cinque terre to rome: car or train?

Hi Beth -
We are just back from Italy and we started in Milan, drove to La Spezia and left our car there for three days. There is a pay lot close enough to the train station. Then train to Monterroso, fantastic time there! Back to get the car, spent two nights in the countryside and then dropped our car off in Orvieto on our way to Rome because we didn't want to deal with a car in Rome. We dropped our car off in Orvieto and took the train into Rome from there. Very easy, one hour. Really need a car in Tuscany and on the way to Orvieto enjoyed visiting Montepulciano and a few other places. Check the car rental operating hours, we had to wait for them to open after a mid day break, but all in all it worked great and the trains were great. The A1 was fine, driving a pleasure, much easier than we expected and we did use a GPS. Have a great time!

We found no reason to have a car in CT. You'd be paying rental fees with little or no benefit. The train from Pisa to CT was easy. Tuscany and Umbria are good to drive in. I would never drive in Rome and I learned to drive in the city of San Francisco in a stick shift. FYI - our favorite restaurant in Umbria was Ristorante L'Ulivo, Matigge di Triev, Via Monte Bianco 23. Web site www.borgoulivo.it.

I would avoid a drop off in Rome if you are new to driving in Italy. The rest of Italy is fine but driving in Rme is problematic to say the least. Although I have never done the drop off in Orvietto it is a good idea. If your hotel can store your car for you that is a good way to go. It is likely quite safe in their lot - my hotel's parking lot in CT was a garage. The drive from CT through Pisa to Rome is easy - I have done it before and it is a nice ride. You can stop and see some nice towns along the way. Traffic in CT is not an issue since you drive to and from the CT not within the towns. Get some good maps and a GPS and yu are all set.

Just came back from Italy yesterday. We rented a car in Venice and drove over to CT, left the car in the parking lot for a couple of days, and then drove from CT into Rome, exploring Tuscany on the way down. To be honest, in hindsight, many people on this site suggested NOT bothering with a car and just doing the journey by train. I was determined that I wanted a car to explore from Venice to CT and then through Tuscany on the way to Rome. For our next trip, I'll follow the advice of the folks on this site and not bother with the car. We paid for the rental while it sat idle in the Vernazza parking lot for a couple of days. I worried a little bit about damage or break-ins while it was in the lot (nothing happened) but the drive into Rome was very stressful. I'll take New York or LA drivers anytime compared with the traffic, scooters, construction, taxis, etc. that we encountered on our way to Termini to drop off the car. Then it was difficult to find the rental agency in order to give back the keys. In my opinion, it just isn't worth the hassle - the train system is outstanding, easy and very frequent. That's my opinion.

Scott had you looked at returning the car elsewhere? I once returned a car to the airport and the traffic issue was not stressful going to the airport - the pseudo stressul part there was the taxis were on strike when I got there - so I took the express train into the city. But it sounds like the rest of the drive was fine.

If you are not planning on stopping along the way from the CT to Rome, take the train. Much less hassles not having to deal with traffic or parking. And why pay for car rental when you are not going to use it.

Beth, if you're planning on visiting locations in Umbria and Tuscany that are a bit "off the beaten track" (ie: not served by Rail or Bus), then a car rental is warranted. However, if you can reach the places you want to visit via Rail or Bus, I wouldn't bother with car rental (Rail or Bus travel requires more careful planning though). I tend to use car rentals "strategically" to get to specific locations, but normally try to avoid them. Keep in mind you'll need an I.D.P. to drive in Italy, maximum CDW would be a really good idea, keep change on hand for tolls and do some research so that you have some idea where the dreaded "Zona Traffico Limitato" areas are located (otherwise you might get a nasty surprise in the mail a month or two after you return home).

If you do need a car, I'd suggest using your "Plan A" and drop it off in La Spezia. Take the local C.T. train to Monterosso al Mare (I assume that's where you'll be staying?). At departure time, take the C.T. train to La Spezia and board the ES (fast) train direct to Rome (be sure to choose the one with no changes - the trip is about four hours). It will take you direct to Roma Termini, a very easy trip.

Note that you will require reservations for the ES train to Rome. As I recall, the rail station in Monterosso is a "full service" office which means they will be able to provide the necessary tickets and reservations.

If you're only going to be in the C.T. for a few days, I really doubt that you'll need a car, so why pay for one. You'll have lots to do between hiking the trails and exploring the villages, enjoying the great food and just relaxing!

Happy travels!