Best way to travel within Italy

Jay, I'm a fan of train travel as much as possible. Looking at www.trenitalia.com shows that you can get to Orvieto in about an hour from Roma Termini station and trains leave every hour or so.
Orvieto to Naples requires a change in Rome and it is about 3 to 3.5 hrs travel time. When I went last year to Tuscany and Venice we didn't rent a car - everything was by train and bus. Have fun.

Jay, Regarding your questions..... 1.) There likely won't be much difference in renting the car at the airport vs. renting in Orvieto. It's relatively easy to get out of the airport (as opposed to driving in Rome). If you were to rent in Orvieto, you'd have to get to Roma Termini and then travel by train (about 2 hours total). It's not difficult but it takes time. There's a train station right at the airport. If you decide to take a train, post another note as there are some potentially expensive "pitfalls". Regarding driving in Italy, there are some "caveats" to be aware of! Each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit (available at any AAA office) and you'll have to be extremely careful to avoid the dreaded ZTL areas. A GPS along with a good map would be prudent. 2.) For the trip to Positano, you could return the car either in Orvieto or at the airport. In each case, you'll need to take a train to get to Termini. From Termini you'll travel via the fast Freccia trains to Napoli Centrale and then transfer to the Circumvesuviana for the trip to Sorrento. Don't be shocked by the appearance of the Circumvesuviana - it's a bit of an old "clunker" but will get you to your destination. From Sorrento you'll travel by Bus to Positano, as there's no rail access to Positano. 3.) The fastest trains are the EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita / Freccia trains, which travel at up to 300 kmH. Reservations are compulsory, which are included in the cost of tickets. If you're travelling on Regionale (slow) trains, you MUST validate tickets prior to boarding or risk a hefty fine, which will be collected on the spot continued....

Jay - continued..... There's also the new Italo fast trains, but they only run between the major centres at the moment, and use different stations than the Trenitalia versions. You can research train details, costs, etc. on the Trenitalia website. You might also find it very helpful to have a look at the excellent Ron In Rome website. It is possible to save money by purchasing rail tickets online. However, according to user reports here, the website isn't always "user friendly" so success rates are a bit erratic. Savings are only possible on the "fast" trains, but not on the Regionale trains. One IMPORTANT point to keep in mind is that if you purchase tickets online, you'll be "locked" into a particular train and departure time, with limited options to change the tickets. If you miss that train, you'll likely have to buy new tickets at full price. You can buy rail tickets either at staffed ticket offices (usually a long queue) or from the automated Kiosks. I would highly recommend packing along a copy of the Italy 2012 Guidebook, as I've found that it's an exceptional resource to have during trips. Finally, I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to Il Grappolo Blu in Montalcino for an outstanding dinner. I found the food to be excellent! Reservations would be a good idea. Happy travels!

Hi Jay, In 2007, we did the same route that you are planning, Roma to Montalcino. We trained to Chiusi, the closest railway station to your destination. The problem that you may encounter is that most rental car locations (except airports) are usuallly closed on a Sunday. The availability to rent a vehicle on a Sunday would be the first thing that I would look into. I will leave your other questions to others to answer. Montalcino is lovely and convenient for touring other hill towns. Ciao, Sherry

Jay,
Ken has given you wise direction. I would only emphasize that a car is crucial in a place like Montalcino as there is no convenient train station. Montalcino is wonderful and a great location from which to visit many other towns. Il Grappolo Blu is also devine. <Mouth waters just thinking about it.> So rent the car at FCO and drive to Montalcino. Dropping the car at Orvieto gives you easy access to a train to Roma Termini where you switch to a Naples-bound Freccia, adn so on as Ken suggested. It will be a long day, but there's really no way around that. I woudl avoid driving all the way to Naples. Too often we hear of hideous traffic jams people are stuck in for hours getting to Naples and/or Sorrento.

Jay, Laurel brought up a very good point.... "Too often we hear of hideous traffic jams people are stuck in for hours getting to Naples and/or Sorrento." I've witnessed the "hideous traffic jams" in the Naples area (believe it was a holiday or something?). NOT a pleasant driving experience, especially when the Police decide to erect a checkpoint in the middle of it, just to slow things down a bit more. I was very fortunately to be on an air conditioned RS Tour Coach, so just relaxed and watched the performance. Always a lot nicer when someone else is doing the driving. I've also witnessed similar traffic jams in Hawaii during Pro-Bowl weekend. Five lanes each way and they were all plugged solid! Roberts Hawaii was doing the driving, so aside from waving at the "ugly cousin" in the other Robert's Bus, I relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Cheers!

Jay, If you don't know how jetlag affects you you shouldn't plan on a long drive you have to make. Sherry is right that the rental offices in Orvieto and Chiusi are closed on Sunday. An alternative is to contact Aesse rent http://www.aesserent.it/
and make arrangements for them to meet you on Sunday. This is a local office in Chiusi, right across from the train station, and puts you within an hour of Montalcino. This may involve a little more hassle, getting the train FCO to Rome and Rome to Chiusi, but may be safer. This may help with your planning http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm