I will have a rental car in Italy. I want to spend a few days in Rome, but don't want to drive there. Any suggestions for where to safely park in outskirts. Either can leave car there and go into Rome to find lodgings or stay somewhere outside with parking and cheap easy way into Rome. Am traveling one adult with two kids, trying to spend as little money as possible!
Here is what Rick says about that in his book: "Your car is a worthless headache in Rome. Avoid a pile of stress and save money by parking at the huge, easy, and relatively safe lot behind the train station in the hill town of Orvieto and catching the train to Rome."
I agree completely about rental cars being a headache. But I don't understand why you wouldn't just turn in the rental if it's going to be parked uselessly for a few days.
It's a lease car that I will have for 3 months traveling all over. We will be 3 weeks in Italy, and wanted to spend a few days in Rome, but not with a car! Just wanted to know the safest and most econimical way to handle it.
I like Rick's recommendation about Orvieto. I like the town. It's big enough to have parking near the station and small enough to be safe. It's a convenient ride to Rome.
In the vast outskirts of Rome it will be hard to find an acceptable combination of safe and convenient.
Have you done the train from Orvieto to Rome? How often did they run and how much did they cost? As a mom alone with 2 kids safety is a big issue...so maybe I should just stay there and train in to Rome for a few days if it isn't too far or pricey.
The train runs about every 2 hours and takes about 75 minutes each way, station to station.