Planning a dream trip to Italy and Switzerland this August. Hoping to fly into Rome for 4 nights, then Florence for 3 nights, then Venice for 2 nights. We will then journey to Murren Switzerland. I assumed we would be traveling by train, but with a family of 4, kids are 18 and 17, would renting a car when we leave Rome make sense? Seems like it may make sense to do so, to save on 4 fares for every trip. For example, rent car to get to Florence, drop off car. Then rent to get to Venice, drop off car. Not sure about Venice to Murren, maybe driving to Madrid, drop car and get on the train. Thoughts? Thanks!
Posted by
11188 posts
Madrid? Did you mean Milan?
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11346 posts
Driving takes a lot longer than the train, and advanced discount fares make train travel very attractive. It is a hassle to pick up and drop off cars so many times. Look at Rome2Rio.com and see the differences in drive time versus train time.
Posted by
381 posts
I would highly recommend using the train instead of picking up and dropping a car multiple times. The trains are so easy, stress free and so much easier to let someone else do the navigating. If you purchase the tickets ahead of time and pack a lunch or snacks I think the price would be comparable or less than car rental with a whole lot less hassle. We travelled in Italy for a month and used trains the entire trip.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
A rental car for your itinerary makes absolutely ZERO sense! Train is 100% the way to go. Rome, Florence, Venice, Murren - 50% of your itinerary is car-free. The other 50% are cities where you don't EVER need/want a car.
Posted by
OP
25 posts
Thanks everyone! You've made my decision for me! I'm glad trains are the way to go, I will be able to relax!!!
Posted by
4533 posts
Buy train tickets now before the cheap fares are gone.