Next summer, my sister and I will be renting a car in Tuscany for a week, then plan to spend a week in Provence. Shall we keep our rental and try to drive to Provence. If so, is it doable in a long day? If not, would you recommend stopping midpoint or dropping off a car, taking rail, and picking up another car in Provence. Any insight you can pass on would be most helpful. thanks.

If you plan to have a car, keep it. You will only lose money by turning in a car, taking a train, then renting another car. <BR><BR>You will be able to drive from Tuscany to Provence in a day pretty easily. However, you didn't mention which part of Tuscany, or which part of Provence. Driving from the southeastern corner of Tuscany to the northwestern corner of Provence would be a long drive, but still doable in a long summer day.

For a specific example, driving from Florence to Nice should take about 7 to 8 hours. Not such a bad trip in my book.

I'd compare the cost of train against the cost of dropping the car off in a country different from where you picked it up. Since there is usually a hefty drop-off fee for doing that, it may indeed cost more to keep the car. And gas isn't cheap.

St-Cirq has a point. And I totally overlooked the consideration of renting a car in Italy for starters---that is a very expensive proposition even if you don't turn in the car in a different country. Not knowing where you will arrive when start your trip in Tuscany, I can't advise whether it might be more sensible to do something different. <BR><BR> For instance, if your itinerary isn't totally fixed, one alternative (that I have used more than once) is to fly into Nice and rent your car there---cheaper than in Italy. Then drive into Tuscany, spend your time there, and drive back into Provence where you will eventually (I assume) turn in the car with no penalty!!

We did something similar this summer but in reverse. We flew into and out of Nice. Leased a car in Nice (a great deal if you stay 17 or more days), drove to near St. Remy in Provence where we stayed in a restored farmhouse for a week. Used the car daily for day trips all over Provence from as far north as Mt. Ventoux, to as far south as Cassis. Then in one day we drove to Tuscany to a villa rental between Florence and Siena. The drive took a long 9 hours (the traffic around Genoa was bumper to bumper). Again we used the car for day trips, from Siena to Voterra to Lucca, through Chianti, etc. We then drove back to the Nice area for another several few days in Villefranche. Flew home out of Nice. <BR>You'll have a wonderful trip - the best of both worlds.

I have traveled from Tuscany to the south of France, and it was very worthwhile from a money-saving perspective to split it up into two rentals.<BR><BR>San Remo is one of the better "last chance" places to return an Italian car - - and then it's a short train ride to Nice (with a change in Ventimiglia, just to keep you on your toes, unfortuately).<BR><BR>For what it's worth (and this is 4 yr old information), the Budget (Maggiore) location in San Remo is MUCH less convenient for turning your Italian car than the locations for Hertz or Avis.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping, for Diane.<BR>

Thanks for your insights. We will be in San Gimagnano when we leave, and traveling to Bonnieux in the Luberon region of Provence. A car through AutoEurope costs about the same as if we took two different rentals, one in Italy and one in France, albeit through Avis - haven't done much other checking. I'll keep researching and using your collective wisdoms to help me make the decision! Looked into the 17-day thing, thinking we could go ahead and pay for the 17-day but only use for 14 - but that doesn't seem to be an option, and I don't want to have a car in either Rome or Paris. BUT - it is a thought to do the land in Nice thing and go from there! This forum is so helpful all the way around. An awful lot of funny people, too. What a discovery!

Hi Diane,<BR><BR>Kemwell has a 17 day lease program which I've used in the past. You can turn it in early although you still have to pay the 17 day lease. I've done this in the past. You'd have to book early as there is more paperwork than for a car rental - you have to fill out forms and send copies of your passport. I've found Kemwell to be reliable and reasonably priced.<BR><BR>I second the other posters who say that it's cheaper to rent a car in France. Can you reverse your trip and do Provence first, picking up the car in Avignon and returning it in Italy? The reduced cost might offset the cost returning the car early.<BR><BR>Adrienne<BR>