MarkG

So, I probably have to go to Avezzano in a couple of weeks, and apparently snow chains are now compulsory on the road there from Rome. Assuming the rental company at Rome airport (Fiumicino) are about as competent as usual they probably won't have them even if I request them ahead of time. In that case, does anyone know anywhere along that route where I can buy some?

linseed oil

as you say dont rely on the car hire people they are useless a freind of mine asked for them saying they are law in abruzzo
they said dont care mate they aint here
but iam sure the service stations will have some on your way to abruzzo

Isakat

Try Norauto on the Leonardo da Vinci shopping centre near Fiumicino

http://www.parcocommercialedavinci.c...3-norauto.html


They have everything for a motor vehicle, hopefully chains as well. You can try also petrol stations and gomista, who also sell chains.

MarkG

Thanks. Looks like that will be my first stop if the hire company don't have them... I had no idea there was a shopping centre that close to the airport.

piero

if you put snow chains on a hire care, keep them tight. which with the full size truck 1s i used years ago will get loose after not so many miles and in a car you could end up with wing damage

piero

ok saw your location i guess you already know how to fit the chains. but i would have thought the hire company would offer a winter package, to buy your own chains are you ok with that

37100

We've had a hire car for a mnth now. It is fitted with winter tyres.

MarkG

I can but hope . Unfortunately my experience has been that the companies at the airport have a hard time even providing the kind of car I ordered and having it be legal to drive, let alone any optional extras .

I'm also hoping I don't have to use the chains if I do get them, the weather forecast for the week doesn't look like there should be enough snow to worry about.

linseed oil

you may not need them but you need to have them on board they are getting verryn srict in abruzzo not for your safety but if you have not got them on board even if there is no snow on the road , up ti 15 of april its law you have them on board
some say this is a way for a cash straped region to pull in some cash as the fines for not having them onboard are quet stiff

MarkG

In case it's useful to anyone else, the conclusion of all this was absolutely no problem getting snow chains from Avis at the airport. I'm not sure whether they even charged me for them, as their receipt is extremely hard to understand beyond the final total.

However, the airline lost my bag at Rome, found it again, then gave it to a courier to deliver it to me, who lost it again and then discovered it was still in the depot at the airport so I ended up having to drive back to collect it. So it didn't all go quite according to plan.

Isakat

Nothing in Italy goes according to plan, Mark, there always has to be drama.

piero

I have hired a few cars in Italy but only summer months. But when i had my own truck i used to carry a full set across the back of the unit, not to use just so 1 more thing i could not get fined for. I don't have a euro map to hand but i think far side is Pescara well been there also Rome but never on the road across. So as an ex owner driver i would not pay any extra for a hired car and i would still drive. Now that don't mean the police will not get any money from me. But they will have to work for it