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Trains, automobiles, Rome/Tuscany & a national holiday

Posted by (Texas) on

Our objective is to get from Rome to our vacation spot near Pienza. Our rental starts June 3 but the flight that was available from home lands in Rome June 2. No problem; we found a good place for one night (it wasn't easy -- it's a busy time!) on June 2 in Montepulciano. I do love a good wine town!

The plan was to rent a car in Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, which is a straight shot from Rome and near our rental. But wait -- it turns out, June 2 is a national holiday and car rentals are closed! So it's a 30-minute trip by car/taxi to Montepulciano. That sounds expensive.

Seems like our best options are 1, to take a train from Rome to Montepulciano (involves a train change); or 2, just overnight near the train station in Rome on June 2 and head up to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme on June 3. The latter is easier, but we really wanted to just get to Tuscany and start unwinding there right away. (We are doing Rome on the back end, after Tuscany and after a couple more days in Florence.)

(Oh, the reason for renting a car at Chiusi-Chianciano Terme was we'd return it there, then take the train right to Florence. Much quicker and easier than taking train from Montepulciano-Florence.)

I haven't been to Italy in many years, and I'm just nervous about train changes and so forth after an overnight flight from the states - being sleep-deprived and not at my best....

I'd love thoughts, advice, wisdom from you seasoned Italian adventurers! Thank you.

Posted by
7278 posts

I'd keep it simple after an overnight flight. Stay in Rome and head to Tuscany the next morning. You could actually just pick up your rental in Rome to keep it even simpler. You can still return it in Chiusi or in Florence
You’d have a lot more options for rental

Posted by
5583 posts

If you are nervous about taking a train due to jet lag on your arrival day, you should be exponentially more nervous about driving any distance in that state. I agree with Christine- stay in Rome on your arrival day.

Posted by
16168 posts

Don’t drive after a long overnight transoceanic flight. Sleep in Rome and pick up your rental in Rome.

Posted by
156 posts

What time are you landing in Rome and will you need to clear immigration in Rome? We spent 50 minutes in the immigration line last month. It can limit possible travel onward if you’re arriving later in the day.

With enough time option #1 would be fine if you didn’t want a rental car while in Tuscany but I imagine you do. If you took a cab to your Montepulciano lodging on 6/2 you’d need to go back to Chiusi to get your rental car on 6/3 anyways which consumes more time and money.

Regarding tiredness, I’d suggest not renting the car in Rome and having to drive the entire way to your Tuscany destination. Getting the car in Chiusi cuts down the driving time substantially.

In the Trenitalia app I see on 6/3 a 9:02am train (RV4098) to Chiusi from Roma Termini that arrives at 10:56am. Pick up the car shortly afterward and be at your destination before noon.

Posted by
9 posts

Thanks to all for replies.

We arrive non-stop from the US in Rome at 8 am on June 2. Getting an early start on our journey to Tuscany seems ideal, once we clear customs. We'd really rather do that than spend the day in Rome, which we will see on the other end of our trip.

Looking at train options from Rome to Montepulciano, we could go from either Rome Termini or Tiburtina; however, I see that transport from FCO is non-stop to Termini. Right?

The next day, we can take a 13-minute train ride from Montepulciano to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, where our car rental will be -- and it's closer to where we're staying in Tuscany.

I've already loaded the Trenitalia app on my phone. From what I'm reading in other posts, we probably don't need to book tickets much in advance and can simply do so on the app. Is that correct?

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