We are considering a road trip between Frankfurt and Venice for three days before our Mediterranean cruise in June. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2367 posts
Renting a car in one country and dropping it off in another is extremely expensive. Also you need to consider tolls and the cost of gas which I understand is now about nine plus dollars a gallon. It does give you a lot of freedom but need to consider the expense as well.
Posted by
Beverly Hills, MI
798 posts
It would be doable drive in 3 days. You could pick a route that would include stop somewhere near Munich, then go via Innsbruck over the Brenner pass road stop at Castel Rotto and then on to Venice the last day. The current price of gasoline in Germany is about $7.85 per gallon so it is pricey but you do see a lot too. If I remember correctly, the only toll on the route I described is on one bridge on the Brenner pass road. If you do make the drive don't forget you do need an International Driving Permit in both Italy and Austria. The IDP is easy to get at AAA. Take a look at some of Rick's books for more detailed information. On the other hand if you have not been to Venice before, you could take the train and spend a couple days in Venice. There is a lot to see and the city takes on a whole different air in the evening after the day trippers have departed.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Three days gives you more than enough time to make the drive, but not a whole lot of time to explore stuff along the way. I've made a similar drive in the summer, and with a stop-off in Austria overnight, it took me the better part of two days to reach my destination in northern Italy. And if you're flying into Frankfurt, I would highly advice against immediately starting the long drive through one of the most congested road arteries of Europe without getting at least one good night of sleep first.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
For me, travel time is a valuable commodity. Even if you can book a much cheaper flight to Frankfurt, I don't see the value in spending three days driving to Venice before your cruise. You can make the drive easily enough but you don't have time to actually see much along the way. Fly to Venice and spend three days there, or take a quick trip to Verona or Bologna, or even a loop through the Dolomites, before your trip.