I'm bolloxed over my rental car choice in Italy and am seeking advice. I am planning a trip to Amalfi and coast (staying in Meta) in May, but we are flying into Rome and driving south from there. There are three adults on this trip, and we can pack light, and the only time we will have our luggage in the car will be from Rome to Meta and then back at the end of our trip. My concern is: if I get a small car, suitable for driving around Sorrentine peninsula, is it safe to drive on the autostrade from Rome? I suppose we could use lesser highways all the way from Rome, but that would take much longer. Any thoughts?
Posted by
1273 posts
Why would it not be safe? Is your concern that small cars are more likely to cause injury to passengers when in a wreck? Maybe you could look up statistics about number of crash injuries or fatalities and weigh that against the difficulty of using a larger car in Europe. I do think its a mindset and Americans have learned to feel safer in big cars but Im not sure statistics bear out in a cost/benefit analysis, but I dont go that far. I just prefer efficient cars. Fwiw my family of 5 adults has road tripped all over Italy in a Fiat or Panda and driven on all the roads (freeways, mountain road, small village roads, etc). I am always glad to be in a smaller car when driving in Europe; navigating everything from parking spaces (the width of the white lines in parking garages, oh my) to narrow roads to fuel efficiency.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
6119 posts
I haven't stayed there, but Google Maps shows Meta as being on the Sorrentine peninsula, not on the AC. Have you done your due diligence about the pros and cons of driving on the AC?
Assuming you still want to do this, my next question would be why drive from Rome if you are hesitant about the autostradas in a compact car? Why not train to Sorrento and rent your car there?
ETA, I clearly remember driving in several countries in Europe and being passed by little Smart cars on many occasions, so the locals are apparently not phased by driving the highways.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34858 posts
just don't drive with luggage on laps because it is not safe. I have worked at accidents where loose luggage killed front seat passengers.
Loose luggage goes in the trunk.
On the other hand if you all have small luggage and it all fits in the trunk then a small car is fine. I drive a fairly small car and am very happy with it.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you for your replies. Jessica, I appreciate your perspective on safety in small cars. It is, perhaps, my Amercian bias that is coloring my concerns about that. Probably they are unwarranted. CJean, I do know that Meta is not on the AC and have studied some (harrowing!) youtube videos about driving on the AC. But I am a professional driver, so I would like to try the challenge of that road at least once in my life. I know we also have the option of taking a bus or boat to AC from Sorrento. And thank you, Nigel for the advice about where it is safe and not safe to carry our luggage. I hadn't even thought about that!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32449 posts
gregory,
You may already by aware of this, but note that each driver in Italy must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, whhich is used in conjunction with your normal license. Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in hefty fines. Also, many towns in Italy have ZTL's (limited traffic zones) and driving into one of those without the proper permits can also result in hefty fines. I don't know what the ZTL situation is in Meta?
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
306 posts
Have often driven in southern Europe and I have some factors that I consider for rental cars. 1. Can I fit my feet in the clutch-brake-throttle area and easily operate them. 2. Does the car have good acceleration with our load to safely merge into traffic where many drivers think they have FIA Gold licenses. 3. Can I turn off some of the "helpful safe driving features" such as lane control, engine idle stop, etc. 4. Is the car comfortable for our purposes. Otherwise, I haven't worried about collisions - that's why we have insurance.
Posted by
London
1625 posts
I've always found a heavy right foot was key to making sub-1000cc cars do what I want. "Booting it". "Giving it the boot". Sometimes you're in 2nd or 3rd with your foot to the floor going up the steepest hills, but that's how it goes. The luxury of a rental car is that mechanical sympathy can go out the window because it's not yours.
The sketchiest thing I've found in mountainous terrain is boiling the brakes on descents and ending up with a very squishy, scary pedal. Get in a low gear and let engine braking do some work. If you're in an automatic, consider taking it out of "D" and choosing one of the lower gears below that with the shifter or the flappy paddle controls on the wheel.
I'm sure you'll be fine. Millions of Italians drive small cars everywhere in all conditions every day. With you being a "professional driver" you're already at an advantage over mere amateurs.