Italy Itinerary Help

We did similar trip but in reverse. We went from Milan to Genoa the on to Cinque Terra then on to Pisa where we picked up a car. We made Siena our home base, then drove to different hill towns every day. We had plenty of opportunity to drink wine in most of the hill towns. The wine shops will even uncork the wine for you so you can picnic( we bought food in little deli's) and sat on walls and benches all over tuscany. We then drove to Florence and returned the car. Florence is no town you want to drive in. The motor scooter rules, and they don't stop for man nor beast. Then we took the train to Rome. It was a great trip. I don't think there is any difference between Hertz or Avis. We used Avis on our last trip and was pretty happy with them. I reserved the car from home and everything went off without a hitch.
We just returned from our 2nd trip to Italy and went to Pompeii and was totally blown away with it. You are traveling in the perfect time of year for your trip. Just follow Rick's instructions on how to take the little train from Naples to the Amalfi coast and you will be so surprised how easy it is to get around. The Eurostar out of Naples will have you back in Rome in a flash. I have one piece of advise that I wish I had followed. Pack very light.

Grazie for your advise. A couple of questions...Did you use GPS to navigate in Tuscany or is a good road map enough? We will stay at Villa Dievole and visit a few Hill Towns Siena, San G and any others that you think should not be missed. We will only use the car for 2 days. Shall we return it to Florence where we pick it up & then take a train to Spezia (Cinque Terre)??/ Or drop the car off in Spezia and save a bit of time?
Thanks for the help in the itinerary, etc

Hi Mari,
I see no reason to go back to Florence again, just bring the car back to Spezia, but you have to make sure they have a car rental place there. Also be aware that some of the small towns take the siesta very seriously and close up between 1-6. The Avis place in Foggia closed at 12:30 so we really had to drive like crazy to get the car back. Avis did tell us this information, so that was nice of them.
As for towns to not miss, we loved Lucca and montepulcino and pienza and another town that is known for its alabaster( senior moment). Rick talks about all of towns in his book. We did not need a GPS system but got a good map. It is very easy to drive in Italy. Parking is another problem all together. Kathy

Grazie...will check into the car rental situation and follow your advise. Any other good tips, just let us know as I will be watching a few threads.

Mari, In Oct. 2007 we dropped off our Avis rental car in La Spezia enroute to the CT. The difficulties encountered due to our ignorance were not filling up the car before reaching La Spezia. The gas stations were all closed (around the noon hour) so we had to pay quite a large amount for Avis to refuel. Also the market was in progress and parking near the Avis office ( a travel agency that also closes for a long lunch) was a challenge. We then had to take a cab to the train station, So some research into locations of car rental offices, hours of business etc. will really pay off. Once we got on the train to CT our trip was hassle free. Volterra is the hilltop town with lots of alabaster for sale. We really enjoyed Volterra for a cuople of hours and could see San Gimignano from the walls surrounding the town. Enjoy your vacation.

We had an experience like Sherry's, although not as bad. Gas stations open around 1400ish, no market day, but Avis office hard to find, and it was closed until 1500. Then we made the wise decision to take a cab to the train station, thank goodness.

We got our car through Auto Europe, but picked it up in Rome from an Avis agency at Termini Station.

Beware that in Vernazza you'll need to park way uphill, and the shuttle bus quits at 1700 or 1800.

We took a train from CT to Venice, took about 6 hours.

Thanks. We would like to rent a car (still unsure which agency...but found Avis has a site in both towns) in Florence and return it in La Spezia and then use the trains for the rest of our travel. Going to CT, staying in Vernazza at Gianni Franzi for 3 nights and want to hike, relax and soak up the beauty. Then will need to take train to Venice. Which route is best? You said you made it in 6 hours...got any suggestions?

Mari,

To begin with given the details you listed, my preference would be to forget about Venice on this trip. If I read correctly your trip will be about 16 days, and with all the other stops and allowing for travel times, I don't think you'll have time for it. Rather than rushing about trying to squeeze Venice in, "assume you will return".

I assume your flight to Italy departs May 25 (you'll lose the first day)? It's a LONG flight from the west coast!

This is one option:

• Arrive Rome (3 nights) - train to Florence

• Florence (2 nights) - rent Car (try to rent on the outskirts, so that you don't risk the dreaded ZTL areas). Speak to a Travel Agent about reliable rental firms and/or check Rick's book.

• Siena and hill towns (2 nights) - I would return car to Florence, as there will be a greater variety of Petrol stations and hopefully less of the problems mentioned in other posts - train to La Spezia & local train to Vernazza

• Vernazza (3 nights) - train to Sorrento via Rome and Naples (you'll need the better part of a day for that, even with fast trains - La Spezia to Rome via direct train is about 4 hours - reservations compulsory!). You'll need to transfer to the Circumvesuviana at Naples.

• Sorrento (3 nights)

• Rome (1 night) - fly home

I'd recommend both a GPS and a good Map (Michelin) for driving in Italy. GPS from the rental firms is usually expensive, so bring one from home. However, BE SURE it's equipped with Euro Maps! The Garmin x70 series are good, and others here have used Tom Tom models.

Be sure to obtain an International Driver's Permit, as these are mandatory in Italy. These must be used in conjunction with your normal DL. The IDP includes a small chart with the Euro road signs. You can obtain these at any AAA office for about $10.

Also, make sure your budget allows for the full CDW, as the rental could become very costly with lesser insurance protection.

Happy travels!

Excellent suggestions, but my husband really wants to see Venice, too so will most likely spend 2 nights there, but leave for Sorrento area early in the morning.

I think getting the car on the outskirts of Florence, perhaps the airport area, is a good plan. But driving back to Florence may not be necessary as we both enjoy getting up early in the morning and and could save a lot of time by just driving straight to La Spezia from Villa Dievole, which is about 30 min from Siena.

Yes, May 25 we will actually be flying...but it is a night flight from Washington DC (We will spend a few hours looking at monuments and get massages there as we have a 12 hour layover) We plan to sleep on the plane and we arrive in Rome on May 26 at 9:30 AM)

Assuming a return would be great...but may not happen. It has been 30 years since I have been there. I actually lived in Europe for 6 months after I used up my 2 month Eurail pass, with my backpack and had $50 left in my pocket and had only a 1-way ticket ...I found a job and was a hairdresser in W. Berlin in 1978. All of this was when I was very young, single and without kids.

Anyway, I love to travel and hope that I do get to go back...but have several other world wonders that are also on my list to see.

My husband drove from Florence to Siena last May, so we took the opportunity to see towns and sights that you can't reach by train or bus. (So, I recommend that you save San Gimignano for a car-free trip.)

We drove down SR222, a lovely two lane road that passes through Greve and Panzano and Castellina. I believe it's named the Chiantigiana. There are so many delightful little stops and wineries that are not listed in your guidebooks. We spent the night at a stunning agriturismi called Fagiolari near Panzano. It was $100 Euro/night for a HUGE room with a large, luxurious private bath.

HERTZ: We had a smooth hassle-free experience with Hertz. Picked up car at the Florence airport.

VENICE: Our trip was 18 days(15 on the ground) and we just went to Florence, Siena, then a week in Montepulciano visiting hill towns and felt like we didn't have enough time! I don't know how you can fit Venice in without rushing yourselves.

I think you have the right strategy for Florence..