Hello,
We are traveling in September, 2018.
We are taking the train from Venice to Parma. Renting a car in Parma for exploring and day trips in Tuscany. We are staying at a farm house Air BNB in Barberino di Mugello.
What is the best city for us to return the car and get the train to Naples?
I really appreciate your feedback.
Thank you,
Wendy Kotch
Near your home base, you could drop the car at Florence Peretola Airport, from where there is frequent bus service direct to Firenze SMN train station, or taxis available. Direct trains to Napoli Centrale station run about hourly from there.
Where are you going exactly? If you go to Sorrento, you might drive there and return the car in Sorrento.
Make sure you are renting a car at the train station in Parma-I had customers visit once and they made a Hertz reservation without checking and had to pickup the car at the "Parma Airport" which is slightly remote and very small.
We are staying in Amalfi at an Air BNB.
I do not want to drive into Florence to return the rental car if there is somewhere closer to Barberino di Mugello that we can return it to and then take the train.
From Barberino, if you want to catch the high speed train to Napoli (Naples). it’s either Florence or backtracking to Bologna, either way you must drive through a large city center.
The high speed trains going to Naples stop in Bologna, Florence, Rome. That’s it.
If you don’t want to drive through the city, then the easiest option, is to return the car at the Florence airport car center on Via Palagio degli Spini (A1 freeway exit: Firenze Nord), then take a taxi to the Florence SMN station (20+ minutes for about 25€). Make sure you don’t miss the turn into Via Palagio degli Spini at the end of the A11 freeway, because it’s not easy to find otherwise (lots of strange one way streets to make it back).
This is really helpful. Thank you so much.
Having said that, I, would drive all the way from Barberino to your Amalfi accommodations. No cities to go through. If the AirBnB has no parking, or if you don’t want to have a car, I would simply drop off the suitcases (there is a public parking in Amalfi at the harbor from where you could walk to your accommodations, and after these check in procedures are done, I would get onto the car and drive it and return it to the closest rental agency. The closest to Amalfi would be either Sorrento or Salerno (Amalfi is about half way between the two).after returning the car at either of these locations, you can return to Amalfi via bus or, unless it’s winter or with rough seas, even with a boat (there is regular boat service if seas are not rough). Except for the last portion on the Amalfi Coast, the drive from Barberino to Amalfi is entirely on a 4 to 6 lane freeway. If there are two or more traveling together it will be cheaper than the train. It will be also just as fast or faster, once you take into consideration the train and bus changes along the way.
I thought I had to go through Naples to get to Amalfi by train! This is really helpful! Is driving in Amalfi safe (cliffs, bumpy roads, etc? Maybe we should keep the car while in Amalfi until we return to Naples to fly to the UK?
If you go by train it’s easier to take the train all the way to Salerno, then the bus or boat to Amalfi. The Salerno train station is in front of the harbor.
If you get off in Naples, then you need a commuter train to Sorrento, then a bus to Amalfi. Amalfi is somewhere between Naples and Salerno, but closer to Salerno.
Having said that, I would drive all the way as I posted earlier. The road is freeway, like in America. The last portion of the road, after exiting the freeway, near Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast, is curvy, but if you know how to turn a wheel, it’s not a problem. Check the street view feature of Google Maps to see it.
You can keep the car for your entire stay and return it to NAP Airport. However check if your accommodations has parking (few do). If not the parking lots in Amalfi charge about 25€ a day.
I like this option a lot. Thank you so much for your help!
Driving to Amalfi, you can choose to go through Castellemmare and Positano or on the SP1 through Ravello. Both routes are on hilly, narrow roads with sharp curves. If you feel uncomfortable driving on these roads, you could return or leave the car in Salerno or Sorrento and then take a bus to Amalfi.
My hubby will drive. It'll be lots of fun!
Is Naples FS a train station or airport? Trying to make sure I return the rental to the right location.
Napoli FS is the station.
NAPOLI AEROPORTO CAPODICHINO is the airport name.
The road to Amalfi is curvy, as you can see in this segment:
https://goo.gl/maps/kRov4WnbpiA2
but wide enough:
https://goo.gl/maps/CnCY45bWhRp
Perfect. Thank you again.
