Kim

<BR>Will be travelling from Rome through Tuscany, and then on to Venice and Bellagio with 6 people in October. I've raised the question previously with no response from anyone with actual experience. Can we get by with 7-passenger minivan (6 carry-ons), or would we be better off with a 9-passenger minibus? We would probably pick-up at Rome airport, drive to agriturismo outside Florence (50km), spend 5 days exploring area hilltowns, then on to Venice where we would drop vehicle and train/ferry to Varenna and Bellagio. Anyone have any firsthand experience they can relate? Thanks.

mary E

Sorry no answer, but I also would like to know if we can rent a minivan or small bus for 13 people traveling from Siracusa to Ragusa

Alec

European passenger vans (usually called MPV or people-carrier) are usually very short of luggage space when most seats are taken. You find that with something like a 7 seater Ford Galaxy, you will hardly have enough room to store all your cases, also they will be in view of potential thieves. Since a van like that for a week in October costs around $620 including insurance, you will be better off with two cars, like Fiat Brava or Punto, which seats 3 comfortably and has enough trunk space and costs about half of Galaxy. Also touring around Tuscan hill towns with very narrow streets will be a big hassle with a van. Also you gain flexibility to do your own thing should group members have differing interests. So unless yours is a family group and only has one driver, I'd say - get two cars! Besides, fuel cost of two smaller cars doesn't differ much from a fully-laden van, esp when they are diesel.

Kim

<BR>Thanks Alec for the comments. Unfortunately, I may be the only driver (or at the least the only one willing to try!). I have been concerned about ingress and egress to the hilltowns. Particularly due to he need for getting my 77 year-old father as close to the center of things as possible before venturing out. I know two cars would make a lot more sense for the reasons you mentioned, but I'm not sure I have the option. Thanks for your input!

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Kim, It will take the big one for that bunch, and that will be tight. It is on a truck frame and will be manual. <BR>Good luck--I admire your spirit.

Alec

Kim <BR> <BR>Points taken. If you need a van, and can't negotiate the access roads (they are often incredibly narrow and winding!), you can leave your van in a parking lot just outside the centro storico and take a cab to the center. A mini bus will have more room for luggage, but it isn't the easiest vehicle to maneuver or park, though should be ok for point-to-point journey. Check, though, that there may be extra requirement for driving a minibus above certain capacity in Italy (age, type of driver's license held etc).

Mari

Kim, we had the same dilemma - 6 people (two 80 year old mothers in the group) with luggage - planning for our trip to Italy in July. Since my husband will be the only driver, we opted for the 7 seater mini-van similar to the Espace. My husband recently rode in one in Paris but didn't realize that was what it was until he got out. His impression was that we could somehow squeeze in our 5 bags (not carry-ons) especially since we would not be using a seat. The rental company said there is some space at the very back for luggage but not much. The price and insurance for the 9 seater was outrageous and we didn't want to drive around in a huge vehicle every time we wanted to go out somewhere. <BR>I know you're not going to the Amalfi coast, but my husband took a side trip there from London last weekend to check out our villas. He said Italian side roads and streets (anything off the Autostrada) are very narrow and parking, even with the small rental car, was difficult and he is anticipating a slight problem with the 7 seater. So, I guess we're thinking squeeze in for the ride to and from Rome with luggage and opt for the 7 seater. We really didn't have another choice. Hope this helps a bit with your decision. <BR>Good luck, <BR>Mari <BR>

Barb

Kim, <BR>We just returned from Northern Italy. We rented a Fiat 9 passenger van for 7 people & had plenty of room for both luggage (7 suitcases with an assortment of carry-ons) & people.

Kim

<BR>Thanks to all for your comments. Since we will only have to spend a total of about 7 or 8 hours having to drive with all luggage and passengers (Rome to Montaione / Montaione to Venice), perhaps we could squeeze into the 7-passenger and stack one or more bags on the 7th seat. <BR> <BR>Barb - If you happen to check this thread again - I would be interested in knowing which rental agency you used and what difficulty you experienced in getting around, parking, etc.? <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Joe

Kim: We rented a seven passenger in Italy last year . There were six of us, all adults, and we did fine. There is the space behind the rear seat, the space between the two passengers in the rear seat, the space between the two passengers in the second row of seats and spaces here and there we filled in. We rented through AutoEurope (they made the arangement with Avis), picked up at Malpensa Airport in Milan and dropped off at La Spezia train station before heading to Cinque Terra. I forget the model, but it was a supercharged diesel (kept the gas prices down) and an automatic with air conditioning. We only had to travel packed from Malpensa to Lucca (about three hours) and then Lucca to La Spezia. The rest of thr time we wandered without luggage. Worked out really well.

Barb

Kim, <BR>The same as Joe, we used Auto Europe, (autoeurope.com) They make arrangmements with the best priced rental agencies for your needs. They come highly recommended by many people on these boards. I checked them out on the web, then called them direct with questions. Our van was a diesel, standard shift. I was very impressed with its gas mileage, and it performed admirably on the Autostrada, as well as up 2 lane mountain roads in the Alps. We stayed away from driving in the bigger cities, opting for the train instead. The only "white knuckled" experience I had was on the barely 2 lane road with blind curves, going from Lecca up to Bellagio, (How come no one ever mentioned that road!) But since you'll be dropping your vehicle before then, you wont have to experience the feeling that at any minute a tour bus will come around the corner and knock you off the road. Good luck with your trip!