Getting from Santa Margherita to Monteriggioni on a Saturday - can it be done?
 

We are spending a few nights in Santa Margherita and then one to head on to one night in Monteriggioni and then down south to Pieza area. We don't plan to have a car in Santa Margherita. Problem is I can not locate a car rental agency located anywhere near Santa Marg that we can rent a car on a Saturday to drive out. I thought we could take a train to Siena, rent a car there, and drive on to Monteriggioni but again no rental car offices open in Siena when we would arrive. Any advice out there? Only solution I have found is to rent a car the day before but the office is some distance away and don't want to waste the time or the extra day rental.

The nearest of the main car rental companies that I know of are:<BR><BR>Europcar ... at CHIAVARI<BR>Maggiore ... at LAVAGNA <BR><BR>Alternatively, nearly all the main ones have agencies at LA SPEZIA.<BR><BR>I'm sure you will find some if not all among those that are open on Sat. a.m.<BR><BR>Hope this helps ...<BR><BR>Steve

Why not taking a train to Livorno (not much of a touristy place, but a rather large town) or Pisa, that would not require changing train, and renting a car there? Also, train to Florence and rent a car in Florence is better than reaching Siena by train. IMHO the best options are either La Spezia or Pisa, though. They are halfway along your route, easy to reach by train and the drive to Monteriggioni may prove one of the best experiences you will have during your stay in Italy, especally if you avoud the larger roads. Check out www.alicetwain.supereva.it. In the Tuscany section there are photos of the &quot;Countryside around Siena&quot;, a good deal of these phots were taken one year ago halfway between Pisa and Siena.

Thanks for the advice. I checked the AutoEurope website and found I could rent a car on Saturday at Chiavari which appears to be less than ten miles from Santa Margherita.

BoulderCO<BR><BR>Before you choose to rent your car in Chiavari over La Spezia, I'd (1) check a map and (2) train schedules out of SML. I'm not looking at a map right now, but I think you may have an easier/quicker connection from La Spezia to the autostrada heading south into Tuscany &amp; Monteriggioni.

I did check La Spezia. Their office is not open on Saturday. I think you are right about the easier connection though.

Which agency did you check in La Spezia? There are many there - all the main ones ...<BR><BR>Steve