First Trip To Italy (Rome,Venice, Florence,Tuscany, 13days)

Ross, it would help if you filled in some details about what kind of things you want to see and do. But, here goes: If possible fly "open jaw" so that you arrive in one place and leave from another. One itinerary could be arrive in Venice and spend 3 days there. Use trains to move onto Florence where I'd suggest another 3 days. Use rail travel again to go to Rome where you could easily use up the rest of your vacation, especially if you make day trips outside the city. Depending where you want to go outside those three cities, you could rent a car in Florence or Rome (or use trains) to explore smaller towns, stay in an agriturismo facility, etc. I'm comfortable travelling in Europe by rail and/or car, but the rail service in Italy is so extensive that you can probably do everything you want by rail. Plus, driving in many of the old Italian towns and cities is difficult because there's so little available parking. If you do decide to drive, just Google the many car rental companies and make your arrangement via the internet. We've had good luck with Sixt, EuropeCar, Budget, etc. Manuel transmissions are their standard. You'll likely get a choice of diesel or gas, and size of car. If you haven't skimmed through some basic guidebooks, I'd suggest that as a way to get ideas on itineraries.

We are going in May as well. We are only renting a car in Tuscany because we are staying at an agritourismo. Otherwise in the cities and towns I think it would probably be pretty hectic driving there. From what I've been reading abiding by traffic rules is merely a suggestion over there.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will consider the "open jaw". Maybe we would fly into Rome and return via Milan?

Ross, abiding by traffic rules is more than a suggestion, especially in towns that have restricted zones. You may get a traffic ticket a couple of months after you return home. As for itinerary, is this your first trip to Italy? Are there specific must-sees for you and your wife? Do you like to spend lots of time traveling between cities, or do you prefer to stay in a limited geographic area and explore that more thoroughly? Art, food, wine, music? Mountains, lakes, beaches? Periods of history?

abiding by traffic rules is merely a suggestion over there Not exactly. The previously mentioned dreaded ZTLs don't take any prisoners. While many locals, particularly as you go south, have "interesting" driving styles, as Ron in Rome's webpages clearly demonstrate, there are unwritten rules which are followed. Also, there are a variety of police forces in Italy and they do run stops of cars. A rental car not obeying laws might well attract their attention.

Ross, deciding which airports to use is partly a matter of what flights are available and their costs, and partly a factor of where you want to visit. On our first trip to Italy many years ago, my husband and I flew in and out of Rome because we didn't realize it was possible to get reasonable prices with one-way or "open jaw" tickets. Because of that, we wasted time and money returning to Rome for our flight back to the US. On subsequent trips we've often flown "open jaw" because we could arrange a more efficient itinerary by doing that. On a trip last year we were able to fly direct Phila. to Venice and it was a real pleasure. Typical of most direct flights from the US, we arrived in the morning, i.e., before check-in time at most hotels or B&B's, but we had advised our hotel of our early arrival and asked if we could leave our luggage with them until check-in. They actually had a room ready for us so we could quickly freshen up and unpack a bit before we started our day in Venice. Great start!

And just to clarify, "open jaw" does not mean purchasing two one-way tickets. It means ing what's usually called "Multi-City" on the websites so you fly into one city but fly out of another on your return. It's definitely the way to go. Ross, do you have the RS Italy book for 2012? It's definitely the place you would want to start. It will help you match your itinerary to your particular interests, as opposed to scattershot recommendations here on the board from people who could well have different interests. For example, I love early Christian mosaics, and once built an itinerary around seeing those. But that would hardly work for most people. If you do decide to rent a car, you will probably only want it for the Tuscany piece. Happpy travels.

You didn't ask but you're looking at about 3 days per city/area if you divide it evenly, that's lot of traveling, not "seeing" (except from a train). Your choice. Car-I like Hertz, probably go with whoever is cheaper and make sure your car insurance will cover you and for what. Make sure you have a credit card not debit card, because they'll either put a hold on funds or refuse it outright. I would just rent for Tuscany also, the 3 cities have great transport systems (or your own 2 feet) and it's easy to train between cities.

Ross, I'd suggest using open-jaw flights, starting in Venice and leaving from Rome. As this is your first trip to Italy, that order will provide a more "gentle" introduction to the culture, which becomes more intense as one ventures south. Travel Venice > Florence > Tuscany (Siena?) > Rome (with only 13 days you won't have a lot of time to spend in any of the locations). You'll lose the first and last days in travel times. The public transit in Italy is excellent, so IMO it's better to use rental cars "strategically" (especially for such a short time frame). Whether to use rentals will depend largely on where you want to visit. If you're planning to visit hill towns not well served by public transit, then a rental makes sense. As the others mentioned, you'll need to be careful to avoid the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas, which are especially prevalent in Florence but present in other towns as well. EACH pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket, which you'll receive in the mail several months after you return home. EACH driver will also require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. Failure to produce an IDP if requested may result in fines ON THE SPOT! There are also some caveats to mention regarding public transit. Some trains require tickets to be validated (time & date stamp), which is done by placing the ticket in the yellow box on the station platform. Those with unvalidated tickets can be fined ON THE SPOT (I witnessed some being fined when I was in Italy in September). I would highly recommend buying a copy of the Italy Guidebook, as it's an excellent resource and can save travellers from some of the "pitfalls". Happy travels!

Tuscany is the only place you may want a car and then only outside of Florence. Take a look at the DK Eyewitness "Back Roads Tuscany" for suggested itineraries.

Part of our travels last Oct. included the cities you have mentioned plus Tuscany. I would suggest flying into Venice, spend 3 days there. Then train to Florence for 3 days. Take an early morning taxi to the Florence airport and rent from Hertz as we did. The counter is outside the airport and the taxi will drop you off right in front of it. This avoids Florence city traffic, etc. A little over half an hour to the airport. It is than easy access to the roads to go to Siena for example. We went to Cortona and then Orvieto (Umbria) for an easy rental car drop off very close to the the train station for the train into Rome. I would recommend a GPS. It was invaluable. I believe we would have had problems getting around Tuscany without one. Route numbers are absent from many roads and with the short period of time you have, wondering around Tuscany should not be done on this trip. Otherwise the driving in Tuscany was no problem at all. Worked well for us. Have a great time.

I would suggest flying into Venice if possible (Milan would be another option and train to Venice), train to Florence and train to Rome, fly out of Rome give each location about 4 nights I would rent a car for the day from Florence and do a day trip checkout www.autoeurope.com for car rentals no need to go to the airport for rental car, you can get rental on outer Florence and avoid traffic zones
you really don't need or want a car for Venice, Florence or Rome

When you go to Venice, be sure to wander away from the crowded parts. That's where a huge amount of the charm of Venice can be found. And it's very easy to do. Here are some pictures of uncrowded Venice from our trip there in May of 2011. Most were taken in the Cannaregio district of Venice.