Renting a car

You'll probably need a car once you are in the area. It's a small town.
Just rent a car in Rome and drive from there.

gloria,

Be sure to check other posts on the forum regarding the usual "caveats" on driving in Italy, as they can be expensive for those that don't do their homework....

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/notification-of-highway-code-offence

You'll also need the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L.

I'm a little or should I say a lot nervous of driving by myself from Rome to Celenza. I suppose I should look at the milage and how the roads are. Whether they are heavily traveled or hardly any traffic.

I've done some research and there are no car rentals in the closest town to Celenza nor is there transportation from the hotel to the town plaza.

So I really think my only option is to rent a car. I am hoping I can find a rental place closer to Celenza.

I am thinking of contacting Rick Steves travel and hire an agent to help me along.

If you pick up your rental from the airport rather than in Rome, it will be easier. Driving in Italy is not difficult, but their cities can be a bit scary to a foreigner. ( or anyone else) Be sure to rent form the US, as it is so much cheaper.

I'm not sure where Celenza is, but I do know, from experience that you can rent a car in Bari, at the airport or in town. Since Brindisi also has an airport, I would think that's another option. Surely, there are cheap flights from Rome to either of those cities.

You know, that might be a thought, fly into Bari instead of Rome and drive up that way. I bet it would be easier. I must look into that. But thinking, now that I do have to get back to Rome to hook up to my Rick Steves tour maybe Bari is not duable.

The drive from Rome is 3.5 hours (plus pit stops). About 2/3 on a multi lane freeway, the rest on a two lane highway that is largely not very curvy.

Going to Bari or, even worse, Brindisi, makes no sense, because it would involve major back tracking. Celenza is in the province of Foggia in the north side of Puglia.

A more reasonable alternative to driving all the way from Rome is to take the high speed Frecciargento train from Rome to Foggia (2h 51min, with no train changes).

There is one leaving at 8:05 am daily, which would be good. The next at 2:45pm. The first is better to make sure you arrive before it gets too late.
www.trenitalia.com

Near the station in Foggia there are several rental car offices, such as Europcar, Hertz, Avis-Budget.

Then from Foggia you would drive to Celenza (a bit over 1 hr drive on regular two lane highway.

It's a bit of backtracking but since the high speed train to Foggia is so fast, the overall travel time is not a whole lot more than driving from Rome, once you include the time for pit stops along the way.

For renting cars I recommend a consolidator, such as www.autoeurope.com or their affiliate www.kemwel.com. Check prices in both websites. They work with all the above mentioned rental car companies. In my experience Europcar generally has the best price, especially when you include fully comprehensive no deductible insurance.

If you rent from Rome, pick up near the Tiburtina station, as it is close to the freeway entrance (A24).

That is a brilliant idea! I can handle the train to Foggia from Rome and rent a car and drive to Celenza. Then I would have transportation while in Celenza to go to Casalvecchio! Perfect. Thanks so much!!!