Driving Times

Here's how I would double-check these estimates:1. Go to viamichelin.com and for each leg have it calculate the driving time from start to end, town names are fine for this purpose, you don't need exact addreses.2. The resulting Michelin times from step 1 are the fastest possible times, not including gas or pit stops, that can be achieved under the following conditions: not rush hour, no construction (common in Italy, it seems), no getting lost (i.e., you have a GPS or don't but are really really lucky), not a national holiday, no other unusual traffic conditions. 3. Add for whatever stops you anticipate.4. If you're leaving a huge city in the morning rush, like leaving Rome at 9am (your first leg), roll down the window of your car and throw the Michelin times out onto the autostrada, because they don't consider rush hour conditions. 5. If you don't have a GPS, it's going to take you longer than if you do, maybe add 20% to the Michelin times?

Thanks, but I have already done exactly what you suggested. That's how I came up with my estimates. But, since, as you mentioned, there are other factors for which viamichelin cannot be relied upon, I'm soliciting input from those in the know. And, we will have a GPS.

That's good, you did Step 1. Now consider the things I said in steps 2 to 4, those are things you know that no one here can know. Specifically, I don't know how many relaxation or pit stops you're going to make in between your destinations or how long the stops will be, so make your best estimate of those and add that time. And in your initial question and in my first try at helping you, you didn't indicate whether you were going to have a GPS, now I see that you have added that you'll have one--so in my opinion you don't have to add the 20%. And probably no one here, other than an Italy resident, is going to claim they can accurately estimate how much longer than the Michelin times it might take you to get out of Rome at 9am on a particular Monday morning, I sure don't know--but my suggestion is to delay your departure from Rome until rush hour is over because rush hour there is later than here--locals there at your hotel may be able to advise you about that better than we can here.

Thanks. As I mentioned, we will have a GPS.

Stops that are planned have been specified. For instance, we're driving from Rome to Sorrento on a Monday, but we're stopping at Vesuvius and Pompeii along the way. So, I specified the 3 different legs.

The following Sunday, we're driving from Florence to Vernazza, stopping in Pisa along the way. So, I specified the 2 legs for that day.

Given the short legs I mentioned, I don't anticipate any stops. But, if so, we will certainly account for them.

As for leaving Rome on a Monday morning, I share your concern. I am hoping that Ron will chime in with his Rome knowledge.

Thanks for your help.

Leslie, how ironic to be talking travel times. My wife and I are about to jump into a "fully insured" rental and do some touring of the Bologna/Parma area - so this will probably be my last post for the next 3 days!

I would say that from Campo Fiori you can add at least 20-30 minutes to your journey. To get to the A-1 you'll have to fight through traffic. In Rome, rush hour lasts a few hours because folks come into work at different times - and because there are so many one-way streets you never seem to be able to go "against traffic" as you would in a larger city. With no MAJOR traffic issues, I'd add 30 minutes to be safe!

We've done the Pompeii-Sorrento in June in a little more than an hour, but that last trip was midday. At 4-5 PM you ARE looking at more traffic!

Now that I think about it my wife was driving Pompeii-Sorrento, as I'd had a lttle vino at lunch... so it might have been closer to that 1 1/2 hour mark! Everything's STILL a little hazy.... but I do remember getting out of the car in Sorrento, kissing the ground and thanking God to still be alive! My wife had fun driving that route!

(Continued on next post)

(Continued from previous post)

Your Sunday Florence to Pisa is extremely doable. In fact, you can easily get to Pisa in under 1 1/2 hours - especially on a Sunday! That's a straight shot and an easy ride!

As Kent correctly points out in his postings, be careful where you drive in Florence and Pisa. I got one of those infamous "illegal entry" tickets in Pisa... and I still don't know where we went wrong??? So take your time on Sunday!

And you're driving to Vernazza... can't help you there, only been by train to that Region!

Hope that helps - we're off to do some touring for the next three days - See you Monday!

Ciao,
Ron

Thanks, Ron! I hope that you had a great weekend.

Rome rush hour starts later than other cities, so by nine am it will be bumper to bumper. Plus you are going from the center of the city to the A1, I would include another hour, and be careful that you aren't driving in a restricted zone or you will end up with a ticket! GPS won't advise you about where the restricted zonesare. The raccordo, the traffic ring around Rome is difficult, and they are always doing construction. And you have to get past Naples to get to Vesuvius, so in order to avoid cutting it too close I would allow the morning to get to Vesuvius--it sounds like you have a lot of stressful driving lined up for one day.

We just arrived home from doing a trip similar-not same order-as yours. From Rome to Pompei area is more like 3 hours. If you don't have GPS be prepared to get lost-alot. If you have never done this by car before, you cannot estimate the time from one place to another because of so many situations-parking, lack-of, etc.etc. that you just can't anticipate. There are some areas of Italy that you can't explore without a car--Tuscan hill towns, maybe. There are many more situations that a car would be impossible. We just checked out of Hotel Smeraldo in Rome after a hideous experience of turning in our car to the Train Staion there. Smeraldo is a great location but you don't even want a car there. Don't want to pontificate, but do as much homework as possible--and get the GPS!!

Leslie,

Just an update! This weekend my wife and I rented a car in Rome and headed north. This was a Holiday weekend and it took us 1.25 hours to get out of Rome – then another hour to get HALFWAY to Orvieto!

At that point we cranked up the GPS and headed “off-road,” leaving the autostrada and “back-roading” to Assisi and then onto Bologna! Note that E45/SS 3 bis SOUTHBOUND from Bologna is under major repair and there were multiple detours! Fortunately we were headed northbound towards Bolonga!

Coming back into Rome on Sunday was also packed, so avoid weekend or holiday travel if possible!

Ron

Thank you to everyone for their feedback. And, Ron, I'm certainly happy that we won't be on the E45/SS 3 South of Bologna!

The only time that we'll need a pretty accurate estimate is from Florence to Pisa on a Sunday, because we will be purchasing advance tickets to the Tower, and we don't want to make ourselves crazy in the morning "to get there in time", and get there too early, but we also don't want to miss our appointment. And, we don't want to make it too late, because our ultimate destination that day is Vernazza.

Ron's feedback on that leg is that it should be a quick, easy trip, on a Sunday, so that's reassuring. (But, we'll still leave a bit of extra time to find parking, and then to enjoy the Field of Miracles before climbing the Tower.

Thanks again for all the input, and, if anyone has anything additional, I'm all ears (well, eyes, I guess)!