Alibarton

We will be renting a car when we leave Rome to travel to other parts of Italy. The hotel owner has suggested that we pick the car up at Roma Termini Station. I am not sure where this is located and want to be sure that we will not be driving a rental car in the main part of Rome. Is this location an easy exit from Rome?

ElendilPickle

Where are you going when you leave Rome? It will most likely be easier to rent your car outside the city.

Lee Ann

Ackislander

Termini station is one of the busiest spots in Rome.

Think, as Lee Ann says, about renting in a smaller city that you get to by train or at the airport.

NewbE

As I recall--and I could be wrong--doesn't at least one major highway pick up right by Termini? So the OP would not have to drive through the center of Rome but rather away from it? I would hate to take a bus or cab to a train to a rental agency.

rbciao47

Every time we pick-up a rental car in Roma it's at the Stazione Termini. The traffic around this place is heavy, but if you've driven in a big city during rush hour you will do fine.

We've also returned cars to this location without too much difficulty. However, taking a 75 minute train ride to Orvieto could make your life easier for car pick-up, if you are going to be in that direction.

Go and have fun.

Buon viaggio,

Gordon_R

I'd avoid collecting a car at Tiburtina if you can. First of all, the cars are located in a sprawling and congested multi-storey car park several hundred yards from the rental car offices inside the railway station. Although Via Tiburtina (the main arterial road heading east out of the city) <i>is</i> nearby, there are several confusing and chaotic junctions to negotiate before you get onto it, and lots of traffic hazards to contend with: vehicles entering from side streets without stopping, homicidal moped riders on the wrong side of the road, pedestrians running across the road etc...

I worked in Rome for 3 consecutive summers and became well accustomed to the local driving conditions, but believe me it is much more challenging than most European cities. Renting a car at the airport is by comparison far easier and less stressful.

KCicconetti1128

We rented a car out of Termini last summer. It was not easy. I would say take the train to Orvieto or Chiusi.

letsgeaux

We did not find it that bad. We rented a car elsewhere in Rome but parked it at Termini Station because our hotel did not have a parking lot. It is not far from the city center but not in it. We had no problem leaving the garage and finding the highway to Tuscany.

Ackislander

The key here is rbciao's: are you used to driving at rush hour in a big city?

The traffic is not worse than Boston, but it resembles Boston a lot.

The issues are different than in Atlanta or LA or Washington, but if you are used to these kinds of cities, it won't be a problem.

But if you are not used to this kind of driving . . . .

NewbE

My SO and I are OK with driving in heavy traffic--in fact, when we recently had to drive through Boston we were amazed at how easy it was after all the warnings we'd read. Rome was more chaotic, but we managed.

The thing is, unless the driver knows for a fact that s/he won't be able to handle it, I'd hate to see a person schlepp unnecessarily out of an unfounded fear.