you pick up. Renting with limited mileage can cost you a huge amount of extra money!
Having extra insurance for the tyres, windscreen and underside of the car is also very useful to avoid a bad taste in your mouth in case of an accident. Finally, don’t ever leave the car park without checking the car for damages and take lots of photographs!
The Goldcar Pick Up Desk
The Goldcar pick up desk was within the terminal, about 50 meters from the arrivals gate. Once we signed all the papers and I got the keys, I had to walk to the car park, about five minutes away.
Tip: Read my article about avoiding upsells at the airport pick-up desk
There were some big scratches on the side of the car which we marked up on the papers then I drove off toward Maniva Ski Resort.
Goldcar Car Hire Review
It was super easy to drive the car and it handled very well even in the sharp turns and on the steep hills. The car came with unlimited mileage, an automatic gearbox and a huge booth. Inside the car it was very spacious with plenty of room to move around and even an armrest.
Under the armrest there was space for my valet and a USB plug for my charger. The car came with cruise control, buttons to pick up the phone, electric windows and ample seating in the back.
The boot was huge with enough space for at least four large suitcases. It was a diesel engine so I had to be very careful at the petrol station to remember this!
Negatives About The Car
The only thing I did not like was the blind spot on the left hand side, especially when I was driving uphill and turning left. The fuel came to 55 euros in the end, filling up three quarters of the tank. I rented full to full which is what I always recommend to avoid high fuel surcharges.
Tip: Make sure you have lots of five euro notes when renting in Italy and returning on Sundays! The petrol stations are unmanned on Sundays and the petrol station machines don’t give change.
Going Back To Treviso Airport
I returned the car on a Sunday evening so the car park desk was already closed. Instead of dropping the keys off at the car park I had to simply park up and walk to the airport terminal and give the keys back at the desk there. The girl took the keys and the next day I got an email to say everything was fine.
