I have been to Italy twice with my husband who was the driver & tour guide - both excellent trips. Last visit was 2008. Next spring I am headed back with my best friend who has never been to Italy. We are staying 4 nights in Rome at Albergo del Senato Hotel across from Pantheon. When we leave Rome, we'll be heading to Villa Poggiano in Montepulciano for 6 nights & then to Maison La Minervetta in Sorrento for 4 nights & back to FCO airport the night before coming home.
We would like to rent a car from Auto Europe at Tiburtina rental location. Price quoted was about $500 for 10 days for an Audi A3. We will both be getting IDPs to drive. I picked this location because it is seemed more favorable (according to RS forum answers) when heading to Tuscany. The plan is to return rental car to FCO airport location & stay at Hilton Airport Rome Hotel for an early morning departure.
I am looking for any feedback. Some of my favorite memories are driving around Tuscany & visiting hilltowns & abbeys. Also, driving around the Amalfi Coast area.
I've been reading RS guidebooks since last summer & I'm very excited to share beautiful Italy with my dear friend.
My question is: Am I missing anything regarding car rental plans?? Any feedback is appreciated.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
907 posts
Sounds like a plan. All good but perhaps driving the Amalfi Coast. Your are going in the spring so it might, I say might, be ok, but generally its a pain. Think about taking public transport of hiring a car to see the coast. Your rental would be fine in and around Sorento though. Places like Pompeii or Herculaneum.
all in all goo plan.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16210 posts
It's all good. That's exactly what I do when I fly out of Rome. When you return the car, you can go to the hilton first, park in front to check in, then after dropping your bags in your room, find your way to the parking tower where your rental is (there is Parking A, B, C, D). Then after returning the car, there is a skywalk that connects the parking towers to the terminal on one side and to the Hilton on the opposite side. I prefer to drop my luggage first, because the walk on the skywalk is ..a walk.
When you leave Rome do so in the morning, because getting out of Rome in the evening the traffic is horrible.
Traffic on the Amalfi coast in spring shouldn't be too bad, unless it's a Sunday on a warm day.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you both for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated!
Posted by
North Carolina
318 posts
On my trip last June, I picked up my car from Hertz at Tiburtina (also based on advice in this forum) and headed for Montepulciano. Getting out of Rome from there was pretty much straightforward. There were some construction detours in Chianciano Terme that got me going in circles (and scared of accidentally venturing into a ZTL), but after a few wrong turns I was on my way again.
Posted by
Boston, MA
1832 posts
Sounds good.
You have done this before so not sure I can add much useful info.
Without the rental car aspect I am not sure starting in Rome vs. it in the middle or end is the best plan but given the car it makes some sense.
Couple of minor things, you are booking from Auto Europe but actually renting from someone else and you did not mention who. I would feel better if one of the big 3: Europcar, Hertz or Avis. The others have mixed reviews at best.
don't get attached to the thought of getting the Audi, chances are less than 50% you will get that exact car, the listing is almost always for car type so you will get something nice but could easily be a different make and model. I would guess a Volvo V40, BMW 1 series and probably a few others are all in the same grouping as an Audi A3.
It will cost extra for a 2nd driver on the rental contract which is probably not included on the quote you have and does add up for a 10 day rental.
Make sure to check into the existence of ZTL's and how to avoid them for any towns you might be driving into with your rental car. I assume you will be seeing quite a few towns on your 6 night stay in Tuscany.