I am planning a trip to Europe which includes visiting Northern Italy (Cinque Terre and Piemonte) followed by France (Paris and Burgundy). I am trying to decide the best route and mode of transport:
a) CT, then hire a car and drive to Piemonte and then onto Burgundy and drop the car off in Paris
b) Travel by train and fly from either Milan or Genoa to Paris, and then train down to Burgundy
Can anyone provide a recommendation or alternative suggestion?
Thanks very much
The choice between train or car depends partly on how comfortable you are driving on the right side in Europe? Perhaps you have driven in Europe before? If you could let us know whether you have a preference for or against driving, then we can advise you further with more helpful advice.
Thanks for the reply.
Happy to drive on the right and I'm also considering the advantages/necessity of having a car to explore Langhe in Piemonte.
I think hiring a car will be more expensive (but more convenient)though maybe not by the time you add up flights/trains and additional transport.
Having traveled in Europe by car, by train and by air, I can help. You haven't said where you will take your car. Much depends on where you take it and where you drop it.
If you are traveling alone the car will be far too expensive. Auto rental fees and petrol are excessive. Most travelers agree auto rental is wise only with 2 or more tourists.
In CT you can only park outside of town in most of the 5 villages; so RR is more convenient.
Avoid taking a car for Paris and Milan; parking is impossible. As for travel between Burgundy and Paris, I would choose a car for convenience if I can take it in a suburb instead of in Paris.
thanks for the information.
If we get a car (there are 2 of us), we will pick it up after CT (possibly at La Spezia?) and then drive to Piemonte and around Alba. Then drive to Burgundy (Beaune), and Champagne and then drop the car off somewhere outside of Paris and catch transport in to Paris.
Does that sound like a sensible plan? Its all getting a bit confusing....
Beware of extra fees for renting a car in one country and returning it in another. My brother ended up paying substantially more than the original price he was quoted because he rented in Germany and returned in France.
A car is GREAT! The freedom it will give you is worth every Euro.
We drove from Venice to Paris with stops in Fussen and St. Gour Germany.
French tolls were not to bad, and yes having a car in Paris is a PAIN!
