Need help in transportation from Rome-Tuscany-Amalfi-and back to Rome.

When we arrive in Roma the first day we go into the city to our hotel and take a nap. We do not sleep well on the plane and I would not want to drive shortly after arriving. However, that is a choice you must make. The next day we pick-up the car at Stazione Termini and drive to the next place. If you are squeamish about driving out of Roma you could take the 75 minute train north to Orvieto and take the car there. You could drop-off the car in Orvieto, as well. From there you could take a train to Salerno and cab or bus to Amalfi. These are only suggestions and maybe you could drop-off the car in Arezzo and then head south. We always rent from autoeurope.com. They are brokers and work with the big companies. Europcar is my second choice. Buon viaggio,

Thanks! We'll check in to getting the rental car in Orvieto. My friend says she doesn't mind driving around Rome, so would you suggest picking up and dropping car off in Rome or do you think it'd be better to go with Orvieto?
I've also read on forums that it's best to bring your own GPS instead of renting one through the car rental place and relying on it. Any idea on prices on the Italy chip? Thanks for any help!

"My friend says she doesn't mind driving around Rome;" I hope she means driving around the outskirts of Rome on the GRA (the ring road)! Rome can be challenging to drive "in." Since you plan on getting to Volterra on Day 1, I'd just rent from the airport at FCO. It' s all 4-lane highway leaving the airport and "around" Rome. By the time you ride the train in from the airport, then change to a train to Orvieto or Chiusi, then pick up your car in Orvieto or Chiusi... you could be well on your way up SS2 or SS1 - depending on your chosen route. As far as drop-off, again to avoid the larger cities, you might consider dropping the car at Orvieto or Chiusi and riding the trains south from there. You'll probably be more acclimated by then. (Don't forget to get your International Driving Permit before leaving the US). Cars in Italy with GPS units often require you to return them to where you rented - so no one-way journeys like this one. That's because many of these vendors are franchises and they want to "keep" their higher earning vehicles. So you'll probably have to bring a GPS if you plan on dropping your car off in another town. Not sure of your brand of GPS but you can buy the European maps at their home-site, or I bought an SD card years ago on eBay and saved a lot of money. I still use that GPS today (although the maps are a little outdated). The Amalfi is great fun to drive - but again, depending on the time of year it can be very crowded and quite challenging. I think training south may be the best option. Driving in Tuscany is fun, and although we love to "drive the Amalfi" on our motorino or in a car, I'm not sure driving there is for everyone.

Grazie, Ron! It does sound reasonable to just pick up rental in Rome. We were not planning on driving in Amalfi although a car would be nice. We're not used to public transportation, but we're in to experiencing this new culture and that's part of it. Any suggestion on which train to take out of Chiusu or Orvieto to get to Amalfi (town)? The whole train system is very confusing- wondering about trying to get the mini fare. Thanks again!

Susan, As you're "novices", I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip, as it provides a LOT of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. The country-specific Guidebooks have good information on hotels, restaurants, sightseeing and transportation. As this appears to be your first time driving in Italy, there are a few "caveats to be aware of: As Ron mentioned, it's important to note that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any CAA/AAA office. Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information on driving in Italy. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! In some locations, parking tickets or having "The Boot" applied will also be a concern. A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Happy travels!

Susan, We are soon doing a trip that overlaps a lot of the territory you're planning to cover. Here are the conclusions I've come to on some of the transportation questions. We're picking up our car at FCO and driving to Tuscany. An airport pickup is more expensive; but our time and energy are valuable, too. It doesn't make sense to me to make this part more complicated. As another poster said, it's not the outskirts of Rome, but the city center, that would give you trouble. Our next destination is Sorrento. Getting from Tuscany to the Amalfi Coast is not easy. After examining all the permutations and combinations of bus, train, car, and air we've decided that the best combination of economy and simplicity is to drive to the Naples Airport, drop the car, and take a bus to Sorrento. (This is happening on a Saturday, so we can't drop the car in S.) We decided that driving to a town where we could drop the car, getting to the train station while avoiding ztl's, and getting to Sorrento from Naples was too complicated. viamichelin.com (similar to mapquest) is a good resource for figuring out where you want to drop your car. In addition to routes, it gives driving times - - add a bit- - and estimated costs for fuel and tolls.
I hope this helps. Pm me if you have more questions.

Grazie Ken and Rosalyn! Ken, we have read Europe Through the Backdoor, but I'll need to go back to some of the pertinent sections again. Both drivers do have our IDL so we're set there-thanks! Rosalyn, thanks for your insight since we have similar itineraries. We had thought to avoid Naples, but I'd really love to see the Archaeological Museum so that may be a good drop off point for us as well. We probably should have chosen a place in Sorrento as easier transportation access, but . . . we didn't. It looks like there is a non-regional train that goes to Salerno that I've wondered about taking, but the bus sounds like a good option. Thanks for the helpful info, guys!