A group of 6 of us are wanting to rent a car, which will wind up being a sort of mini-van type of vehicle. A VW Caravelle on Europcar. So nothing GIANT!
Should we be worried about navigating on the roads while going to some of the adjacent hill towns and then driving up to Lucca from Siena.
One person had pointed out concerns about the roads being narrow after an experience of being in a giant tour bus traveling up to Sorrento. Is this something we should be concerned about??
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8250 posts
Sorrento and the Amalfi coast are a special case for roads, Tuscany is less narrow, less windy, and no sheer drop off one side of the road.
I would be concerned about navigating in the towns though, many have restricted zones (ZTL's) that issue tickets via camera if you stray into the town center, an expensive venture.
Posted by
OP
136 posts
Paul, thank you! I was hoping and assuming that the roads around Siena would be less, shall we say, treacherous. With that said, we are going to definitely do our research about the towns we want to visit as far as where the cars are allowed.
I think it will be a great way to explore the area around Siena!
Thanks!!
Posted by
Coquitlam
238 posts
The roads you will likely will travel are fine for a vehicle you are contemplating. Traffic can be heavy near the towns and parking could be a challenge, however we have traveled in the area several times by car and we managed.
Have a gps which will help and take an international drivers license. We have been stopped and it along with our passport were required. Remember that the police may or may speak English so the idl is essential.
Enjoy the trip.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32402 posts
jj,
Note that each driver listed on the rental form will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are easily obtained at any AAA office and are valid for one year. You'll also have to be extremely vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) zones which exist in many Italian towns and cities. Each pass through one will result in a hefty fine, which you may not know about until several months after you return home.
Posted by
OP
136 posts
We are planning on getting a GPS from the car rental company. As far as the extra license needed, we are aware of that. Thanks!
Any recommendations on maps of roads and towns that we could use along with the GPS to help identify the restricted areas in the towns?
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
The IDP is a permit, not a license. You still need to have your state DL with you.
Posted by
OP
136 posts
Sorry, I misspoke, not a license. We are aware of the paperwork/ID's needed to drive in Italy. Thanks so much!!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16232 posts
Some roads but especially some old city streets will be a challenge with a van. Parking stalls in parking lots may also be smaller than you would like. Some roads in Tuscany are much worse than the Amalfi Coast. So it depends on where you go and how skilled a driver you are.
But the bigger issues, in addition to maneuverability, are:
1 - Cost. Renting a van costs as much as 3 (three!) economy cars or more.
2 - Luggage. Can you fit 6 people and luggage for 6 adults in one van? It depends
3 - Flexibility. What if some people in the party would rather go somewhere different than other people in the party one day? With one car, you can only go all to the same place.
Therefore, given the above considerations, I generally advise big groups to rent two small economy cars, rather than one van.
Check the consolidators www.autoeurope.com or www.kemwel.com and see the cost of renting two economy cars vs. a van. You will save a bundle, even with the additional fuel cost on two cars (which would be insignificant anyhow, given the fact that economy cars are much more fuel efficient than a van).
Posted by
OP
136 posts
Thank you, much to consider......