We will be in Rome in Oct. 2014. Plan on driving to Volterra to explore Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Sienna, etc then down to Sorrento for a week and finish with three days in Rome. Where is the best place in Rome to rent a car? Trains and luggage and non user friendly Italian train stations have proved to be a problem in the past . Any advise?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
As I understand it, you plan to arrive at Rome Fiumicino airport (FCO), rent a car and head north to Tuscany and the Cinque Terre. Then go all the way south to Sorrento and come back to Rome for your last few days.
The car is totally useless at the Cinque Terre and Rome. You don't mention Florence in your Tuscany itinerary, but if you go there having a car will be useless too.
If your trip were my trip, upon arrival at FCO , I would go straight to the Cinque Terre by train (check about the possibility to land at Pisa (PSA), which is in Tuscany but close to the Cinque Terre). Hopefully you land at FCO in the morning, as most flights from North America do. The train trip (directly from the FCO Airport station) requires one change at Rome Termini station (the main station) and one in La Spezia. After visiting the Cinque Terre, I would take a train to La Spezia (just minutes away) then I would rent a car from La Spezia. From there I would do my Tuscany visit follow by the drive all the way down to Sorrento. In Sorrento you can keep the car or return it there, it's up to you. A car in that area is not absolutely necessary, but it can be used. Just make sure you check with the hotel about parking arrangements. Actually with a car I prefer to stay in Positano, since you won't have to deal with the bus anyway.
After the Gulf on Naples/Amalfi Coast visit I would head back to Rome and return the car upon arrival at the Tiburtina or Termini station. Both have car rental offices in the area.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Roberto -
Many thanks for your aid. Perhaps more detail of our exact plan can clarify the dilemma. We fly into Rome from LHR on 10/15, then head up to Volterra for a full week. We have two days to get to Volterra but we arrive in Rome rather late on 10/15 so we will head up to Montepulciano for the first two nights. While in Volterra we'll head out to Firenze, Sienna, Cinque Terra, Pisa, etc. After Volterra we'll head down to Sorrento for a week. Then up to Rome for three nights then home to Seattle (SEAHAWKS !!!). We find the trains to be problematic as we tend not to travel light and the stations have no trolleys or porters and lots of steps from platform to platform. I will rent a car but not sure whether it's best to do so in downtown Rome or at Fiumincino. My initial investigation makes me think that the airport would not be such a bad way to go price wise. What do you think?
Steve
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
Picking up a car at the airport carries additional charges. However in your case it would be more convenient because you are heading to Tuscany upon arrival and from the airport it would be easier since you can get on the freeway right there and then follow the directions to Rome then Florence.
Using www.gamut.com or www.autoeurope.com (consolidators) see what the price difference would be of renting at the airport vs a city location (e.g. Tiburtina station). However consider that if you decide on the city center pick up, you will incur ground transportation costs to get there (€50 for taxi or €14/pp by train) therefore you need to factor that in. In terms of convenience the airport pick up is preferable for your specific needs, so you'll need to consider that too.