I am going on a 9 nights Italy trip with a family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids(3 & 5 yr olds). The timeline is the first week of September. We are flying in Milan and Fly out from Florence. Going from USA.
What should choose for our transportation?
We want to go Milan to Lake Garda. Lake Garda to Pienza, Pienza to Florence.
Please help.
Bushrat
Hi,
For future reference, I don't know when you decided to go on the trip, but you are a bit late to get the best car rental or train ticket deals. But that won't have any impact on the logistics aspect.
For Lake Garda and Pienza, and for a party of 4 with kids, a car is helpful, especially if you want to make any daytrips. I assume you're not staying in Milan so I'd rent a car at Milan Airport (beware there are two, I'm assuming you land at Malpensa Airport, but please check) and drop off at Florence airport before staying in Florence (if you stay in Florence at all).
However car rentals in Italy come with a big warning: "ZTL". These are traffic-restricted areas in dozens of cities and towns, small and large, around the country: you get fined if you enter them without authorization, and there are just cameras, there's nobody and nothing to stop you. So research this carefully for any town you plan to visit. I believe Pienza has its own ZTL.
My two cents, based on your other thread, is that since you intend to only have two lodging bases, you can do all this by train, or bus if needed. If you have a special thing you want to see one day, there's no reason not to rent a car just for the day to simplify matters (assuming you will bring or rent car seats). Trains are easier for everyone, tired parents and active little boys both.
BTW, the arrival airport will definitely be Malpensa, as Linate is still closed for renovation.
Edit: since most of the train travel will be on regional Trenord trains without advance purchase discounts, you haven't missed much in terms of cost savings opportunities. Trenitalia is easy to use to look up train connections.
However, Pienza doesn't have its own train station - you get off in Chiusi/Chianciano Terme and take a bus connection. That might be an opportunity for a car day if you prefer. The bus won't be hard to find outside the station, but with 2 wriggly kids and luggage, it's an extra step.
Pienza is tiny and I wouldn't want to stay there without a car. I suggest renting a car as you leave Milan and returning it upon arrival in Florence. It also simplifies the children's travel.
Rent a car.
You won’t be sorry if you do. You will be sorry if you don’t. A car at lake Garda is useful, a car in Pienza is a necessity.
Check with:
www.autoeurope.com, or their sister company www.kemwel.com (the two merged years ago).check both as prices and availability vary between the two.
The only decision to make is where to pick up the car.
Option 1:
pick up at Malpensa airport. This option is convenient, however driving from here to Lake Garda is a 3 hour driving project (mostly on a freeway, including the busy Milan beltway, which can be a parking lot at commute time).
Some people are not prepared to drive that length of time after a long overnight flight while jet lagged. I will leave that decision to you.
Option 1A:
pick up at the airport, but spend the first day near the airport, then start the drive fresh the next morning.
Option 2:
take the train to Verona (near Lake Garda) from the airport station (change at Milano Centrale). Get to Verona in the afternoon, find a hotel, visit Verona for a few hours, then the next morn rent a car from an office near the Verona station then drive to nearby Lake Garda.
The car return location is in Florence on the day of arrival to Florence (a car is not needed while in Florence).
