Traveling by train vs. car rental March 21-28th

Yes. You don't need a car for La Spezia - Venice part of your trip and parking will be expensive. You will want a car if you want to tour the countryside around Siena. Reserve before you go.

Thanks Doug,

I originally booked a car for a week. However, it sounds like it would be stressful to drive to Venice and La Spezia (we would take the trains to CT too.) I will be interested in other folks opinions too.

Emily

Hi Emily, I live in Tigard, Oregon. I would take the train to Venice and La Spezia and CT and NOT rent a car unless you absolutely have to for Siena. I've read there is bus service to go on a day trip outside Siena. The train service is very good. Are you going to La Spezia to stay or are you going on to the CT.
The train from La Spezia to Venice is long and I think you have to change trains once or twice. Maybe someone can answer the question of you going to Venice from Pisa since that is where you are flying in to. Maybe you want to change the order of your itinerary. If you are including Siena in your two days, I would not rent a car and try for the bus for a day. We were going to go to Venice then on to CT but the train schedule was horrible. We went Rome, Venice, Florence, CT then back to Rome. Connections were much better.

I would take the train to La Spezia and Venice and rent a car for the days in Siena where you want to go exploring. I would not want to be controlled by the bus schedule to get to other locations from Siena, so to us the car rental would be a definite there for the time you don't want to spend just in Siena.

Hi to all who have replied. Our car rental for a week is 254.00 US for the entire week! I have checked prices and it would cost close to this cost for a two day rental. Soooo, here is what I am thinking: Pick up the car in Pisa-and drive to La Spezia. (take the train to CT for two days with the CT card). Drive from La Spezia to Siena (we are actually staying outside of Siena). Drive about the countryside for a few days including driving the car to Venice via the Tuscan countryside etc. (leaving the car in a car park outside of Venice). Driving through the countryside back to the Pisa area.

I guess, we really want to see the country side. Is this too crazy? Am I being penny wise and pound foolish?

It is true that renting a car for 7 days could be as much as for 2 days.
Howver, you actually don't need a car in any of the cities you are going to go, but since you want to see the country side, I think traveling by car is your best choice.
It will be hard to find a parking spot in Pisa ad Venice. You will need to park outside of the city hot spots and I really didn't see many options last year in September.
Keep in mind that the cost of gas in Europe is much higher than here in the US, but the good thing is that the European cars use much less gas.

Emily - Autoeurope shows a three-day rental in Siena for a Peugot 206 for $154 around your date (Are you working with a travel agent?) I think they may have a three-day minimum in Siena. But, you did see that car rentals for only a few days are expensive compared to being able to rent for a week or longer. And much more expensive if you rent on the spot.

I'm a big fan of driving in Italy, but I use cars to allow me to stay in smaller destinations not reached by train. So I think for your considerations, you need to factor in what a car will give you in convenience and saving on train tickets, versus the cost for parking (24E/day in Venice), tolls, and gas. I still think using the car in Siena only pencils out. Viamichelin can help you calculate these costs.

Oh, and getting from the CT to Venice is no big deal. Many trains go to Genoa and from there to Milan and then Venice. Driving from La Spezia is no big deal, either, because it's Autostrade the whole way and driving into the parking garages in Venice is easy.

Doug,

Thank you for your suggestions. Part of me is now thinking about not doing the Cinque Terra and opting to use those two days to do more exploring in the Tuscan Country side.-that would give us 4 days in laid back villas too. In your opinion, would that be the better option or is 1.5 days in the Cinque Terra worth it? (I may post this as a new topic too.)

Doug,

Thank you for your suggestions. Part of me is now thinking about not doing the Cinque Terra and opting to use those two days to do more exploring in the Tuscan Country side.-that would give us 4 days in laid back villas too. In your opinion, would that be the better option or is 1.5 days in the Cinque Terra worth it? (I may post this as a new topic too.)

Emily - I'm a big fan of setting a four day minimum for places to stay. In addition to being able to relax and see an area in a little more depth, it's fun to get to be a little bit of a local - to have the guys at the local cafe recognize and greet you, etc.

I'd hate to tell you to pass up the CT, but there's plenty to see in Tuscany and being able to keep a car will give you lots of flexibility to get a good taste of it. And, March in the CT is still pretty early.

Hi, Emily. I would advise the car only in the country side. Actually driving in an Italian city can be an intense experience, with two scooters in front of you, 2 in back, and 2 on each side - weaving in and out.

Think New York Taxi Cab, and then surround it with scooters. lol

Parking as mentioned above is really expensive too, and a car is not needed at all in the cities!

I would just get it for your few days in the country! Much less hassle! Have fun! :) Chris

Yes,

The only part where two of you will want a car is the time you are driving in the country. That will be the cheaper and more convenient option.