Driving From Montepulciano to Levanto
Dec 9th, 2009, 05:56 AM
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Driving From Montepulciano to Levanto
Do you think this is possible in one day? We will leave Montepulciano area early in the morning and drive to La Spezia where we will drop off rental car and take local train to Levanto where we will spend 2 nights before heading to Avignon. How many hours should this trip take or is it better to just take a train from Chiusi to Levanto?
Dec 9th, 2009, 06:45 AM
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It's certainly possible (use via Michelin or Mappy to calculate the drive time), so it's really all about what you prefer to do.
Driving can be more scenic if you choose a scenic route (adds about an hour to the overall 4-hour trip), and allows you the possibility for a leisurely lunch on the road and yet still arrive in Levanto before dark (unless you are going in winter). You also aren't carrying your luggage, changing trains. But obviously it's more stressful, and if you stop for a true sit-down lunch, it gives you less time in Liguria.
How are you getting to Avignon? Train? That's a long train ride from Levanto because Italian trains are very slow between Levanto and the French border. You might consider keeping the car in Levanto and dropping it off in San Remo, then catching a train into France.
Also, I have had good experiences with car rental companies allowing me to switch my drop-off location as little as 24 hours before the car is due back. You could wait to see what the weather will be like. If it's raining, might as well drop the car in Chiusi and save yourself the stress of driving in the rain. Likewise, you can return the car in La Spezia or Rapallo if you still have it in Levanto but the weather forecast is bad for the rest of drive to San Remo.
Driving can be more scenic if you choose a scenic route (adds about an hour to the overall 4-hour trip), and allows you the possibility for a leisurely lunch on the road and yet still arrive in Levanto before dark (unless you are going in winter). You also aren't carrying your luggage, changing trains. But obviously it's more stressful, and if you stop for a true sit-down lunch, it gives you less time in Liguria.
How are you getting to Avignon? Train? That's a long train ride from Levanto because Italian trains are very slow between Levanto and the French border. You might consider keeping the car in Levanto and dropping it off in San Remo, then catching a train into France.
Also, I have had good experiences with car rental companies allowing me to switch my drop-off location as little as 24 hours before the car is due back. You could wait to see what the weather will be like. If it's raining, might as well drop the car in Chiusi and save yourself the stress of driving in the rain. Likewise, you can return the car in La Spezia or Rapallo if you still have it in Levanto but the weather forecast is bad for the rest of drive to San Remo.
Dec 9th, 2009, 09:41 AM
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That is not a bad drive at all---about 4 hours.
I agree to keep the car in Levanto and drop it in San Remo---less hassle overall and the incremental days may not cost you much at all--maybe less than the train fares.
I agree to keep the car in Levanto and drop it in San Remo---less hassle overall and the incremental days may not cost you much at all--maybe less than the train fares.
Dec 10th, 2009, 07:46 AM
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cornelieus01,
Don't take this as criticism, but you can answer a lot of these questions yourself by using a driving/map website like viaMichelin.com or mappy.com (which also offer you the option of comparing the 'quickest' route with a 'scenic' route).
And you need to use the Trenitalia website to compare train times to drive times, and decide what you prefer.
You will have a very good sense of how you react to autostrade driving and tunnels by the time you get to Levanto with your car. If you don't like the drive to Levanto, call your car rental company and change your drop-off location to either La Spezia or Rapallo, and take the train from there (very easy in both towns).
Also, be sure to actually ask your car rental company what the surcharge is for returning the car in Avignon. You may not think it is too big in the entire context of your trip.
Don't take this as criticism, but you can answer a lot of these questions yourself by using a driving/map website like viaMichelin.com or mappy.com (which also offer you the option of comparing the 'quickest' route with a 'scenic' route).
And you need to use the Trenitalia website to compare train times to drive times, and decide what you prefer.
You will have a very good sense of how you react to autostrade driving and tunnels by the time you get to Levanto with your car. If you don't like the drive to Levanto, call your car rental company and change your drop-off location to either La Spezia or Rapallo, and take the train from there (very easy in both towns).
Also, be sure to actually ask your car rental company what the surcharge is for returning the car in Avignon. You may not think it is too big in the entire context of your trip.
