Sandra

Dear all,<BR><BR>I will be traveling from Frankfurt, Germany to Florence, Italy. I have thought about renting a car, but am nervous about the quality of the roads or the possibility of getting lost due to poor road signage, as well as the lenght of the trip (I've never been to that part of Europe, don't speak Italian or German). Is a train a good alternative? Or should I drive instead, being that there is no better way to see and enjoy Tuscany? Has anyone out there done a similar trip, and if so can you give me your impressions on how difficult it ACTUALLY was to find your way around Northern Italy? Thanks!!!

elvira

Why not take a train from Germany to Italy - say Milan, pick up your car there and drive through Tuscany and then dump the car in Florence.<BR><BR>Or train to Florence, then pick up a car there for touring Tuscany.<BR><BR>You can also get daytrips in Florence via tourbus for visiting Tuscany; try the car for a day and if it's no fun, then you can do bus trips.<BR><BR>Think mix 'n' match vs all-or-nothing!

Wayne

Sandra--<BR>You don't say how long you have for this trip, which could affect how you go. But my first impulse is to say that regardless of how you travel, get some kind of guidebook and try to learn a bit of the language---and if you do drive, get a good road map and learn the basic road signs. I think for you the best alternative is to go by train to Florence, then to rent a car there if you feel comfortable enough in Italy to do so. With a car, you can get out into the countryside and enjoy some of the lovely villages. Good luck.

wes fowler

It's always a bit disconcerting in responding to a query to find that I usually have more questions to ask than the initial poster. What are your interests? Large or good sized cities? Rural areas? If large cities, you certainly don't want a car. Are you traveling alone or with companions? Train will no doubt be less expensive if you're a solo traveler. What are your sightseeing interests? Knowing those will dictate suggestions either for autobahn/autostrada driving or secondary roads. Will you be flying home from Frankfurt or Italy? How long is the duration of your trip? Knowing arrival and departure locations and dates can dictate meaningful advice.<BR><BR>For that meaningful advice, tell us more!<BR><BR>The European road system is, by the way, excellent, particularly in Germany. With a good Michelin, Hallwag, Shell or petroleum company map it's difficult to get lost; European road maps are invariably far finer than those you find in the U.S.

Therese

I've done a similar trip, departing from Munich and driving into northern Italy, first to Cortina (in the Dolomites, so little hilly roads) and then on to Venice (where one leaves the car parked outside Venice, of course). A lot of the trip was on the autobahn/autostrada, and we had no trouble with the signage (though you may want to acquant yourself with universal road sign symbols before you're actually driving out of the car rental lot; atlases of Europe have a key to them). You also want to figure out how to use one of the parking meter cards (probably provided with your rental card, or in a pinch you can just write down the time of your arrival on a piece of paper and leave it on the dash). I do speak Italian, but neither my husband nor I speak German, and we've found driving in both countries to be pretty straightforward. When using the smaller roads in Italy remember that there is rarely only one way to get to a place---just follow the signs to the town you want to go to and you'll get there. <BR><BR>Car rental in Germany gives you the option of automatic transmission, a difficult thing to find in Italy (based on personal experience), in case you're considering renting after you get to Italy.

Sandra

Many thanks, Elvira and Wayne.<BR><BR>I did forget to mention that the lenght of my stay in Northern Italy would only amount to about 4-5 days.<BR><BR>Any suggestions, based on that knowledge? Also, i'd appreciate any feedback you might have in terms of what towns to see, on such a limited time schedule...Anyone?

Sandra

Wow, you guys are great, so many responses and I just posted this question!<BR><BR>Therese, your similar experience is very helpful to know about. Thanks for sharing that with me!<BR><BR>Wes, you are SO right, it's such a broad question that I ask. I'll be traveling with my husband, and we would like to take rural side roads, rather than main roads. Your suggestion for the Michelin etc. maps is great because now I know what to look for. many thanks.<BR><BR>You guys are really great!<BR><BR>

wes fowler

Sandra,<BR>Here's a website that may ease your concerns regarding driving in Europe.<BR>Go to www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa and click on "Online Guide" Go then to the second column "On the Road" and click on Roadsigns and signals and you'll get graphics depicting all of Europe's road signs. Scroll down and click on Phrasebook and you'll get phrases in various European langauges, dealing with everything from "Check the oil, please" to "There's a rattle in the differential". In the columns captioned countries, check Germany and Italy. You'll get rules of the road, toll costs (in Italy) and every bit of information you could possibly think of, even to the frequencies and times of English language radio broadcasts.

Sandra

Wes, you are so The Man! Thanks again.

monica

i've done it a couple of times, & definitely recommend the train from frankfurt to milan or florence, then picking up a car. i can't imagine doing tuscany justice w/o a car, unless you plan to stick to florence the majority of the time (you DON'T want to drive there). if you're just going out into the countryside or hilltowns a day or 2, just get on a guided excursions or hire a car for the day.<BR>the train ride from frankfurt to milan is quite beautiful, so do it in the daytime.