Is there a best company to use to find one way rentals for a family of 4 from Cinque Terre to Rome? Seems the variables are endless when trying to book online and you have no way of knowing if a "drop off" location is a nightmare to get to or not. For example, is it a bad idea to try to drop a car off at the termini station in Rome? Or such a hassle that it would be better to drop it in a different nearby town and take the train in instead? Any advice welcome! Is one way too much of a hassle?
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
One way is not a hassle. We have used Gemut.com with great success. Andy will give you personalized service and in our experience, has always beat the rates we were quoted going direct to AutoEurope or Hertz. Their PDF on renting cars in Europe was invaluable to us on our first trip. Be sure to download and read it.
You can drop your car off at Termini or one of the neighborhood locations in Rome close to public transportation. PM me with where you are staying and I'll give you some options.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
First of all there are no car rentals at the Cinque Terre. You need to go to La Spezia by train and rent from there. Secondly I'm not sure if a rental car is really needed if you intend just to go to Rome. There are plenty of trains that can take you from the Cinque Terre to Rome in less time than a car and for not much more money. The train time from Monterosso to Rome is about 4.5 hours (with change in La Spezia) which is less than a drive especially considering the time waste of getting to the rental car company and doing the paperwork. The cost of the train ticket is about 45€ per person (full price). €180 might seem much, but it's not much more than a car, and if you pre-purchase online you get a discount too. The rental car for a day will be close to €60 with the mandatory insurance. Then you need to add €50 for fuel, €25 for tolls (if you take the coastal route), €30 for train+taxi to the rental place in La Spezia. In the end the cost is not that much less, and the driver will also have stress. I would drive rental only if you intend to roam around Tuscany for a few days on the way to Rome. But just to get to Rome? The train is the answer, hands down.