How long would it take to drive from Milan to Rome during January? Do hotels let you park your car? <BR>

The drive will be 6 to 7 hours; about 4.5 to 5 by train.<BR><BR>If you really want to drive it, you should get familiar with one or more of these excellent trip planning web sites:<BR><BR>www.viamichelin.com<BR>www.mappy.com <BR><BR>or<BR><BR>www.shellgeostar.com<BR><BR>It will be exceedingly rare to find a hotel IN Rome which has parking on its property. Some will have a &quot;preferred&quot; arrangement with a nearby public parking facility.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping, for Tom<BR><BR>

In my travels to the US, especially to Florida and South Carolina, I found that some Americans are very poor drivers (like in Italy). Except they are different from bad Italian drivers. Some of them are reckless, but many more drive abnormally slow and do not observe right of way rules. They will stop and out of politeness let you go even if they are breaking the rules. Others do not know how to turn except at 2 miles per hour.<BR><BR>If you are this type of driver, you will be dangerous for you and your family in Italy. Do not drive.<BR><BR>You will have a difficult time to park unless you are willing to pay New York City style parking fees.<BR><BR>My advice is to drive if you want to visit a small town, need to travel within Rome or Milan late at night (when the bus is not so frequent). Otherwise, do not drive.<BR><BR>This is not to say all Americans are bad drivers. I also did not comment on how Italians drive too fast for safety. Maybe drivers with one Italian parent and one American parent works best!

Thanks all. We're still considering driving and I take pride in knowing when to speed and when to slow down. I'm an offensive and defensive driver. I just worry that Italian drivers are truly reckless given the stories I've heard and the reputation they have.

I don't think that Italian drivers are reckless in the slightest. Vespa drivers in particular know precisely where their vehicle is and where yours is, and do not hesitate to bring them within an inch of each other. But never collide.<BR><BR>Normally.<BR>

The Italians are the only ones that I know of who can turn 3 lanes of traffic into 6. One key to driving in Italy is &quot;No eye contact.&quot; If a driver sees that you see him, he'll dart out in front of you in a micro second. Whoever has their bumper in front of the other car has the right of way. In Naples, stoplights mean nothing. A red light is nothing more than yield, maybe. <BR><BR>If you know their &quot;rules,&quot; driving in Italy is no problem.

I just returned from Florence and Rome and we traveled by train to Florence and after a few days we rented a car for touring Tuscany and went as far as Assisi. Returning the car from the train station, after getting to the station is not easy. But I would never consider driving in Rome. I drive in LA all the time and last year drove out of Paris, but You have to be nuts to drive in Rome especially if you don't know the turf. Driving outside of cities is a snap, drivers are fine and signs are very good.Take a taxi in Rome to find out how to drive!!!!!!<BR>

Rex, Don't know if you'll see this, but just wanted to comment your suggestions on this site have generally &quot;always&quot; been on target!<BR><BR>The site for driving routes, maps, etc is particularly excellent, ie www.Shellgeostar.com Thanks again,<BR>Ken L

Hi Tom,<BR><BR>My wife and I find a car rental essential for travel outside of large cities in Europe to explore the tons of hidden gems found in the countryside. If we are going major city, point-to-point, we use public transportation. <BR><BR>Rarely do we keep a rental car in major cities' simply because of the congestion, lack of parking and generally great public transportation available in large cities.<BR><BR>We have driven in nearly every country in Western Europe and a few in Eastern Europe - not to mention other parts of the world.<BR><BR>Having said that, driving in Italy is not an earthshaking experience - particularly outside of city centers. Major roadways are well maintained and signage is adequate. With a good map the experience is 'normal'. <BR><BR>Italian drivers are not dumbbo's. They drive well and in our experience are courteous.<BR><BR>As for parking . . . we have never had a problem finding parking - although it can be expensive. Of course, we always inquire about parking before making accommodation reservations.<BR><BR>Last but not least, dump the car upon arrival in Rome. It will be a burden in this wonderful, compact city. <BR><BR>

Thanks, Ken, for the kind remarks.<BR>

Hi Tom:<BR>Having made over ten trips to Italy, with and without car rentals, I tend to concur with most of the other posters and offer the following:<BR>1. Travel on the autostradas is fast, safe but expensive. Tolls will run 10 cents a mile. Stay out of the left lane unless you are passing at a minimum of 130 km/hr., otherwise you willhave somebody parked on your rear bumper flashing his lights.<BR>2. Travel on the main highways is more pleasant, but slow. OK if you have the time.<BR>3. I would not take a car into Milan or Rome. Not only is the traffic very heavy, many streets are one direction and you can get turned around in a kilometer. Parking is non existent or very expensive. Drivers tend to ignore lanes, right-of-way and street parking (double park).<BR>4. If you rent a car for intercity travel, request a turbo-diesel. The cars are as responsive as gasoline models, diesel fuel is readily available and around 30% less costly than gasoline, which can add up on a long trip.<BR>5. If you can, avoid picking up a car at an airport; there is a 15% tax for airport pickups. Also, be prepared to purchase CDW and theft insurance; its mandatory in Italy even with credit card coverage. That can run as much as $25 per day, depending on the model you rent.<BR>6. Don't rule out the train. A Trip on an intercity train with a good dining car can be a pleasant experience. You may find the overall cost very close to an auto rental. It all depends if you want ot make any stops between Milan and Rome.<BR><BR>Ciao, Chet

Chet, hope you read this. Your comments are helpful and full of common sense. I have been following threads on driving outside of Rome. My question in follow-up is .... How do you locate a rental pick-up that is on an easy path out of Rome?

Sandi,<BR><BR>After you have planned your itinerary, just check with the rental agencies for out-of-the-major-cities office locations. <BR><BR>We picked up in Siena, toured Tuscany &amp; Umbria for a week, then dropped in Orvieto. Simple &amp; convenient. Just be sure you know office hours for smaller towns, they are often closed on Sundays/Mondays.<BR><BR>Driving was not a problem.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and advice.<BR><BR>We are a group of 12 people so I thought we would save money and have some convenience by renting 2 minivans to travel from the airports to the hotels, park them except when we travel outside of the city, use mass transit to get around, then use the minivans to get from Milan to Rome then follow the same procedure in Rome (I would NOT dare drive in Rome given the many calls to avoid it from everyone I've asked) and then use them to transport us to the airport. <BR><BR>Sounds complicated I know but that's how these European trips end up anyway.<BR><BR>Ciao.