We arrive in Rome and will spend three days in Rome. From Rome we plan to travel to Tuscany region and stay for six days. We have been advised to take the train from Rome to Orvieto and rent the car in Orvieto. Is this the best recommendation? Is there a specific car rental agency you recommend?
We will continue travel by car to Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice and finally Milan. WE fly from Milan to Madrid for a three days and return to Miami, FL, USA.
Thank you.
Hi Mimi-
You really only want a car if you intend to explore the small towns in Tuscany. It will be of no help to you in Florence, the Cinque Terre, Venice and Milan. After your stay in Tuscany, I would drop the car somewhere in Florence (other posters will have good suggestions as to where) and do the rest of your trip by train. You'll avoid a lot of expensive hassles that come with a car in your chosen cities, and all have good public transit and /or many pedestrianized or localized areas where rental cars aren't allowed at all.
Even some of towns in Tuscany require parking on the outskirts and walking or taking public transport to their centers.
Well what do you know, there is a Hertz Rental Car (international company you may know of from American tv commericals)
right by the train station Orvieto and 3 or four near Firenze
It takes 70 minutes to get to Orvieto from Rome Termini by local train.
Hertz is just across the street--about 100 yards from the front of the train station.
Orvieto's a very nice place to spend one night--popular hilltown.
You might want to travel through the countryside south of Florence--and 100's of agriturismo's are available for accommodations.
When you go into Florence, you can drop the car off at either the airport or the Sansovino location's about 2 miles from the train station. They can call you a cab to get you to your hotel.
I agree that you only need the car in Tuscany, but I would compare costs for picking up in Orvieto, touring, a drop off in Florence (added cost) vs picking up and dropping off in Orvieto or in Florence. If a drop off charge is more than train tickets between Florence and Orvieto, consider circling back to the same spot.
We have picked up a car at hertz twice in Orvieto. Last year we returned the car in Florence. I think we returned at the airport. Very easy with Hertz next to the train station in Orvieto.
We plan to do the same but the opposite direction. First base in Florence and travel around by public transport and one day tour bus. Then train to Orvieto, rent a car there. We already booked it. Not much selection. Only Fiat. We will be four of us. The biggest car they have is either Fiat 500 X or Fiat 500 L. Not much difference between them. We rented a villa not too far from Orvieto in some unknown hill town about 10 km from Civita. And then by train to Rome. If you need a bigger car consider renting it in Rome or Florence.
