plambers

thanks so much to all of you our 3 week Italy june/july vacation is coming along. I found ff awards the week before so here is itinerary:

Tues June 26-Sat June 30-Rome

June 30-July 7 Val d Orca in Tuscany

July 7-July 14-Marche

July 15 depart from Rome

we would rent a car for 2 weeks. How difficult is it to drive in/out of Rome? How is drive to Sienna area? How long? Am trying to rent a car in Chiusi but not coming up on Auto Europe.

It is a 3-4 hour drive to Rome from Le Marche so we will spend a final night in Rome before our flight. I thought someone had made a suggestion here but I cannot locate. Don't really wan to stay near airport...

Thanks all

massimop

Do you know when your flight out of Rome is? The departure time?

Would you be picking up the car Sunday?

StCirq

I have never had a problem picking up a rental car in Chiusi and have done it several times (through Auto Europe). Even on a Sunday, whenthey opened the office especially for me (for 25euro fee).

Drivinginto/out of Rome has addled me a few times, but mostly because of the poor signage at the airport for returning rentals,which may have improved since I was last there.

PalenQ

Those are regional trains Rome-Chiusi -flat fare no need to pre-purchase -can take any regional train that day with ticket. Just buy at station.

Orvieto would also be a place to pick up car and Orvieto itself is awesome -one of nicest hilltowns I've been to - on edge of Tuscany.

Regional trains are so cheap they may be cheaper than driving Rome to Chiusi and a lot more stress-free perhaps.

Anyway for lots on Italian trains- www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Validate your own regional train ticket before boarding by sticking it in a validating date/stamping device in stations and on platforms.

PalenQ

From Chiusi station - several car rentals out front or nearby - head first to Montepulciano - one of the iconic Val d'Orca hilltowns (of many) and en route take a look at Chianciano Terme - a thorougly modern spa town that is known as one of Italy's finest thermal resorts - well for something much different than ancient Tuscan hilltowns:

http://www.termechianciano.it/GB/Home

https://www.google.com/search?q=chia...w=1745&bih=864

I enjoyed strolling around the grounds and tasting the odiferous part sulphorous mineral water.

kybourbon

>>>It is a 3-4 hour drive to Rome from Le Marche so we will spend a final night in Rome before our flight. I thought someone had made a suggestion here but I cannot locate. Don't really wan to stay near airport...<<<

Like many towns in Italy, you aren't allowed to drive in the center unless you have a permit. You should revise your itinerary and start either in Val D'Orcia or Marche and put all your Rome time at the end. That way you can dump the car the last few days and take the train or taxi to the airport.

bvlenci

Starting in the Val d'Orcia or Le Marche gives you a long and tedious trip on your arrival date, and probably the need to rent a car somewhere before arriving at your final destination.

I live in Le Marche, and lately, because of inconvenient schedule changes at our local airport, we've been flying out of and into Rome instead. It's a four-hour train ride from Roma Termini to the station nearest our home, and a 45-minute car ride after that. It's really not fun coming off a long flight. And if we don't arrive in Rome really early in the morning, we miss the morning train and have to wait at Termini station until the early afternoon. On our last visit to the US, we spent more time on the trip from the airport to our home than on the trip from Indiana to Rome.

It's quite a different matter from heading straight to Florence upon arrival, which I often recommend. I don't know about the Val d'Orcia, but I'm sure there would be some changes of train, and probably some driving involved.

I suggest keeping Rome at the beginning. On your last full day, you could drop the car at the airport and take the Leonardo Express into central Rome. There are some decent hotels in all price ranges near the station, from simple guest houses to the 5-star Exedra. In the morning, you can take the Leonardo Express (€14 per person) to the airport; or a taxi (€48); or a private car service (www.romecabs.com or www.romeshuttlelimousine.com, at about the same price as a taxi).

I've never stayed at the Exedra (out of my price range) but one of my daughters usually stays there. There are also some less expensive but excellent hotels. Three Bettoja hotels (the Mediterraneo, the Atlantico, and the Massimo S'Azeglio), and the Una hotel are the ones I know. All have good restaurants and the Bettoja hotels have good buffet breakfasts. All of these are an easy walk (five minutes or less) from the station, and I've walked to all of them. The Una hotel is the closest; it's probably three minutes from the station. If you have too much luggage and need to take a taxi, there's no need to stay near the station.

massimop

Are you staying in San Ginesio in le Marche or somewhere else? If San Ginesio, consider driving 90 minutes to Terni (in Umbria), dropping off the car, and taking the train into Rome for your final night. Then next day, a taxi to the airpor.

I would not rearrange your trip to drive upon your arrival if you don't want to.

If you want to pick up the car on a Sunday morning & are able to make an arrangement with AutoEurope for a fee to open a closed ofiice, I would suggest picking it up in Rome rather than taking a train to Chiusi if you are comfortable driving highways in a foreign country. The western-most car rental offices (near the Borghese gardens) would be easiest if you are headed to the val d'Orcia, and Sunday mornigs in Rome are very quiet (just make sure they aren't running a marathon that weekend, etc!)

massimop

Wanted to add:

It might be that the Terni office isn't as convenient, say, as the one in Orte or Orvieto if you are dropping off a car & catching a train back into Rome. Somebody else might know detailsrlike that, or you can often find them out on the TripAdvisor message forums.

Just generally it is easier to drive out of Rome to an autostrada or ring road than it is to drive back in, especially if you are trying to drive back in when there is lots of traffic.

plambers

thanks again all. i want rome in the beginning and the rest will be more relaxing.

what is a regional train? how long is the train ride from rome to chiusi? we also need an automatic car-should that be an issue at the car rental place? then how far a ride from chiusi to val d orcia?

we'd do the car rental sat to sat. i'd prefer to pick up and drop off outside of rome.

i'd also love if we could depart rome on the saturday after we leave le march-yes it would be the house very near san genesio. is there any way we could drop car off in terni, get a train to rome and make our 11 am flight or is that just way too tight?

massimop

You will need to stay in Rome your final night if your flight departs at 11am. In July, Rome really does require being at the airport 3 hours before your departure.

Generally speaking, automatic transmissions are only reliably available at airports, but if you speak directly with AutoEurope, they may be able to arrange for you to be able to pick up an automatic in Chiusi (or Orvieto, or Viterbo). If you do that, however, be sure to call AutoEurope about 48 hours before the scheduled pick up to reconfirm the deal.

If you pick up the car at one of Rome's airports, you have about 2.5 hours of driving to the val d'Orcia. From Chiusi, it's about 30 minutes. (Other nearby towns, under an hour.)

A regional train is a milk-run train that makes all stops between point A & B. They have no reserved seating. Inter-City trains do not make all stops, but generally travel the same routes as the Regionals. The "Freccia" trains are bullet (or "arrow") trains that travel only between Italy's major cities, at very high speeds, on dedicated tracks.

bilboburgler

If you try to find sienna on the train system you are going to have a problem, it's Siena ;-)

bilboburgler

trenitalia does not take prisoners

plambers

so another question-am reconsidering a lovely house 10 minutes from orvieto as our last stop. is that a good base? or is it too similiar to Tuscany? would that get us into rome on time for our Saturday flight? does the train go to the airport?

what is the best stop for a car rental pickup outside of rome if the val d orcia is our first stop? also would need an easy train to get there...

thanks so much again all and please excuse the spelling mistakes!!

PalenQ

does the train go to the airport?>

not direct from Orvieto but you can change in Rome Tiburtina station to local airport trains but it would take a couple of hours Orvieto to airport or more -see www.bahn.de/en for schedules.

I'd drive to the airport the day of your flight - you do not go thru Rome from Orvieto by road.

Orvieto would be IMO the best first place to rent a car to go to Val d'Orca.

massimop

Not sure I understand: Are you considering skipping le Marche for a house outside Orvieto -- unless that area is too much like the val d'Orcia?

The val d'Orcia is a unique agricutlural area that has been farmed in a particular way to produce a unique landscape which hasn't changed much since he 14th c. The counryside area around Orvieto is not as mysteriously beauitful with broad vistas, but it is also a wine-growing area. However, Orvieto's nearby towns have a lot more variety than what you find in southern Tuscany -- Pitigliano, Narni, Montefiascone & Lago Bolsena.. You can find a way to make it quite different. But again, the most dramatic difference between the Tuscan valleys & someplace else is he seacoast.

If your flight departs FCO at 11am I still think you need to spend your last night in Rome if you stay in Orvieto.

If your first destination with a car is the val d'Orcia, Orvieto is convenient but Chiusi is a shorter drive to the val d'Orcia. I think I would pick Chiusi.

massimop

meaning: I would pick up the car in Chiusi if heading to the val d'Orcia. Drop it off in Orvieto at the end of your stay before heading to Rome on the train.

plambers

yes massimop-are val d orcia and orvieto area too similar? we could pick up car in chiusi head to val d orcia and then drive down to umbria (orvieto) for last week and drop off car in orvieto. the towns like orvieto and assisi look interesting. so are the towns around val d orcia not that great for visiting?

i have looked at the maremma but private homes with pools there are way more expensive than any other area. i would also like to be near the ocean and experience something different? any other options besides maremma? le marche is not too far away from the ocean-am i correct? or are you again thinking southern italy? will it be way too hot there?

is march area more different? i need to figure out where we'd drop car off there-am worried driving into rome will be nuts.

believe it or not we cannot get an automatic in orvieto-only chiusi!!

i am getting stuck bc of all the lovely houses-I need to remember variation!!

yorkshire

The Maremma is a getaway for Romans, so I can see that kind of accommodation being expensive. Otherwise it was quite an inexpensive region for us. Perhaps a week without a pool, on the sea instead (look on Monte Argentario for apartments)?
In San Ginesio, you will be an hour from Sirolo (where I investigated for a future Le Marche trip, being a sea lover).

plambers

yorkshire, so i will be near the ocean in san genius-but an hour is a long drive. did you like the area?

so do i base ourselves in chianti or val d orcia or umbria for our fist stop after 5 days in rome?

them maremma or le marche?

i am falling in love with the houses so need to stay focused on regions!!