emmaij

My family (five of us) will be staying in Central Rome next week and then want to rent a car to drive to Amalfi Coast - where we are then based - dropping off at Pompeii en-route. (The car will be returned to Naples airport) My husband - a fearless chap - thinks he can navigate Rome and cope with the crazy Italian driving - I'm not so sure. Is it easy to exit Central Rome? Or best avoided? And, if car hire centrally is not advisable - where would be the best place to rent to be able to easily exit Rome without it becoming too much hassle as we have three young kids. Would it be a good idea to take a metro/taxi to a car rental place near the Autoroute? Or should we take a train to Naples and get a car there? Please advise what is going to be the least stressful option.

kybourbon

You will have to get a van to hold 5 people plus luggage. I don't see the point of dropping at the Naples airport. That would be a long way from the Amalfi Coast. I would drop the car at Sorrento.

I wouldn't pick up a car in Naples as you don't want to drive in Naples.

zeppole

Get a map of Rome and locate the Termini train station. There are car rental offices there, and you can see on a map that there are wide straight streets you can travel to get efficiently to the Autostrade. It is easier to do on a Sunday than other days of the week, but if that's not possible, monring traffic on weekdays is headed into the city, not out of it. Traffic is probably at its lightest during lunch time, so if you can pick up your car just before noon, that helps too. Try not to leave at the afternoon "rush" hour after 5pm.

It may be that you need to go to the airport to pick up a car large enough for all of you and your luggage. In that case, I recommend that you go to Ciampino Airport, since it is a better place to start if you are going to Amalfi. I'd also recommend getting a car service to pick you all up from your hotel.

Last but not least, if you end up preferring to take a train, it might be easiest if you went from Rome to Salerno, and picked up the car there. Just make sure you understand when the rental offices are open and closed. However, buying train tickets for everyone, plus the car rental charge for the day, would be a fairly pricey option.

With planning, and some close study of maps ahead of time, and a GPS if you have one, you should be out of the stress zone fairly shortly. If it's any help, I make it a policy when I drive in Italian cities to not only stay cool, but the moment I think I may have missed a turn or gotten lost, I pull over where I can park and consult the map.

When you are in Rome, you should find it very easy to buy a map that shows in detail the area where you will pick up your car, and how to get out of Rome to the highways. The car rental agent will help with directions too.

All that said, the most accurate description I've ever read of Roman drivers is that "they drive within a paint-coat of your car." They do, and your husband will need to keep pace and keep his cool -- and so will the passengers.

You don't mention the exact age of your young children, but you should check if Italy would require car seats for any of them, or you might want them anyway. Rental offices usually offer them, but you should always check ahead the day before you pick up the car that the local office is aware of your request and prepared when you walk in the door.

zeppole

PS: I just wanted to add on that the cost of train tickets for children is usually heavily discounted. I don't want to leave you with the impression that you should take the "cheaper" option of renting a car. You should take the safest option, no question about it. Most people avoid driving in Rome because it is a difficult place, and I personally not get into a car in Rome without having a lot of confidence in the person driving it. It's doable, but you are right to keep safety at the forefront of your considerations.

kybourbon

You don't mention whether you actually want a car to sightsee or just want to stop at Pompeii on your way to the Amalfi Coast. Where are you staying on the coast?

Bus from Rome to Pompeii might be an easier option for a family if you just want transport. It doesn't involve any changes or keeping up with luggage as it's stored under the bus. Marozzi and Curreri both run buses from Rome (Tiburtina train station) to Sorrento, stopping for a brief drop at Pompeii and one or two other small towns. Cost is about 16€ one way. Buonotourist runs a bus from the airport in Rome (with a stop or two on the perimeter) to Salerno.

Mimar

If you rent a car, you can pick it up outside Rome at Ciampino Airport, which is not far from the ring road around Rome leading to the freeway south. Or at Fiumicino Airport, a little farther away but with more transportation options getting there.

And to drive in Italy you need an International Driver's Permit, easily obtainable at your local AAA/CAA office. Plus you must buy CDW for your rental car. (Credit card coverage does not count.)

A car isn't necessarily the best choice for the Amalfi coast, definitely not in the summer. In which town are you basing and what are you going to use the car to see? And how old are your children? Are they old enough to be able to drag their own little suitcase? If so, they would probably enjoy the train.

emmaij

Thanks so much everyone - zeppole, your long post was so helpful about leaving from a more central part of the city and/or the airport. Mimar, it is interesting to hear your advice re renting from the airport and the questions you have over whether a car is needed at all. Kybourbon, sorry I think my post was confusing. I am visiting Pompeii en-route to staying at the Amalfi coast at, possibly, Ravello. If we do rent a car it will need to be dropped off at Naples airport because that is where we fly home from - but I have taken on board your point about not renting a car from Naples initially especially if I don't want to visit that town! ( I thought Naples railway station might be an easy half-way point to pick up a car from!)

Mimar

Ravello is up in the hills with magnificent views of the coast but some very steep drop-offs. It's some distance from the actual coastline; driving from Ravello to anyplace will require extra time on small mountain roads. Not much going on there in the off-season. I'd reconsider that as a base.

I gather you're coming from the UK. So maybe a train wouldn't be so interesting to your children. But Pompeii does have a Left Luggage office. That might be safer than leaving your bags in an open van.

We dropped off a car once at Rome's Stazione Termini, trying to fill the tank first. Not many gas stations in historic Rome. There are few places with 2 pumps on the edge of the sidewalk. This experience led to the most swearing ever in our 40+ years of married life.

emmaij

Mimar - am familiar with that re-fueling of the tank prior to the hire car's return when there just doesn't seem to be a petrol station, anywhere! Hire-car troubles can test even the most committed, loving relationships!