hanabilly

Hello all - We are trying to decide between a couple different rental car return options. We will have a rental car for one week in Umbria at the end of our 17 days in Italy in October. Our flight out (on a Saturday) is in the evening - about 8:20. My first thought was to drive to Orvieto (we are staying near Montefalco, and I'm not sure if we will have visited Orvieto yet during our week there) mid-morning. Return the car and store our bags somewhere (I understand that the rail station does not have luggage storage, but possibly somewhere nearby there is "free lance" storage availabe?) Have a nice lunch and afterward take a stroll and probably visit the Duomo and possibly the well, etc. Then take the train to Termini, change trains and take Leonardo out to the airport.

The other possibility that is running through my mind is driving to the coast through Viterbo and down to the airport. What kind of traffic would you expect as one nears the airport? DH will be driving, and he is not inexperienced with city driving (grew up in LA) but we are determined to avoid any unnecessary stress that last day of our time in Italy.

What would you do? What are the pros and cons of either decision?

Thanks!

kybourbon

A nearby hotel used to store luggage, but not sure it still does. There used to be a small sign about it in the train station.

The airport is not in Rome, it's in Fiumicino.

TravelingMan76

We did the drive down the coast, I don't recall any traffic problems, but the car return experience at the airport was not good. It took several attempts to find the right place to return the car.

Michael

If you go to the coast, do not overlook Tarquinia and its Etruscan museum and tombs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4201815424/

Sher

I have returned the car to FCO several times by myself, with my spouse and with my daughter.
We never had a problem.
I<MHO it is easier than training into Rome, transfering with luggage to the LE.
Others have different experiences. This is just mine.

hanabilly

Thanks for weighing in everybody. Yes, with the airport at Fiumicino, it looks like a whole different animal as far as approaching from - is it A12?
Michael - Tarquina and the Etruscan museum, etc. would be my main reason for deciding on driving. That, and the overall convenience, as it weighs out.
Looks like the drive should be fine, but I'm wondering about the airport and the car return, as Travelingman points out. I would thing the help of a GPS could make a difference (??)
Hmmm
could come down to a coin flip. With an evening flight, we don't have a time crunch either way. Anyone else?

hanabilly

Think...I would THINK ;o)