I have noticed many posters ask about travelling in Italy. They ask what is preferable car or train. Most replies tend to state the advantages of train travel. Quicker and more economical they may be, but car travel does have some advantages. My wife and I spent two glorious weeks travelling through Tuscany and I would like to point out some of the reasons why we preferred to travel by hire car. For one thing it gives you freedom to change your timetable and remind you that you are on vacation not business. We found the roads in good condition and well marked. We often used google maps on my phone to find best routes and give real time directions. We did not really go into city centres but parked just outside (Ricks book on Tuscany suggests where) and avoided speeding and parking fines. Having a car enabled us to visit some of the smaller towns, vineyards and other less touristy places.
It may be more expensive but we found it well worthwhile and ensured we really felt we traveled by our hearts and not our watches.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11334 posts
A car makes sense sometimes. We find it generally less nerve-wracking to be in trains, buses and on foot. If I am driving, I feel like I cannot have a glass of wine at lunch or dinner if I am driving. But Tuscany, yes, pretty much demands a car.
On the other hand, a car is useless in Roma, Venezia, the Cinque Terre, Firenze, the Amalfi Coast. Cost aside, parking is nightmarish and costly. I was in Milano a couple of weeks ago and the price to park a car while at the hotel was Euro 40 per night! Also, if you do NOT want to use a car, the buses are excellent, not like Greyhound. :-0 We went to Umbria without a car, and it was fantastically liberating.
A point I would make that as North Americans we are very car oriented and do not want to be held to someone else's schedule, i.e., bus or train. There is another side to that story that can make traveling less stressful and a more local experience. Our Italian friends take the trains whenever possible, even if they have to pay a few more Euros because it is less of a hassle.