Leaving Car in Orvieto

Four days in any open place makes it a target. Drive it into Rome and stick it in a parking garage (expensive) or turn it in and get another one after (also expensive). Optionally, find a hotel in Rome that has free parking. Eurostar Roma Congress does, with a shuttle back and forth to Termini.

Our car is a lease - so turning it in is not an option, nor is another hotel as we have already paid for an apartment with no parking; therefore, I'm looking for advice for those who have left their car in Orvieto and travelled into Rome for a few days. Any more advice?

Emily:
I have no experience parking in Orvieto for more than one night. There is a rather large carpark at Campo della Fiera for 5 euros per day, I think. There is surveillance. Alternately, you may consider parking in Rome. Ron in Rome has a terrfic guide here http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/parking-in-rome that might allow you to keep the car closer to you. Just some ideas and resources.

We parked our rental car, with German plates, in the lower parking lot of the train station. It was a bit tricky to find. The lot is not where you would catch the train. It is a large lot below the station. You then take an escalator up to the train station. We, like yourself, were spending four nights in Rome. We put any extra maps and tour books in the covered hatch area of the car and put Italian newspapers and magazines on the seats. We made the car look like we were going to come back to it. We had our jackets on the seats, etc. It was a well lit parking lot and I believe it has security. We had no issues when we returned four days later. If necessary, I would do it again rather than driving into the city of Rome with taxis, scooters and crazy Italian drivers dodging you. Have fun on your trip.

I have to say that the last thing I would do is leave jackets or coats on the seats. That seems to be inviting someone to break the window and check if there is any money or valuables in the pockets. My advice would be to leave nothing of potentail value on display. Most thieves are after cash, or things which can be quickly and anonymously converted into cash. I have never been convinced by the maps and local newspaper suggestion, and my car has been broken into in the city in which it was registered. That was in mid-afternoon outside a staffed office block in the centre of town. The car was parked on the road.

Yet another reason to travel by train and bus in Italy. :-)