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Amsterdam/Paris/Rome 2 weeks beginning on Christmas

Posted by (Tucson, AZ, USA) on

Sorry for the cross posting to Transportation but after composing this message I realized there were more questions than just about travel, so here goes:

Need some advice. Crazy as it seems, we are taking three teenage boys (ages 18-19) to Europe beginning right after Christmas for about 2 weeks. We're trying to do it somewhat economically and not go travel crazy by trying to see too much, so we've decided on the above itinerary, flying into Amsterdam and out of Rome.
I'm looking for the best transportation options, and between flying, trains and driving between cities, driving seems to provide the most flexibility and the best price, when you factor in 5 adult tickets each time we want to go someplace. I've been to Europe before and I hate driving and finding places to park in the big cities but the tradeoff is how convenient it is. So I guess my questions are:
1 - Does the itinerary seem feasible for 2 weeks?

2 - Is driving the best option?

3 - If so, from whom should I rent and do they allow me to drop off in a different city than pickup? (I couldn't find a way to do this with Sixt, who I rented from last time)

4 - Anything special we'd need to think about because it is over the Christmas/New Years holiday? Will things be more crowded, or closed?

5 - We'd like to rent an apt. in Paris and Rome if possible.

Don't think we're crazy. The boys are actually looking forward to traveling with us, though we want to give them as much freedom to do their own thing as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Posted by
10344 posts

Re cost of a rental car, things you may already know but in case you don't: People on this site have reported high drop-off fees to rent a car in a country other than Italy and then drop-off the car in Italy. Also, as of last month gas prices in France and Italy were reported to average about $6-$7 per gallon; you pay in euros per liter, say 1.35E per liter, which doesn't seem so bad unless you convert it to dollars/gallon, about $7/gallon--you're driving a lot of miles so I thought this would be of interest. A smaller rental car gets better mileage but with your number of passengers and associated luggage, you will have to get a bigger car. Diesel vehicle may save you some money.

Posted by
267 posts

I think you are crazy - the adventurous kind of crazy :)

  1. All three of those cities have tons of things to do. I met a guy once who had been living in Paris for a year and still didn't know the whole city. However, with careful planning, I'm sure you could make your itinerary feasible :D

  2. I'm not sure if driving is the best option. Like the previous poster said, gas is getting pricier and renting cards can get complicated when it's time to give it back. Train/plane tickets could get pricey considering it's around the holidays. I understand the lure of the convenience, but I'm not sure it would be the least stressful way of transportation.

  3. I would assume the cities would be more crowded and more things would be closed, but I'm sure there will be other exciting holiday happenings to replace them. I've only visited Europe in the summer, so I would research each city and ask around.

  4. Apartment rentals in Paris -> Paris Attitude

Posted by
1158 posts

Even gas prices in Europe are high, I think it would cheaper to rent a car, especially because there are a few of you going, so same price for all.
Don't forget that the European cars don't use so much gas/kilometer as US ones.
Renting a car was cheaper in Amsterdam then in Paris a few years ago. I rented it from europcar.com
In Europe people are off from chrismas to Jan, 1st or 2nd., so they might be on vacation or just home, don't know much about that.My impression is that they go somewhere for holidays.

Posted by
67 posts

Someone told me about the Paris Zen Center - http://www.maisonzen.com Squeaky clean mini-apartments (sm. fridge, stove, coffeemaker, fitted-out kitchen, private bath, satellite TV, air conditioner) in a quiet courtyard with a private garden. Friendly staff, speak perfect English, convenient location. You don't have to be Buddhist, only take off your shoes before entering. In the center of Paris near Place de la Bastille within an easy walk of Notre Dame & Marais. Closest metro stations: Gare de Lyon & Bastille from which to travel easily to any part of Paris. Prices as of Aug. '06: About $90 a day (one week for two = 490 Euros) To make reservations: email dates, phone number/fax. After reservations are made they'll require a deposit (50% of total lodging cost - can be personal check). They'll only deposit your check if you cancel less than 1 month or are a no-show. 35 Rue de Lyon 75012 Paris Telephone: 33/1/44870813

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