How's the road from Tuscany to Venice?
 

I am looking for information on ease/difficulty of driving from Tuscany to Venice in November. Is the road particularly difficult or slow? I seem to recall a thread discussing a difficult stretch, but can't find it now.
I thought we would drop the car off at Chiusi and take the train to Venice from there, but we will be dong this on a Sunday, and the car rental agencies are closed (except for one with a drop box, and it is not near the station.) Is there any reason we shouldn't just drive on to Venice? The cost for the car is the same regardless of where we drop it. As always, I really appreciate any advice.

we picked up our rental car in florence, drove to montalcino for a week and then dropped the car back in florence and took the train from there to venice. the hertz office is literally around the corner from the main train station so it was very easy. where will you be picking your car up?

Some of the rental offices in Florence are open on Sunday - but not all. I can't tell on the AutoEurope website which ones are near the railstation. I have been reading other threads saying its very hard to get to the Florence car rental offices (except the airport) without violating the no drive zones. Since the car doesn't cost any more if we drop it in Venice(of course gas and tolls would be incurred) I wondered if it might not be just as easy to drive on to Venice.

Hi Nancy, during the week the commute traffic and tons of trucks can make the drive from past Bologna to Venice rather miserable to put it midly. I am not sure about a late afternoon on a Sunday in November however.

I wouldn't hesitate to drive to Venice, and I'd sooner but up with traffic than driving into Firenze.

Sorry for the typo: I meant to type that I'd sooner put up with traffic on the autostrade than drive into Firenze.

Thanks Zeppole. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Once on the road, unless there are some really awful challenges, we would prefer to just keep on going. It means one less transfer, and I will be with my son who enjoys driving. It sounds like another option would be to drop the car in Bologna. Once again,however, the only open car drop is at the airport, requiring a transfer to the train station.

hi nancy,

I can't see any reason why this shouldn't be a breeze, unless you hit unseasonal snow, which is unlikely.

I would drive right into Venice. we did it the other way and it was fine.

regards, ann

I agree--no sweat. To me easier than fooling with trains. Do not expect scenery--it is just all autostrada, but fast.

Nancy - I'm trying to make same decision...Tuscany to Venice...only we'll be doing this on Sunday, May 2...a holiday weekend no less. I would prefer to take the train to allow the driver to relax. Please report back if you drive!

You might consider dropping the car in Mestre, just outside Venice, at the train station. It seems to be pretty easy to get to from the A4. Hertz office is open every day from 7am to midnight. Train into Venice costs a euro. I've not done this but plan to in early October.

I understand that driving into Venice is not the easiest thing to do but others may disagree.

Travelfan1 - I will report on the drive when we get back.
I was planning on dropping the car at Piazza Roma, where we can catch the vaporrato ( I know I am not spelling all of this right) to our B&B. The car rental places are not open there on Sunday afternoon, but they say there is a drop box. Alternatively, I thought we could drop it at the airport, and take the bus to Piazza Roma - just as we would do were we flying in. I will check out the Mestre drop.

No, the Piazzale Roma drop off is by far the easiest.

By FAR the easiest.

The road from the terra ferma to Venice is just a causeway. IE no turns, no possibility of getting lost. If you can get to Mestre, you can get to Venice.

Piazzale Roma is not large -- almost all the car rental places are in a single building, each with its own store-front office.

It really could not be simpler.

One thing to note: In March 2009 we got totally confused when driving from Padua (just W of Venice) to the area E of Venice because there is a brand new bypass road that takes you around Mestre. It had opened 2-3 days before our trip. Needless to say, our maps were out of date.

I cannot say whether and how this new road may have affected the route to Venice/ P.le Roma. But do make sure you have the very latest maps.

Great to know tedgale. Thanks! And I will try to remember how to spell "Piazzale Roma" !