Car and Driver in Italy
 

Looking to hire a car and a driver to take us from Venice down to Florence with a lunch stop in Bologna. Rates we are getting from the hotel are very high. Does anyone have any experience with hiring a car and driver at a more reasonable rate?

Why not do the train? That's what we did.

Hi markdmarc,

The driver below, Stefano, was hired through our Perugia hotel in 2008. It cost €200 for him to take us to Montelcino and Motepulciano. He said he went any place in Italy. I have given his name to others on Fodor's Forums but not gotten any feedback. So, please report back so I can decide whether to keep him on my list of contacts.

Driver: http://stefanomogini.com/

Probably for less, you could get the kind of train tickets that would allow you to train to Bologna, have even more than a picnic there, and train along to Florence after.

Thanks and good luck!

Any driver for all of that time will be expensive---I would guess 500E. You can store luggage at the station and taxi to your ristorante---fairly easy.

There are relevant means of transport for different needs. Your post has not articulated why you are looking at a chauffeured car option. As bobthenavigator indicated, it would be probably somewhere around what he indicated. You have not enumerated what it meant by "very high" or "more reasonable."

It would help the forum if you had defined what you meant by "us" -- how many and who are they? All adults, small kids, mobility limited people, people requiring special accommodations, etc?

For a couple without mobility problems and not laden by huge amount of luggage, a train would be usually fast, lower cost, and more comfortable. If you are from an area where a public transport is something only "other kind of people" use, you either have to overcome the mental block or stay with the means of transport you are comfortable with.

Bob's quote is probably based upon newer info!

You can also try Tiberlimo.com. We've used them many times. They are based in Rome, but will drive anywhere in Italy. We have used them quite a bit for six of us going to and from the Amalfi Coast, about a three hour trip.

Venice to Florence is a longer trip than Perugia to Montalcino and Montepulcian, even if you went back to Perugia afterwards. Including the lunch in Bologna, it could take as much as 5-6 hours.

Thanks bvlenci, I just gave the info I had. Time and distance should be obvious to the OP. Bologna was not part of our equation.

How would we know what's a "more reasonable" rate when we don't know the rate you were quoted?

Is there a problem with taking the train? Bologna is on the train line between Venice/Florence. You can store your luggage in the train station, have lunch, tour Bologna, catch a late train onto Florence.

We hired a driver to take us from the Rome airport to our hotel in Sorrento (through the hotel). The rate is 400 euros (without tip).....so I am assuming about 500 euros total. You do not say what rate was quoted and what is deemed reasonable vs. unreasonable. For us, we figured the cab from Rome airport to train station, train fare from Rome to Naples, then either a driver or commuter train to Sorrento, etc., etc......we felt the extra money for the driver was worth avoiding the aggravation of juggling all the public transportation with our luggage.

Although, 16 years ago I did the public transportation route from Rome to Sorrento and it is quite doable....but there is some level of hassle involved. You chalk it up to the memories you made while doing it.

TDudette:
Thanks so much. I've been in touch with Stefano and I think he will be able to drive us! You were happy with him...correct? Just want to double check before booking! Please let me know.
Thanks!

You are hiring a driver from Perugia for a Venice transfer---that does not compute. Be sure to get a firm quote---all inclusive---that is a ton of driving for him.

All of you driver experts? May I ask you for names of drivers who could take us (husband and myself) from Venice to Malpensa on June 4, 2016? Many thanks for any info.

Try tiberlimo.com. It's based in Rome, but they have drivers all over Italy. We've used them for years. Good luck!

I have just sent them a request. I'll report back.