lowcountrycarol

I am wondering if it would be best to avoid the GRA in returning (with rental car) to FCO this July from Montalcino. My thoughts are that heading down towards the coast towards Tarquinia would avoid the reported delays (thanks to Bob the Navigator for that mention previously). ...but unsure of the actual drive time. Other option would be to leave our rental apartment 1 day early, head towards Lago di Bolsena then on to Lago di Bracciano, sleep there and have an easy drive to the A12 into the airport.

Our flight is not until 2PM and the apartment rental agency is telling me that there is "no problem" making our flight with leaving Montalcino in the morning. I do not think they are taking into consideration the GRA delays. Does anyone have any thoughts about the best plan for returning to FCO? Thanks.

Palenque

For those of you who read these types of threads because we are curious as to what the heck the GRA is:

<Rome circumscribed by the Grande. Raccordo Anulare (GRA)>

so ring road - like Peripherique in Paris

lowcountrycarol

Palanque, Thanks for the clarification. I should have used the phrase "ring road" which would have been more helpful to those reading this.

J62

I did a similar route a few years ago - from Tuscany (actually Umbria), through Vitterbo, over to the coast through Tarquinia, then down towards FCO. The drive through rural Italy was not super fast - you pass through some small towns along many routes and need to slow down, so I wouldn't count on the non GRA route being any faster. From Montalcino to the coast wouldn't be high speed.

What we did like was that we were in much more off-the beaten path Italy. We even spent a lovely day at the beach south of Santa Marinella at a place where no English was spoken. A quiet weekday at the beach, splashing in the water, getting some sun. Only Italian families around. It was kind of nice after being elbow to elbow with American and Asian tourists in Florence and Venice.

We spent the last night at a hotel near the airport so we weren't pushed for time getting to the airport for a 10am departure.

Since you have the apartment until the last day, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend $ for a hotel elsewhere. If your 2pm flight is non-stop to the US you probably need to be AT the airport by 11am. FYI, there is a gas/service station on the A12 - I think it's just a few miles before the airport where you can fill up rental car.

bobthenavigator

Yes---via Grosseto, Tarquina and down A12---I like that route.