Car Trip Germany to Italy

You shall have no problems. Just bear in mind you need a travel sticker (€ 15 for 10 days, IIRC) to drive through Austria, and a similar one to drive through Switerland (CHF 40). Take different routes to enhance the trip: go via Innsrbuck/Brennerpaß and return via Villach. You can also alternate routes between Bologna and Orvieto (via Firenze and via Cremona)

travel sticker (€ 15 for 10 days, IIRC) to drive through Austria Don't understand what IIRC means. The Austrian Vignette is €7.90 for 10 days.

If I Remember Correctly

Thanks

Mary, A few other points to note...... For driving in Italy, EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with your home license. Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! You may find it helpful to read Ron's excellent website concerning other pitfalls of driving in Italy. You'll also need to do some research on ZTL (limited traffic) areas, which are very prevalent in some areas (especially Florence). EACH pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! Also, driving in Rome is not for the "faint of heart". A GPS along with a detailed Map would be good idea. As someone else suggested, be sure to check that the CDW / Insurance will provide coverage in Italy. Finally, many automated fuel stations will now only accept "Chip & PIN" credit cards, so that may present some issues. As that route is easily done by train, my suggestion would be to consider travel by train as it will be a much faster and more efficient travel method. Of course, it's your trip so your decision. Happy travels!

Thank you for the information. I'll have to start investigating train travel as an alternative. I may want to have a car for part of the time in Italy to travel into the countryside to visit my parents' hometown. We have been to Italy before and are not planning on hitting the big cities this trip.

Check the ZTL areas. Many of the small towns have them for the historic centers (e.g., Siena).

I use Europcar every time. There is a rental office a couple blocks from the Main Train Station in Munich, if you don't want to pick it up at the airport. I usually pick it up on my way OUT of Munich so the intown office is great for me. I drove from Munich to Tuscany this past June with a stopover in Venice and Florence. Real easy drive. Research the Dolomites too. We stopped for a couple of nights and had a great time up there. Are you planning a one way rental, or are you going back to Munich? You may have a problem if you are planning one way.

Thank you for your reassuring message!! We can do a round trip car rental back to Munich. I was getting a little nervous about renting a car after reading about other people's experiences. For you to say it was easy is a great relief! Is there a train from the airport in Munich into the city? We were thinking of spending 4 or 5 days in southern Germany. Is there a particular area we should stay in that would be convenient to take day trips from? We want to see King Ludwig's castle (from afar) and other castles along the Rhine. We'd love to do some easy hiking around Bavaria. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Of course we would love to visit some bier gardens as well. Also, we are planning on visiting Cinque Terra, Tuscany, and into Bugnara/Sulmona east of Rome. Have been to Italy and to the major cities and are looking forward to seeing other parts of Italy.

Mary... driving around Germany, Austria and most of Italy is so easy. The only problem I see is the CT part of your trip. I have driven there a few times and it was a bit stressful. Parking can be a problem. Last two times I ended up doing day trips in from Allesandria or LaSpezia on the train. Just left my car at the hotel. That was not a problem since I did not need to stay overnite. There may be parking at some of the train stations for overnite... I am sure someone else here will know. Driving around the south of Germany and Tuscany is a lot of fun. You can stop for roadside picnics and take detours into any little town you want, or stop for lots of photo opportunities. I drive thousands of miles all over Europe but would not drive in Rome. In Florence I stay right outside and have taken a shuttle in to the city. Be careful of the dreaded zones.

Just a couple of points... The best way, IMHO, to get a great overview of the Rhine castles is by boat. You'll need to park, boat and train back to the car, or vice-versa. Of course we would love to visit some bier gardens as well
Remember that Europe and Germany have extremely low blood alcohol level thresholds for drink driving and they really throw the book at folk. Make sure that the rental car company allows the car to go into Italy.

Mary, there is a train from the airport to downtown Munich that runs every 30 min or so. If I were you I would stay downtown and enjoy Munich on foot and via their incredible transit system. Hirschgarten and Augustiner Keller were the best bier gartens in my opinion and easy to reach using Tram 17 that you can catch right in front of the main train station. Get your car as you leave Munich. The Rhine and Tuscany are in opposite directions, but with enough time, why not! When I toured the Rhine, I stayed in St Goar, right under the castle. Great little town, although boring for most. The drive to Tuscany will be easy, although I would suggest a stop somewhere in the middle for a day or two. We stayed in the Dolomites for 2 nights and loved it. In Tuscany pick your favorite hill town and find a guesthouse near it. There are farmhouses that have rooms all over the area. We stayed at the Il Canto Del Sole near Siena and had a fantastic time. In my opinion, a car in Tuscany is a must. Enjoy your trip! I can't wait until I go to Munich in May!!