Getting from Chianciano Terme to Venice
 

We will be spending a week at an agriturismo south of La Foce near Chianciano Terme. We will have a car rented from FCO. We are then headed to Venice for a weekend before flying home.

My original plan was to return the rental car at the train station in Chianciano and taking the train to Venice. It looks like there are two train possibilities. One is a direct ride, but ends at Mestre. The other involves a transfer in Florence, but brings us to Santa Lucia. Is it better to end where we want to, or switch in Florence?

I am also wondering if anyone has had experience returning a Hertz rental car to the train station at Chianciano Terme after (or in this case, before) hours. The website says this is possible. I was thinking we might want to take a train that leaves around the time the rental place opens.

Thanks!

Better to take whichever train is fastest - a change at Florence can be hectic - at Mestre not so bad - smaller station and shuttle trains all the time - take what is cheapest and quickest IMO.

Chiusi-Cianciano is the name of the station in Chiusi. Of course train fares can vary greatly - if it involves a high-speed train from Florence you can score deep discounts by booking really early.

I see the direct train is quicker than going via Florence so if the time - I only see one a day, around noon - an IC train - it seems the best - cheaper too I would think. and no changing in hectic Florence SMN - the change in Mestre is a lot easier.

For lots of great info on Italian trains check www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

First class discounted tickets can cost not much more than 2nd class - and IMO with luggage, etc first is well worth the extra price - IC trains I've ridden were sparely occupied in first class but often packed in 2nd class.

Personally I would take the train all the way to Mestre, simply because -- even though these problems are not the norm -- if it turns out when you arrive in Mestre that there is some delay in trains going all the way to Venie, you have other options at hand. Whereas if that happens in for your change in Firenze (or your train arrives late and you miss the connection), you are stuck in Firenze until everything is sorted out.

I have never personally dropped off a rental during the time the office at Chiusi was closed. However, rule of thumb in doing so is to take several time stamped photos of the car where you parked it, and enough to show it was undamaged when you left it. Again, I have never heard of anybody dropping off a car and having problems later on, but everybody takes photos anyway!

I have used the Hertz office in Chiusi and my recollection is that it is not comfortably within walking distance of the train station. If you find out this is so by checking a Google map, my recommendation would be to drop off the luggage and a guardian at the train station while the driver drops off the car and walks back to the station

(PS: In saying that the office is not comfortable walking distance, I only mean it is a bit long if you are dragging luggage, or if raining. Also, the advice to take photos is not because that particular office is particularly unsafe. It is probably totally safe. Just general advice for anytime one drops off a car at a closed rental office anywhere.)

Thanks for the advice. If we take the direct to Venice train, I don't think we will have the rental car issues, because I think it is later. I guess the only advantage to the other routing is if we want to get to Venice earlier in the day.

Getting to Venice earlier in the day may be key - otherwise you kind of waste the whole day.

I would drive to Venice to drop the car and make it simple.

It's a bare minimum 4.5 hour drive from La Foce to Venice -- without any stops, which you will certainly need to make, so it's not going to be any faster than the train, and it might even take you longer. Depending on whom you rent from, you may need to time your arrival at the Venice rental office to its opening hours. The drive is 75 percent unscenic on toll highways, and totally unenjoyable should it be raining, For me it would be simpler to take the train unless for some peculiar reason I needed to carry a lot of heavy luggage or had very small children with me. Horses for courses.

Train could be cheaper as well - you save on a day's car rental and those predatorily steep autostrada tolls and of course expensive petrol and once in Venice cars are useless - if doing that return the car maybe in Mestre and take the shuttle train over.

If you want to leave earlier than car rentals are open (always dicey IME leaving a car if unmanned) - just drive say up to Florence and return it or to a small town like Arezzo then take the fast train - much more comfy than IC or regional trains IME - right to Venice Santa Lucia station on a main canal with public boats and teaxis awaiting out front own the steps out of the entrance.