Land Rover Defender — Rome

The Defender has always been about going where other vehicles hesitate. The 2024 Land Rover Defender available through our Rome fleet carries that reputation forward — but it also happens to be one of the most composed SUVs you can drive on a long Italian highway, which makes it a particularly smart choice if your plans extend beyond the city limits. Consider the drive south toward the Amalfi Coast. That's 250-plus kilometres from Rome, and the final stretch along the SS163 is narrow, steep, and unforgiving to wide, low-slung cars. The Defender's upright driving position and tight turning circle give you genuine confidence on those coastal switchbacks, while the cabin stays quiet and settled on the A1 autostrada for the first two hours. If you're travelling with family — three across the rear bench, luggage for an overnight in Positano — there's no awkward negotiation over legroom or boot space. Closer to Rome, the Defender handles the volcanic hill roads around Castelli Romani with the kind of sure-footedness you'd expect from the nameplate. The SS218 toward Frascati and Castel Gandolfo is an easy half-day loop, and the Defender's ground clearance means you won't think twice about unpaved winery access roads or the gravel car parks near Lake Albano. A practical note on Rome itself: the centro storico's ZTL restrictions and narrow lanes in districts like Trastevere and Monti aren't ideal for any full-size SUV. We arrange handovers at locations outside the restricted zones — your hotel in Prati, a residence near EUR, or directly at Fiumicino Airport — so you collect the car where it makes sense and point it toward open road. Rates begin at €550 per day for the 2024 model. One variant is available, so there's no decision fatigue — just a well-sorted truck that's equally at ease on a Tivoli morning run as it is parked outside a Frascati trattoria with terracotta dust on the wheel arches.