We are planning a 21 day trip to Europe. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding the general circle route listed above? I heard that you need special theft insurance to drive in Italy. Is that true? Are car rental rates in Geneva similar to other countries? If we use the above route as a starting point, would anyone have any suggestions on whether or not this is a good basic plan. Thank you for any help!
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
Italy is a trip in itself, so I'd suggest saving it for your next trip. It's also easier to travel around Italy by train than car (and a lot safer). You will probably find that some of the best airfares to the continent are to Zurich & Frankfurt, so consider them in addition to Geneva in determining your starting & ending points. Switzerland, Germany and France have more than enough to keep your interest for 3 weeks.
Posted by
Denver
787 posts
An open-jaw trip makes more sense; where you start in one city, and end your trip in another.
The destinations you listed are very far from each other - what about those locations made you pick them? Get a map of Europe, and you may enjoy your trip more if you can get the same enjoyment out of destinations that are a lot closer together.
Renting a car IN Italy (opposed to renting it in another country, then driving into Italy) requires that you accept, and pay for, the CDW waiver. While I haven't looked at any statistics, I would not agree that it's much safer to take the train in Italy, rather than drive a rental car. In our trips to Italy, we mostly rent a car, except for trip between cities. For example, if you start the trip in Venice, then go to Florence, then we take the train. If we're visiting rural Tuscany after that, then we rent the car from there.