Hello everyone, I am seeking advice about the use of a rental car to visit Assisi and Civita di Bagnoregio from Orvieto. My plan was to take the train from Sorrento via Naples and rent the car in Orvieto. Alas, there only seems to be Hertz cars with manual transmissions. I never learned to drive a manual and have no intention of learning in Italy. Hertz suggests a phone call to perhaps have an automatic available, but if it would not actually be there it would blow up my touring plan. So is my best choice to rent the car at Naples Airport where there is far more selection and drive from and return there since that will be my departure airport? It seems unreasonable to rent at FCO only to have to drag bags to Termini and Naples for my return flight.
If it helps, we took the bus from Orvieto to Civita. It was easy, the Rick Steves Guidebook has the details.
I would rent in Sorrento and return at NAP
We are doing something similar this fall
See what AutoEurope.com has to offer
Make sure all drivers have an IDP
It was pretty easy to take the train from Orvieto to Perugia, and a bus from Perugia to Assisi (although we did not do this on the same day). Look into it and see if you could skip the worry and expense of a rental car (plus, in our experience, it takes more time to pick up and drop off a rental car in Italy than at home).
Thank you for advice, I appreciate everyone that took the time to respond with their perspective.
Where else are you going - after Orvieto- before return to Naples? Will you need/want the car then?
Keep in mind that trying to drive in Orvieto proper is likely to be a nightmare. That said, it's a terrific little city.
If you do end up driving to Orvieto, park below and take the escalator up to the old city.
On another trip I carefully parked outside the walls of Cortona albeit on a one way street. Google Maps led me through the crazy maze of narrow streets within the walls to leave town. I am done driving in Italian hills towns, believe me. They have lots outside of town for a reason! It worked fine in Montepulciano, San Gimignano, and Volterrra
I read RS guide carefully and am prepared to park and ride the escalator having packed lightly, clutching my International Driver License, and with my passport in my money belt.
When I stayed in Orvieto, I took the train to Chiusi and rented a car (although it was manual). The gentlemen there were really nice. Maybe you could reach out to them in advance to see if they could have an automatic available for you? Would a stop at the airport outside Rome be a possibility? I'm sure they have more choices available as well and that's mostly a straight drive to Orvieto.
I drove to Civita di Bagnoregio and Sacro Bosco as well as to Perugia and later on to Montepulciano with other stops along the way. I parked in the lot below Orvieto each day.
One mistake I made at Civita de Bagnoregio was parking far out of town because I was always worried about messing up somehow in the middle of a town (I've seen plenty of drivers get stuck in tiny alleys and did not want that to be me). Turns out I had to walk a looong way to even get to the entrance where you walk over into the city. Fortunately, it was a pretty walk so not the end of the world, but something to keep in mind.
In Orvieto, there is a large parking lot where the funnicular lets off at the "top". It's a short walk from there to city center. I do not know details about the lot.
Thanks for the parking (and other) advice. I plan to pick up and return the car at NAP. My planned travel day to Orvieto is a Sunday when smaller rental car agencies are closed. A FCO rental would be a shorter distance to Orvieto but makes the return to Naples for air departure more problematic with the need for two trains: from FCO to Termini and onto Naples and then a taxi or bus. i appreciate public transportation is available to both Civita de Bagioregio and Asissi from Orvieto but a car is car more convenient and offers more flexibility in timing.