Onmylist

Hi, we are a group of 4 active women in the planning stages of our Italian holiday in September 2015. Can I please have feedback on the following itinerary . Arrive into Rome a.m. and have 4 nights. Train to Cinque Terre stay for 3 nights . Our plan is then to hire a car to spend 7 days in Tuscany, then onto Venice for 2 nights and then train to Milan for 2 nights and fly back to Australia from there. Any suggestions on where to start and finish car hire from for that week we have in the Tuscany region.
Thanks in advance

kybourbon

You can pick up your car in La Spezia and return it in Venice. I would drop a night from CT and add it elsewhere.

Onmylist

Thanks for the feedback. Do you think the car drop off point would be best at the Airport? None of my adventurous travel companions are keen about driving in the Italian cities.

sandralist

If you are traveling up from Rome, I would keep your 3 nights in le Cinque Terre. It is fun to not feel rushed there, especially if you plan to have some physical activity. Seven days in Tuscany would be too much for me, but probably not for other people. But personally, I would do six days in Tuscany and 3 in Venice.

As for dropping off your car, you can't drive it in Venice, and dropping it off in Mestre is easy. I wouldn't bother going all the way to the airport. While you have the car in Tuscany, your unadventurous friends are right to not want to drive it into cities. If you plan on visiting Florence, either find some way to get there without the car or have a very precise plan about parking the car well away from the city center. Or skip Florence. You can run into the same problems in Pisa and Arezzo if you are not careful.

greg

>>> None of my adventurous travel companions are keen about driving in the Italian cities. <<<

In fact, it is not up to you to decide whether you drive into the core of Florence, Pisa, or Arezzo. You are NOT allowed to drive into the core of these cities defined as ZTL during the day time. They enforce this with automated video cameras backed up by breathtaking fines.

bobthenavigator

Do not drop the car in Mestre---drop it at Piazzale Roma at the end of the causeway--much more convenient.

bilboburgler

As Bob says drop it at the end of the causeway, (no driving in Venice)

vincenzo32951

Agree with bob and bil about dropping the car off at Piazzale Roma. It's a short walk to the vaporetto stop from there, but pack light.

nyse

And skim this travel report, one of the most famous in Fodors' history:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...d-sorrento.cfm

nytraveler

The easiest place to drop a rental car for Venice is Piazzele Roma - at the end of the causeway. This leaves you almost immediately adjacent to both a vaporetto and water taxi stop.

Onmylist

Thanks all for the info about car drop off, As we continue to plan our trip I'm sure I'll be back for more help. :]

Onmylist

Thanks nyse read the report. But I'm very lucky as I have done a number of OS trips with my travel companions. Vietnam,Egypt and Turkey and we are all still talking. No Diva's in my group.

nyse

Onmylist; I'm glad to hear that for your sake and I truly wish you a wonderful trip.

But it is a great guilty pleasure of mine to read about travel companions gone bad - probably says more about me than them!