6 passsenger automatic - please help me find one!
 

Six adults and no vehicle to be found! We fly into Torino, and want to be able to explore the Piemont on our own, but can't find a car or van large enough for 6 people plus luggage. We are not experienced with manual transmission and would prefer to all be in one car. We will be forced to sign up with a "tour" just for the transportation! Any help please?

It may be easier to just go with two cars, and in the end that might be good from a logistics perspective in any case, as some days you may not all want to do the same things.

Torino's got decent rail connections if you want to stick to train as a means of transit.

I agree. By the time you got a vehicle large enough for all the luggage you would be in a sherman tank.

Consider tow smaller cars - will probably end up cheaper plus give you some flexibility.

Small bus and driver?

oops - "two smaller cars . ."

Learn to drive a stick shift. Switch cars with a friend now, and practice until you leave. It is really not at all difficult - just needs a bit of repetition.

Have a great trip!

:-)

Please consider the "two cars" idea...please do not perfect your stick-driving skills in Europe.

Support the learn to drive a manual car appropach. It is not that difficult. IMHO opinion driving a large vehicle on the much smaller roads would be much more difficult.

You do not want the tanks in Italy---the 2 car approach is the better solution.

Yikes, aren't there mountains around Torino, as I remember from the Olympics, can't imagine it's a place for a novice manual transmission driver ;;) Deborah

There are no 6 passenger sedans in europe. You would need to rent some sort of large van or SUV - but even then doubt if you will get all 6 people plus luggage.

With 6 adults I would definitley do 2 separate mid size cars. Everyone will be more comfortable - and you won;t all want to be joined at the hip every moment anyway.

(Even when the beau and I traveled with my B and SIL we split up a couple of times - partly because we wanted to see different things and partly just to have some time away from each other. One day my SIL and I did Liege - folk useum and cathedral etc -while the guys played golf - and I think went to the casino. Another day my B and SIL wanted to see a castle while the beau and I explored more of Tier.)

And - that way you'll have no trouble getting automatics.

I don't agree with the posters who think a van won't carry six with their gear. We have a Honda Odyssey, and have done it on 5-hour Vegas excursions and over the river and through the woods to Thanksgiving at grandmother's 1,300 miles away - nonstop (3 drivers).

The Odyssey is a very large van by European standards.

You will save yourselves a lot of mental anguish if you learn to drive manual transmission. As others have said, it is not difficult. A sympathetic friend can teach you in two hours, and you can perfect it in a weekend.

The main thing you need to know is that automatic transmission cars - - even if you go with the two cars plan (and I see nothing wrong with the plan for a 9 passenger van, by the way) - - are available "on request" only. Many a renter has gone to the counter only to find out that they really do not have ANY automatic transmission cars, at all... that day.

Best wishes,

Rex

Rex -

Only if you can find a friend who has a manual transmission and doesn't mind risking your stripping the gears. (I have 2 friends who CANNOT learn to drive manual - simply don;t have the coordination. And I prefer automatic when I'm in a strange car in a foreign country - esp on the wrong side of the road).

I drive a manual on a daily basis and don't mind it. That said, I am not sure I would recommend someone who is not comfortable try it in Europe. There are things you learn over time that are hard to learn driving around a neighborhood!(How not to lurch backwards into the car tailgating you when stopped on a hill comes to mind, parallel parking while shifting also comes to mind, that took me a while to accomplish without stopping traffic for what seemed like half an hour LOL!)

Cee, I did some checking and I'm not familiar with this company, they do have a mercedes passenger van with auto trans. not sure if it is available in Torino. https://www.driveeurope.com/carrentals/italy.html

good luck with your search, Deborah

NYtraveller - the majority of people in Europe learn to drive on a manual. I don't think that they all strip the gears!

Look at car-rental-italy.com. They have 6 and 7 seat vans. They are based out of California and use SIXT. Check out their website. We had no problem with our car rental in Italy through this company.

cee, here is another site, a another mercedes http://tinyurl.com/2gx4ko

I can't believe how difficult it is to find a 6 passenger car. Have you thought about renting a RV ;;) !!!
deborah

<<< I can't believe how difficult it is to find a 6 passenger car >>>

Plenty of 6 passenger cars in Europe - they are called "people carriers" - but when fully loaded with people there isn't much space for luggage

I'm sure the majority of people cna learn to drive manual - but not everyone. (I actually remember a British TV show on which a woman was taking her driving test for the umpteenth time since she COULD not get it.)

But the issue isn;t what you CAN learn. It's waht you're comfortble with. And - when you're already in a foreign country, not sure of roads - and perhaps driving onthe wrong side of the road - why add yet another potential issue? Just to save a few $?

Vacation driving should be fun - and not stressful - and if you very rarely drive manual it can be very stressful to do it in a strange car and in a strange country.

My experience is with Ireland, not Italy (despite the screen name), but it SHOULD translate.

For six adults plus luggage, you need a NINE-passenger People Mover (VW Carravelle, Mercedes Vito or equivilent). I've taken groups of six to Ireland three times. The only time I attempted to go 'on the cheap' and get a SEVEN passenger (Renault Grand Scenic), it was WOEFULLY inadequate for the six of us, even without luggage.

BothSHOULD be available in automatic (though I always get manual), but the premium will doubtless be QUITE hefty. It probably would be cheaper to rent two cars.

Bob

<< And I prefer automatic when I'm in a strange car in a foreign country - esp on the wrong side of the road >>

Not driving on the "wrong side" of the road (relative to the US) - - flying into Italy.

Cee should suit himself/herself - - but anyone reading this ought to be considered forewarned if they decide to rent "an automatic", and show up at the car rental office... only to hear... "sorry, we have no automatic transmission cars today".

you will have great difficulty getting a large 6-9 seater auto. I tried in spain recently but to no avail. Also do not forget that here in europe the roads are a lot narrower and winding than in the US. If you want to explore the towns and villages with a large vehicle you will find it virtually impossible to negotiate the narrow town street and will miss an awfull lot. Also parking in towns will be very difficult with a large vehicle. All in all you would be much better with 2 cars for every reason given before

What are your travel dates, and what is your drop-off location? Do you want to rent at the airport, or is downtown Torino o.k. or preferred? If you gave this information, people could make more concrete suggestions with prices.