This will be our first trip to Europe and we're SO EXCITED! AND, we have three kids - 11, 15 & 17. We're meeting friends in Erlangen, Germany for a few days in early July and they will show us the area while we're there, then our family is trekking to the Piedmont region of Italy. Once in Italy, we're hoping to find our way around the Piedmont area and then move on down to Tuscany. First question, is it best to use a car or rail from Germany to Italy? We know to drop the cars off in the same country they're rented from, but is that going to be a hassle since we have to pass through Switzerland, too? But a little hassle is OK if it will save us some money. Once in Italy, what will be the best way to get around where we're wanting to go? Lastly, what sights should we attempt to include in our itinerary from Piedmont to Tuscany? Would we be completely nuts to try and squeeze in seeing the leaning tower of Pisa on our way south? Any tips would be appreciated! Thank you -
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New York, NY, USA
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Do you already have your flights booked? If so, what are your arrival and departure airports?
If you are going to have to return to Germany anyway, a car rental will work without a drop surcharge. If you're flying out of Italy, then you will indeed have a surcharge - I've seen reports on this Forum of anywhere from €100 to €600. However, since you will almost definitely want a car in Piemonte and Tuscany, and since there are five of you, this may be worth the extra cost.
If you want to avoid cross-border drop charges, you would have to take a train. A quick look at the Bahn website from Erlangen to Turin shows an 11 to 12 hour train ride with several changes, so you may want to break up the trip and make some stopovers (Verona is a natural stop, since you have to change trains there anyway, but there are lots of other possibilities).
To look at train schedules and routes, use the Bahn site, following the link in Rick's tutorial: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/online-schedules
To look at driving routes and costs, use ViaMichelin: http://www.viamichelin.com/
" Would we be completely nuts to try and squeeze in seeing the leaning tower of Pisa on our way south?"
Pisa is in Tuscany, so it's not at all a detour.