We will visit Venice in late September. We plan to rent a car to take us to Castelrocco, then Pienza, then to CinqueTerre where we will turn the car in. We plan to take trains to Lake Como after that before flying home from Milan.
Does that sound driving portion sound doable for a couple who enjoys road-trips?
Any comments and suggestions about making this work will be appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by
Lubbock, TX
417 posts
Do you mean Castelrotto? When I rent cars in any country (especially Italy) I try to look around to see if it's cheaper to pickup the car somewhere else than where I'm leaving from. My assumption is that rental cars in Venice will be very expensive, and Italy in general is the most expensive country I've seen so far to rent cars. I would look in Verona or possibly Padova to see if it's cheaper there. Are you planning on using the car in the Dolomites or just to get you to Castelrotto? Driving through Tuscany to get to Pienza is definitely worth it, since the scenery on the way is just as good as the town itself and public transportation is really minimal. When you finish the road trip I would return the car at the Pisa airport. Trains from Pisa to Cinque Terre are super easy.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16321 posts
I would rent in Venice (Piazzale Roma).
If you plan to go to Lake Como after Cinque Terre you might also consider keeping the car at the parking lot at the Cinque Terre (Monterosso or Riomaggiore have parking) then drive to Lake Como.
However, if it were my trip, since you are going to the Dolomites area I would visit lake Como after Dolomites.
So my trip would be:
Venice
Dolomites (Castelrotto)
Lake Como (Varenna or Menaggio)
Pienza
Cinque Terre
Milan
Whether you want to return the car at La Spezia (near Cinque Terre) and take the train to Milan, or keep it and drive to Milan (and return in Milan), it is up to you. A car is not needed while at the Cinque Terre, and besides the rental car, you will need to pay about €20 a day to keep it in one of the parking structures at the Cinque Terre, but if you don’t like the idea of lugging suitcases on multiple trains, driving is an option.
Posted by
OP
70 posts
Thank you, both of you.
Yes, I do want to avoid multiple trains and luggage hauling if possible.
Do you have a recommendation on where to drop the car near Milan that would not involve driving into the city?
Avoiding that urban driving would be one reason I might choose the train, but I would prefer the scheduling options available as a driver.
Again, I appreciate this!