Comment by pjmlp

I used to do that, however depends on where you live.

In Germany the amount you have to pay not to worry about every little scratch from a few mm, means I rather have my own scratches.

Then on the Mediterranean islands usually rental is the only option, unless one likes to pay taxis all the time, and most rentals take advantage of non locals as much as they can get away with. Yes some do have buses, if you want to be stuck in the main cities.