natc143

Hi Everyone,

Would you rent a car or train around italy?

For my first anniversary we are planning 10 nights in Italy. 3 nights in Venice, 2 nights in Lake Garda (western side) and 5 nights in N and S tuscany. We are definitely renting a car in Tuscany for 5 nights, but are "considering" renting a car earlier in our trip when leaving Venice.

We could pick up a car in Venice airport, drive to our hotel in Lake Garda. Its not much more to rent for 7 days instead of the 5. The routes are much more direct.

I've never driven in Italy and have only been to Italy once last year for 2 weeks. We're planning to buy a small navigation/GPS device.

What do you think about driving for 7 days? Will my first anniversary trip end in disaster or fun exploration?

Thanks,
Natalie

steviegene

I would rent a car for the whole time. That would allow you to do a bit more exploring, and have more freedom...

jgg

I haven't been to the Lakes area yet so can't comment on whether it is best to train or drive there. However, last June we did drive for over 2 weeks from Milan to Piemonte to Ligurian Coast to Tuscany then dropped off the car in Rome. I can say, that other than driving in the major cities, driving in Italy is really not that difficult, especially if you have a GPS. We had one for the beginning of the trip, but it stopped working half way through so we used a map, which really wasn't all that difficult.

PalenQ

You definitely don't need a car for Lake Garda as all the various nice towns around the lake are accessible by frequent boats from the lake's two railheads on it southern flank - Descenzan0 (?) and Pescheria del Garda (sp?) - in fact i'd rather boat than drive around the lake - much more scenic from the boat.

Then you could train Venice to lake Garda then to Tuscany to pick up a car or go by car the whole way and not use it in Gardaland.

Big_Red

All that you need to drive in Italy is:
A good navigator
and a good attitude
(and stay attentive)

We drove on our last trip and drove up the east side of Lake Garda. We did not have a GPS.

Trains service only the towns at the very southern end of the lake (Descenzano being one). Research the schedule for the boats. My memory is that service is not terribly frequent.

fall06

I think you might enjoy the freedom of a car, perhaps especially on the Western side of Lago di Garda, which has no public transportation other than boats. If you are unfortuanate enough to get two rainy days, you can use the car to drive to Verona or Bergamo, etc.

Also, I don't know which town you are staying in on Lago di Garda, but time between boat arrivals (outside a triangle in the middle) can be quite lengthy because the lake is huge.

The car will be especially nice to have in Tuscany, and under all circumstances, tossing your luggage in the trunk is easier on the temper than hauing it through a train station when its hot or wet or you're just plain tired.

By the way, you can always turn your car in if you discover it is ruining your vacation. I had friends who ditched their car halfway through a trip and they were right to do so. They bought about 4 train tix to complete their trip, and once they'd subtracted what they would have spent on gas and parking and tolls had they kept the car, it wasn't much of an "indulgence" to have ditched the car once they knew they hated it. And as I recall, they got a credit for the unusued days, which was good for all the rest of Europe.

But I doubt you will find the driving difficult.

MyriamC

I'd take the car for 7 days, without any doubt. It will enable you to go to the smaller places that aren't serviced by train/bus, without having to pay attention to the clock all the time.

odysseusthebrave

Renting a train? You must have some serious money ;p

As for car rentals, try this website for a good list to compare prices etc: http://www.travel--guide.org/Rome

LucieV

Having done both, and having been to all the places you're going to (except Garda), I unequivocally vote for train.

With the enormous caveat: this is a totally individual thing! Some people prefer the benefits of having a car, some prefer the benefits of not having a car.

Do keep in mind that the public transportation system is a zillion times better than anything in the US, so don't try to base your decision on what you've experienced here. I would not want to try to travel this country by train; but I have enormously enjoyed travelling all over Europe by train many times.

Mimar

You don't need to go all the way to the Venice airport to pick up a rental car. Just pick it up at Piazzale Roma. That's on the edge of Venice where the causeway from the mainland arrives.

bobthenavigator

Hmmm ! Did we not do this same question a month ago?

Get the car as you leave Venice at Piazzale Roma and keep it. As we said last month.

natc143

Thank you! I was on the fence with renting in Venice but knowing i'll have a GPS has helped me decide to rent for the majority of my trip.

Thanks for all your feedback! Much appreciated.

nytraveler

I would rent the car when you leave Venice and return it at the departure airport. You really must have it for Tuscany - and it will be helpful in doing other stops Venice/Lake Garda and doing day trips there.

ekscrunchy

I agree...definitely rent the car. You do not need to buy that device, either, if the non-driver can read a map. Italian roads are usually well marked in my experience. It is great to be able to detour, stop for lunch along the road, stop for photos, take small pretty roads, just mosey around (pardon the old-fashioned word.) So what if you get lost a little?