Hi! My husband and I are visiting Rome the first week in March. I am trying to plan a side trip to Larino to visit the town where my great grandmother lived. We were wondering advice on whether to rent a car and drive or take the train. If we rent a car, where is the best and easiest place to rent from in Rome. We would like to avoid driving in Rome as much as possible. If you think the train would be best, how do we get tickets? We were planning on leaving on a Friday and returning to Rome the following evening. Any thoughts or suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Toronto area, Canada
174 posts
If you want to avoid driving in Rome, the easiest place to rent a car there is at the airport. Take the rapid train from Rome to the airport, pick up and return the rental car there. It might cost a little more, but you will avoid the stress and hassle of driving in Rome.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
Tiburtina station. It's near the freeway entrance you need to take (A24 to Pescara). No need to go to the airport. You'll have to pay more for the rental, plus the fare to the airport €48. The airport is located on the opposite side of where you need to go. The airport is west of Rome, you need to go east. That means you would need to loop around Rome on the GRA which is often a traffic mess.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for your reply. I look into renting from Tiburtina but the hours don't work with what we need(They close early on Saturday). Any thoughts on renting from Termini? I know there will be an extra charge but would getting to A24 be difficult? Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
Just as easy. Take via Cavour, left on via Farini then proceed straight all the way to Piazza di Porta Maggiore. It's a big roundabout and you'll see an ancient double arch city gate with the Aurelian walls and several arches in the walls. Go around the piazza (you'll pass under the arches of the Aurelian walls) and exit the roundabout to the street that goes under the railway underpass. Proceed straight under the rail and follow green directions to the GRA or Autostrade. Then same path as I posted earlier. Always follow the green signs pointing to either Autostrade or the Grand Ring Autobeltway (GRA=Grande Raccordo Anulare). Eventually you will be on the A24 to L'Aquila and Pescara. You will be going to Pescara.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Roberto thank you so much for you great directions!
Posted by
Toronto area, Canada
174 posts
Roberto has some great points. My suggestion only has merit if you want to completely avoid driving in Rome. We once drove to Rome in a rental car and dropped it off at the airport just for that reason -- because we had a major ordeal just a year or so before that driving in Paris with a rental car.