traveling to Rome in July rental car vs public transport?

You really need to rethink your plans. None of your destinations is suitable for a day trip from Rome. Each is a 3-4 hour drive from Rome, each way. Plus, you really don't want to drive into Florence, probably not into Pisa, and definitely not into Naples - so you'll be having to park & switch to public transportation in pretty much each place. You won't have much time to see anything. A ZTL is simply an area of a city in which traffic is restricted. The problem is that they are camera-enforced, and violations are expensive. They're an effort by the Italians to limit and restrict car traffic into historic city centers. If you drive into one by accident, it could cost you over 100 euros.

thank you for responding so quickly.
are there any bus tours going out of rome to any of those cities?

Are your hotel reservations set in stone? Can you spend a few days in Florence instead? Much easier to do daytrips to Lucca and Pisa from Florence than from Rome. Perhaps if you shared more of your itinerary and your thinking behind it, you might get more helpful input.

our itinerary is only 3 1/2 days to lookaround in italy.
arriving mid afternoon on a wednesday flying out at 8am on sunday.

millicent, Especially for a first trip to Italy, I would NOT recommend driving in Naples! Florence, Lucca, and Pisa are not really a good idea for a "day trip", due to the distance. I would highly recommend picking up a copy of the Italy 2012 Guidebook, as there's an enormous amount of helpful information there. Here are the usual "caveats" regarding driving in Italy... It's important to note that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any CAA/AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases is offered at the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information on driving in Italy. You may also want to have a look at some of the other posts here concerning the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many Italian towns & cities ( especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! There's also the issue of parking tickets and the possibility of having "The Boot" applied. A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Good luck with your planning!

I would recommend purchasing Mr. Steve's Europe Through the Back Door and read it cover to cover. Loads of practical information that ANYone traveling to Europe for the first time should take to heart. You'll find about ZTL's and why you NEED to know what the are before you rent an auto. Florence is about 2.5 hours from Rome but I wouldn't consider it a day trip. In fact none of the cities you mentioned would be day trips from Rome.

How on earth do you plan to see Rome, Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Naples in just 3 days? 3 days isn't even enough time to see Rome let alone add 4 day trips in the mix. I would suggest getting rid of the car, booking another hotel in Rome and spending the entire time there. I know this is your first trip but you are falling into the trap of trying to see everything with not enough to see anything. Please, slow down and stay in one place for your very short 3 days. Donna

I am all for whirlwind trips but this would make me collapse! With such a short time if you really want to get a taste of Italy I would choose either the area near Rome or Florence, but not both. If you stay outside of Florence in a village you can have your car and drive to Pisa, Lucca and a few other wonderful villages. Take a bus into Florence for the day so you don't have to drive there and maybe look into one of the other wonderful places such as Siena. Or, just stay in Rome and do one day trip, but probably not to Naples.... its fine, but I think for a first trip there are better places. If you go to Rome, I would forget the car.

Millicent I must agree with the others...I think you are trying to do too much and in the end will not get to see much of anything..you could easily spend 3 days in Rome and not see everything..I am told the trains are the way to travel.. we are planning our trip to Italy in September and are planning 4 days in Rome alone..ditch the car idea for sure..driving over there can take the fun out of being there from what we have been told

You really do need to re-think your plans. Driving in Italy is not for the faint of heart, and the ZTL's in each city you mention will keep you from getting near the city centers. Plus, do not underestimate the amount of time driving to and from a city will take - it is often double what a google map might tell you if you factor in traffic, looking for parking, stopping for gas, tolls and getting lost. You will also spend an incredible amount of money for the car, insurance, tolls, gas and parking for 3 1/2 days. You can spend all that time in Rome and never have a moments rest. There are also a few reasonable daytrips from Rome too if you should run out of things to do.

Thanks everyone!!! I think we will ditch the car and stay in Rome and enjoy.
what are the optionf for airport transfers to and from the hotels? my hotel is a little unknown one on the far outskirts of town.

What's the name of the hotel? Do you have to stay there? (I'm guessing you do) Because otherwise it would be much better to stay in the historic center of Rome.

millicent, It's impossible to provide much information on "airport transfers" without having some idea on which Hotel you're staying in, and where it's located. As I suggested earlier, it would be a really good idea to have a look at the Italy Guidebook, as there's a wealth of information there including Hotel suggestions, transportation, sightseeing, etc. Also, as this is your first trip to Europe, I would highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. It has a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe, and covers topics like Itinerary planning, avoiding pickpockets and especially "Rail Skills". Note that most of the Guidebooks are now available as E-books in a variety of formats, for those that have a compatible reader. The E-book editions for every year are usually published about three months after the print versions. Cheers!

That's a bit far and not close to a metro stop. You should check with the hotel to see if there is a public bus or tram stop nearby that can take you into the city or you're going to have a heck of a walk or end up paying for cab rides every day. I would suggest something closer to the termini station. You can use venere.com to help find something. Donna

" my hotel is a little unknown one on the far outskirts of town." Be sure to think about how you're going to get back and forth to the city each day. I'm not sure I'd want to stay in the" far outskirts" if my goal was to see the sights of central Rome in 3 days.

My hotel is the Relais 6 on Tolimino off Nomentano
I'm not sure how far it is from the centeral area.

Wow, I'm actually familiar with that neighborhood. There's a tennis club not too far away that we went to. There are TONS of buses that run down Nomentana into the historic center. You'll want to get either a Roma pass that includes public transportation, or buy a bus pass on its own. Do NOT give in to the temptation to ride the bus without a ticket. The fines are very steep and they DO enforce them. More info on riding the buses in Rome is here at Ron in Rome. Also, remember you can use Google Maps Streetview to take a look around almost everywhere in Rome (and most other cities in Italy). This will help you get a sense of the neighborhood. (I'm assuming you're locked into this hotel, due to mileage points or something. If not, try to get a hotel closer to the historic center.) Happy travels.