first trip to Italy - what size car do you recommend for four people?
 

We are driving in and around the Tuscany area, and have two adults, and 15 and 18-year olds. I've heard the roads are small/narrow, and we only have to take luggage to and from our apartment we're renting. Should we snuggle into an economy? Advice? Thanks!

The roads in towns are narrow, the parking spaces are tight, the street parking spaces are hard to find, and the Tuscan cities are full of ZTLs. So this is a trede-off question. You have to decide what is the most important factor to you and live with the limitations of others factors.

Some years ago we had a Renault laguna and felt perfectly comfortable in the countryside, and in Florence and Pizza. You would park outside the towns like Siena and san Giminiano anyway, so might as well get a larger car for the leg room and the comfort.

Do not get an Alpha 159 as it seems large but is actually cramped inside.

I recommend a mid-sized wagon. Definitely not an economy car w/ 4 adults. The fear that a larger car won't fit on narrow roads or parking spots is simple nonsense. You won't find large Suburban sized SUV's in Europe, but there are many larger sedans and wagons, and even mini vans on the roads. Take a look at the standard larger cars from VW, BMW or Mercedes - they are the same size in Europe as in the US.

Do you really need to go on a travel board and ask what size car is needed for four adult-sized people? Do you think car rental agencies in Europe are unaware that the streets in European cities and towns are narrow or the turns are tight?

Go rent a Fiat Nuova 500 and see if your kids ever travel with you again.

However, you SHOULD rent a diesel engine vehicle because European diesel prices are far lower than gasoline prices, and the gas prices are terrible. This site [http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/fuel_prices_europe.html] says it's 16 Eurocents less per liter for diesel in Italy. Multiply that by 38 liters for a 10 gallon refill and you save more than 6 Euro per tank, which is currently about $7.80.