My husband and I are planning a trip in May and need to figure out transportation from Vienna to Italy. Everything I read about car rentals makes it seem so expensive: insurance, GPS, the price of gas! However, riding the rails from Vienna to either Venice or Florence sounds very long and not that cheap. The goal is to get to Cinque Terre for a couple of days and then hook up with another couple with whom we will share a car rental for our time in Tuscany.
Any experience or advice would be most helpful! There are probably even more pros and cons I haven't thought of!
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
Rail isn't cheap like it once was. Rentals aren't either. For two people, rail usually prices out better. For four or more, a car is usually the cheaper option.
A lot of people are now taking the budget airlines to hop the longer legs of their trips. The budget carriers fly out of smaller airports and charge a lot for extra luggage. If you are traveling light, you may find a hop from Vienna to Florence and a train to CT works best.
Depending on your plans. A hop from Vienna to Venice, train to Florence, then train to CT may also be a good alternative.
I like to take long trips, so leasing a car makes sense to me. It's only an option if you will have the car more than 17 days but is a fraction of rental costs and includes all insurance. While gas is expensive(I use diesel), the cars get good mileage and distances are short. I find I spend no more than I would for a car vacation in the US.
If you rent or lease, you want a GPS in Italy.
Posted by
Brangwin, Wa, USA
349 posts
FYI you can save a lot by staying in little towns out side of the Big town and often have nice back door experence in food and lodging
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Sky Europe flys from Vienna (VIE) to Treviso (TSF). It's a 70-minute flight and I see fares as low as $0.01 (one penny). Sky Europe is one of Europe's cheap airlines. The sooner you book, the cheaper the fare. Treviso is not Venice. However, it is only a 40-minute train ride into Venice. Via Michellin shows this drive to be about 7.0hrs.