Tom

We are a group of 12 young people and I have a question about renting a van. Is it more economical to this or just take the rail? How much is van rental and gas in Italy? What about parking at some of the hotels? We're planning to go from Milan to Rome and then back to Milan.

mike

Car or minivan rental costs are quite variable. You just have to ask. It could range from moderate to very expensive. Parking will be tough except in the suburbs. My feeling is that you should rent a minivan if there is some small town between Milan and Rome that you wish to see.<BR><BR>Driving is possible in Italy but you should be a good driver (be able to drive fast and safely). Knowing how to drive a stick shift helps because automatics can be expensive (be you need to check).<BR><BR>A minivan might not fit 12. Again, you need to check the websites. Try Hertz to start, though Hertz is only rarely the cheapest.<BR><BR>Renting without a reservation is usually expensive in Italy and many European cities.

xxx

How young are you? The minimum age for renting a car is 25. I also agree with the above poster. If you plan to explore small towns on the way from Milan and Rome, then a large fan is fine, but if doing the larger cities, then the train/buses will be more convienient.<BR><BR>Gas runs about $4/gallon. And most hotels in cities do not have free parking.

jen

Some companies have 12- or 15-passenger vans for rent (if you're old enough) but you may have big trouble fitting the luggage in!

Rex

If some of the youngsters are under 8 years old or 60 pounds, then you might get by with two minivans.<BR><BR>But realistically, what you would need to rent will be two nine passenger vans, and good common sense says that you need three drivers (preferably four). There are just too many little minor things that could make it unsafe or unwise for a person to drive - - excessively sleepy, or eyes watering from allergies or who knows what else.<BR><BR>The van rental could well be cheaper than train fare, though a lot depends on how many days parking in Rome. Count on 25 euro per vehicle per day. Plus, probably cab fare to and from the car park facility to leave it off and reclaim it.<BR><BR>I am nto trying to talk you out of the rental vans. But if these two rides are the only ground transportation you're seeking (i.e., no side trips, no little towns along the way), you might find the train worth the small additional expense.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Cristina

Two minivans would work. To drive 12 people in Italy you would need a special license.

Rex

The reason I recommended nine-passenger vans, Christina, is tha the expression &quot;young people&quot; (at least in America) could mean 12 football-player size college kids, each with duffle bags the size of telephone booths (okay, so I'm committing a bit of hyperbole here).<BR><BR>Minivans in America often have MUCH more cargo space, and I have seen six &quot;normal&quot; sized adults have very real trouble getting the luggage in - - unless they use up quite a bit of the seating space to fit it in.<BR>

Cristina

You are correct that the minivans here are smaller BUT please note that you need a special license for passenger vehichles that can transport 8 or more people. That is why I said 2 minivans but maybe 3 would be better.

Rex

That is very interesting, Cristina. I have rented a nine passenger van only once in Italy (numerous times in other countries), but only had seven passngers in it. The rental company has never asked me for a special license, in France, Germany nor Italy.<BR><BR>That doesn't mean that you are saying is untrue. But with 12 passengers in two vans, perhaps it would not be relevant?<BR>

Cristina

Well I took the exam for a driver's license here in Italy last year and to drive an 8 passenger vehicle or larger you needed a different class of license. Some rental companies may not care and rent to you anyway as they are not the police just as they do not demand an IDP for North American tourists.

Alice Twain

When thinking about comparing costs, please notice that 12 people travelling toghether by train may get a collective ticket (&quot;comitiva&quot that includes a 20% discount on most trains (the discount is only 10% in Eurostar trains). These tickets must be bought at least 15 days prior the trains' departure, but I think you might get them through the web at www.trenitalia.it or calling a travel agency among those listed in the same site (http://www.fs-on-line.com/agenzie/agenzie.htm) in the city you are departing from.

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