Hi
3 weeks in Italy
I’m leaving for Italy on June 25. I plan to spend a few days in Rome and then take the train to Cinque Terre. Then, I plan to take the train to Florence and Sienna, Montalcino, Assisi, Loreto, Mary’s house, Abruzzo, and Padre Pio in San Giovanni. I need some advice on the best way to travel, whether by renting a car or taking the train.
I change arrival date to mid-September plus.
Though the train is a decent form of transport, it is not that seemless and can involve a fair bit of waiting.
We much prefer our own rental car and explore out of the way places, but I would only rent lodging that allows parking (filter on AirBnB), and in the larger cities leave the car there and use local transportation.
Parking in Italy is terrible.
Many tourist get expensive tickets driving in Italy.
Many cities and towns have restrictions on auto travel and tourist drive into these areas and get tickets.
Also, gas is $7 a gallon.
You need to spend some time with Google maps and Trenitalia site or even Rome2Rio (as a starting point) to see which transportation methods are best
Montalcino for example has no train access
Some of your destinations are quite far flung so you’ll need to work out best routes
If you drive you will need to do some reading up on drivng in italy
All drivers must have an IDP-International Driving Permit
