Car versus train

There are several trains daily from Pisa to the CT. you will most likely change trains in La Spezia for travel on to the CT. Training to Orvieto and dropping in Pisa would be a good choice. you'll miss the hassle of Rome, have the car for the countryside and then be done with it when you don't need it anymore on the CT and Venice.

Same thing with the trip to Venice from the CT the train is fairly easy and while it takes some time it is the most convenient.

on the trenitalia site.

AFter you have entered your departure and arrival cities and the date and time, you will get to a screen that has different train options. Selct one by using the "radio button" on the right. then click on the detaggli bar or detail in English on the bottom of the screen and the full details will pop up.

You don't need to purchase the tickets before you get to Italy but this will give you the times etc.

If you are trying to look out more than 60 days, not all the trians will show. Just pick the same day of the week closer to todays date and the times will be close.

Heidi, my advise would be to take the train from Roma Termini to Orvieto and pick up your car there. After your stay in San Gimignano, drive to Pisa and turn in the car. From Pisa, train to La Spezia where you take the milk run train to the CT. Upon leaving the CT, there are several options for trains to Venice. Don't use the Trenatalia site; get on the Deutsch Bahn website. Click on the Favorite Links tab at the top of this page; DB Bahn is listed under Transportation.

In general, having a car in many areas of Italy is a major hassle, especially the cities; Tuscany is the only place on your itinerary that a car makes sense. The trains are very easy to ride, cheaper and much less stressful. There is a wealth of information on RS's website about how to do it. Don't worry about buying tickets here in advance or buying a railpass. Just buy point to point tickets at the station before boarding, sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Heidi, it is sooo American to head for the rental car. We're so used to it over the train. However, you are not yet exposed to the enormity of the Italian train system. Having a rental car from Orvieto to Tuscany is just fine. But the train is better for the remainder of your journey. As a side note, except for rare exceptions, tourist cars are not permitted in any of the 5 CT towns.

First, San Gimignano does not have a train station. You need to go to nearby Poggibonsi or to Siena to pick up the train. Or, you can drive to Pisa as planned. Just be sure to avoid the ZTLs in Pisa (restricted traffic zones). CLICK HERE to see the train runs from Poggibonsi to Vernazza. Trains run about once an hour.

From the CT to Venice, you can do this in under 6.0hours. The fastest run of the day is the 7:52am train from La Spezia Centrale. This run takes 5.5hrs. and has one train change to a Eurostar in Bologna. You can pick up this train in Monterosso at 7:35am. Fare is 37.85Euro for this train run.

Yes, Larry, you are correct that it is so American to head to the rental car. That is what I always do when I travel in the US. I like that sense of independence and being able to go where I want when I want. Although I wanted the experience of riding the trains in Italy, I thought I would be so far out of my comfort zone relying on the public transportation system...it would just be too hard to coordinate. So, I was just going to park the car when I didn't need it, as in the CT, but your comments make me see that this is not necessary and that navigating public transportation is possible. After I saw the first two postings in response to my questions, I did call the Deutsche Bahn 1-800 number and they gave me pricing on the fares. They were significantly higher than the Trenitalia site. The fees on the Trenitalia site were comparable to those posted on RS's train fare site. Thank you very much for your comments. I will follow your recommendations and only keep the car while I am in Tuscany.

Can you share the name of the car rental agency? Your quoted price is better than what I have found. Thanks

The car rental company is Auto Europe at autoeurope.com. Hope you find a great rate!

Heidi,

Given the short duration of your trip and the potential "issues" with ZTL tickets, tolls, Insurance, etc. my suggestion would be to use the trains. With good planning this will be the easier option and more importantly will be much faster. As you've only got 14 days, minimizing travel times is important!

Note that you'll require an International Driver's Permit to drive in Italy. You can be nicked with a fine on the spot for failing to produce one! The I.D.P. is only abou $20, so not a big deal but you should be aware of this.

You might want to download the free PDF Rail Guide from this website. Much of this information is also included in the "Rail Skills" chapter in Europe Through The Back Door. These will give you lots of information on travel via train. As you've only got a few rail journeys, buying P-P tickets in Italy would probably be your best bet (as opposed to using a Rail Pass). Note that on some trains, reservations are compulsory. These will be included in the cost of your tickets, and you'll have to note the Train No., Car No. and Seat No. when you board.

One other point on reservations, is that on some trains these are compulsory. If you don't have a reservation on a train where this is required, you'll be fined on the spot (I know, as I've had that happen).

I normally research all my rail trips using either bahn.de or trenitalia.it to determine the departure time of trains I want to use, whether these require reservations and where/how many changes there will be. I prefer direct trains but some I've taken have had as many as 5 changes!

Be sure you're up to speed on "changes" as there's often only a few minutes to get off one train, down through the "sottopassagio" and then find your next train.

You didn't specify where you'd be staying "to Tuscany near San Gimignano for 4 nights" so I wasn't sure what to recommend for transportation there?

Happy travels!

Ken, your comments are very helpful. We will be staying at an agritourismo called Le Tre Stelle while we are in San Gimignano. It was not an RS recommendation but it looked and sounded wonderful on the website www.letrestelle.com. We were going to use this as our base to tour the Tuscany region. If anyone else has any suggestions, please comment.

Heidi,

Thanks for the clarification. If my Italian is correct, your Agriturismo is "The Three Stars". It looks great!

Given the fact that you're going to be staying in the countryside outside of San Gimignano, that would fit my criteria for a rental car. Not only would it be easier to reach the Agriturismo, but it would provide a means to take some day trips in the surrounding area during the four days you'll be there. I'm assuming the Agriturismo won't be providing any transportation for you?

Given the places you'll be visiting, the method I'd probably use would be to arrange to pick up the car in Orvieto and return in La Spezia (both are smaller towns which hopefully will be a bit easier to navigate). From La Spezia it will be VERY easy to connect to the train to whichever of the 5 villages you'll be staying in. If the rental firm doesn't provide transport to the station, take a Taxi.

A GPS along with a Michelin Map would be a really good idea. Try to plan your routing so you don't travel through any larger towns, and hopefully you'll be able to avoid the dreaded Z.T.L. areas.

You can obtain the I.D.P. (mentioned in earlier post) at any AAA office. A Passport photo will be required. Note that you'll also need your regular D.L. - the I.D.P. just provides a translation of the terms of your license.

If possible you might want to have a look at Europe Through The Back Door, as there are lots of tips on rental car insurance (budget for the full CDW!), tolls, fuel, etc. Check www.initaly.com/travel/lomax.htm and/or www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/index.htm for some helpful tips.

Note that you can't drive inside the walls of San Gimignano AFAIK. The Italy Guidebook has information on parking lots outside the walls.

Cheers!

I am able to pick up the car in Orvieto, so based on the recommendation to return in La Spezia, I checked to see if this was possible. I am able to do so but it is a drop box return because the car rental company is closed on Sunday. Does anyone have experience in doing this (using drop box) or do you recommend returning to a location where there is an attendant (ie, Pisa)?

We just returned last night after driving for 10 days in Italy, visiting the Amalfi coast, Rome and Tuscany. We loved having a car, not having to lug luggage around. We have done this 6 times in the past, always glad to have the flexibility of a car, because plans change. We parked our cars in city run P garages, or even on the street after checking with our hotel, and then took a small bag with a days clothes and our valuables with us into town. Parking in Rome for 2 days: $44, about the same as any big city. Secure your big luggage under the tarp in the rear the car and leave no evidence in the car that you are a tourist. Read the websites that show you the difference between blue and white parking and don't drive into the limited traffic zones until your hotel gives you a pass to do ao. And you will enjoy Tuscany with a car, the hill towns are wonderful in the early moring and late at night. The tour busses really overrun these small towns in the middle of the day, a good time for a nap. Just email each of your hotels you are staying at, tell them you have a car, and they will tell you what to do with it while you are there. If you are going home from Venice, there are numerous rental car return places right outside the city, return your car there. There are express busses from the city to the airport. I plan my trips, but always make changes once we get there based upon what we find once there. I make sure I have my email set up so that I can access all of my reserved hotels to change reservations as necessary or desireable. We also left Rome at 8 am (twice)once headed for Naples, once headed for Tuscany. It was fine with the help of the Garmin GPS we bought on Amazon for $139. We are from a high traffic area, so we are used to the agressive drivers that you will find in Italy. The GPS was a lifesaver, also warning of every speed camera along the way. We loved Orvieto, I am eating some cheese we bought there now! Have a wonderful trip! Nancy

As long as it's possible to get to your destinations by train, I would pick a train for traveling with two.

We drove, but we were five and it was cheaper.

Not being a brave driver in Italia, I usually take the train out of the city, and rent a car along the way, tho you will have to check, b/c many smaller towns will not have rental facilities - or will have iffy ones! Geting to the CT by train is easier than by car - and if the day is sunny, the bright glimpses of the sea before plunging back into the dark tunnels can be a treasured memory! You will have to change trains, maybe more than once, to get from the CT to Venice, but I've not done that so don't know details. If you need a hotel in the S. Gimignano region, let me know - I have a suggestion.

I was nervous about the same things when traveling throughout Italy with my husband for 16 days.
Here's what we did...I wrote down the train departure times from each town to the next in a small notebook I kept in my purse. So, before you leave, visit the website and write down the options for Rome to Orvieto, Orvieto to San Gim., etc. We did not book train tickets before we left, but instead purchased them all at the train stations before our departures. It was so easy and train travel was safe and convenient. Having those train times (I wrote down the list of times of departing trains for the entire morning or afternoon, so we could have a choice) was very handy because we did not have to consult a computer or hang around at the stations. We're headed back in August and I plan to do the same thing!

Heidi,

Like Andrea I don't make reservations.

I travel with a flexible itinerary. I have a good idea where, when and what - but like to leave flexibility for an extra day here or leaving sooner there (and maybe a side trip to somewhere we discover along the way).

The cost (or one cost) of traveling this way means I don't take advantage of discounts for booking trains well in advance.

When I arrive in a town by train, I check the schedule to my next destination before I leave the train station. I write it in my tiny spiral notepad. When I'm getting ready to go (maybe the evening prior), I refer to my notes to decide which train is the best to catch so I can arrive at the station with enough time to buy tickets and board (rather than showing up at the station and waiting).

I travel outside of high season and haven't yet experienced a full train.

Hi Heidi
We're neighbors LOL. We just got back from Italy on Saturday. You are getting great advice here about combining train travel and car rental. You can catch a 9:05 regionale train from Termini to Orvieto for 7,10 euro each. That will get you into Orvieto mid morning with plenty of time for sight seeing and a nice lunch. When you get off of the funiculare to the immediate right of the funiculare station there's a tourist office with free English maps. Your funiculare ticket is good for a free ride on the busses that go to the top of the city. Where will you be staying in Rome and Orvieto?You can pick up your car in Orvieto and then be off to your agritourismo. Since you're travelling with a teen aged girl you may want to plan a stop in Montepulciano which is where the Twilight sequel is being filmed.