goddesstogo

We'll be leaving Bologna on Saturday October 7 to drive to Cortona. But it was really more a concern about amarante's statement that "It's not hard to drive out of Bologna but it is hard to drive over the mountains in between Bologna and Tuscany, especially if it is raining (which it could be)".

So I'm now down to the fine-tuning parts of getting from one place to another. And, of course, that brings up a few more options and a few more questions. I hope you're not getting sick of me.

Here's the plan so far:

Week one: Turin
no car; do day trips by rail; train to Bologna

Week two: Bologna
no car; do day trips by rail

****Here's the new part of the plan:

Week three: Cortona
Train from Bologna to Arezzo to pick up car and drive to Cortona;
use car for day trips for that week.
At the end of week three we have to get to Rome to fly home on Friday the 13th and this is where I have options and questions:

Option 1: On the 13th (day of flight) drive from Cortona to Rome airport and return car there (there might be a cost but that's ok). We'd have to be at the airport by noon. The timing would work barring traffic jams, bad weather, etc., but I'm a little nervous about missing my flight.

Option 2: Drive to Arezzo on the 12th and return car there. Train to Rome and stay overnight in an airport hotel. Fly out the next day. This would eliminate the stress of getting to the airport on time.
The question here is this: would the train from Arezzo go as far as Rome airport? If not, what's the best way to get from Rome train station (or wherever that train would let us off) to whichever airport hotel we'll be staying at?

So many, many thanks for all your excellent advice!

tuscanlifeedit

The train from Arezzo will only get you as far as central Rome. You would need to get a train from there to the airport. Then from the airport you'll need a shuttle or taxi to your airport hotel.

OR, you could exit the train in central Rome and get a taxi or car service right to your airport hotel.

I don't think option 1 is too awful. If I have to be at the airport for an early flight, I would rather not try to drive there, but since you don't have to arrive before noon, I think with an early start you would be OK.

If you go with option 1, leave time for traffic and the car return.

goddesstogo

Thanks, tuscan. I'm glad you have confidence in option 1. It's still in the running.

Re option 2, I guess we could also take the train to central Rome, have about half a day and a night there and then take a cab or shuttle to the airport. So that might be option 3.

tuscanlifeedit

Option 3 is also reasonable.

schnauzer

Many years ago we drove from Stressa to Rome, it was a ghastly freeway drive. Even at 140mph people were passing us as if we were standing still, or coming behind us really close and flashing their lights. I hated it... then we couldn't find the rental car drop off point at the airport. We drove around for about an hour..finally we saw a tiny sign that led to the multi storey car park where the returns were. All in all a horrible experience and I told myself I would never do that again. Why didn't we take the train? Well I know, cos we'd paid for that day.s rental.... being too frugal.

So if you are going to drive to the airport make sure you know exactly where to return the car..it may be more obvious these days, I hope so.

ticino

I would do Option 1.

Check the time with google, add 20-30%, and allow some time for filling the tank as you want to return the car with a full tank.

If you want a small car with plenty of space in the back try getting a Fiat 500L. The back compartment is huge and will take two large suitcases.

Car return in Rome should be pretty fast, especially if you have full insurance.

goddesstogo

Thanks everyone.

I'm leaning towards option 1 and will add plenty of extra time on. My only concern is that there are always things you can't control, like traffic accidents.

Option 2 also appeals because after three weeks of traveling, it seems the most relaxing and least stressful.

Option 3 would work though I'm not dying to spend a day in Rome.

schnauzer, we had exactly that experience somewhere in the US. There were eight billion signs directing to various parts of the airport and a teeny-weeny sign pointing to the car return place.

ticino, by 'full insurance' do you mean what is called 'no deductible' on the AE website?

yestravel

We had a similar experience to schnauzer driving to the airport in Rome. Horrible traffic and then had an awful time finding the car rental. Returning the car took 5 minutes, but we kept missing the turn to get to the airport return. I would do option 1 but I would allow plenty of tiime.

goddesstogo

Dear fodorites,
You're almost done with me now, so just have a little more patience please. Your help has been invaluable and I appreciate it so much!

We're down to the fine points now so there are a few more questions:

We've decided to go with Option 2 as the least stressful, most relaxing option. I know my SO pretty well and I know that after three weeks of traveling, he'll be coming up to his "I'm ready to be home; let's go NOW" point. Plus every time we travel, we're that much older and more inclined to let someone else (e.g. the guy who drives the train) do the work.

So we'll be checking out of our Cortona flat the day before our flight (hopefully our owner is ok with this), returning the car and staying over in an airport hotel, relaxing and taking our time to get to our flight the next day. So here are my last (ha ha) options and a few questions:

Option 1. We can leave Cortona, drop the car at Arezzo (where we will have picked it up, thereby avoiding an extra charge), take the train to Rome, take another train to the airport and then cab or shuttle, if there is one, to our hotel. Take the shuttle to the airport the next day.
Questions:
- Can you see anything wrong with this plan?
- I'm assuming there's a train from Arezzo to Rome, is that right?
- I know there's a train (1/2 hour) from the Rome train station to the airport -- would that be the same train station?
- Do most of the hotels have shuttles to and from the airport?

Option 2. We can leave Cortona, drive to Rome airport and drop the car. Get ourselves to the airport hotel via shuttle or whatever.
Questions:
- This would mean driving in autostrada traffic to the airport. We've driven on the autostrada before but away from Rome and years ago.
- It would also mean trying to find the hidden car return place.
- Do you see any benefit in this option over Option 1?

And a few general car questions:
- When I book with AutoEurope I'm getting a compact (possibly a Fiat 500L if it's available, standard transmission) but I'm not sure about the insurance choices. Should I go with 'basic', 'inclusive' or 'no deductible'?

Many thanks again.

jamikins

Hello Goddess!

Your trip is coming together nicely!

We had a Fiat 500L in Le Marche in July and really liked it. We always go for the no deductible option so we don't have to worry about it. Not the cheapest option but the one that works for us.

We always drive to the Rome airport when we are dropping off a car and staying at the airport. Scott had some trouble finding the right place to drop the car off last time so get good directions. What day of the week and what time of day would you drive? That might make a difference.

We have stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn twice and thought it was a good choice.

Happy Planning!

goddesstogo

Hi Jamie,
Hilton Garden Inn would be a good choice for us because I like piling up their points. And I was thinking of going with the 'no deductible' option, so glad to have that confirmed.

I think it would be a Thursday and time would be flexible, I guess, since we'd be driving and not dependent on train schedules.

I could do some work re finding the airport drop-off prior to going. And if we miss it and have to drive around again to find it (which I assume we can do) at least we won't have the time pressure of possibly being late for flight check-in.

Thanks, honey-bun!

bvlenci

<i> ... but it is hard to drive over the mountains in between Bologna and Tuscany, especially if it is raining (which it could be)". </i>

Between Bologna and Florence, you would almost certainly be on the autostrada, which is not difficult at all. However, as I mentioned above, I don't like that road, mainly because of all the tunnels (which level out the mountain crossing) and the heavy truck traffic. I once drove that road in the night in the rain, and while it was not fun, I wouldn't call it difficult.

My husband's car is a Fiat 500L (2016 model) and we are very satisfied with the car. It has good acceleration, comfortable seats, and a spacious trunk.

I always go for the high deductible. I consider myself a low-risk driver: I've never filed an insurance claim in my life. Over the course of many years, the money I've saved by getting the higher deductibles is considerable. The same is true with travel insurance. All insurance is essentially a bet. I'm willing to bet I won't need it, and am willing to put up to a thousand euros on the table to back my bet.

bvlenci

Cristina, I've been meaning to thank you for your recommendation of Squaremouth for finding travel insurance for our recent trip to the USA. I found a company (IMG) that allowed me to raise our medical deductible to €1000, and we saved €150 on the policy that way. Most companies had a standard €50 deductible, and the ones I contacted wouldn't allow you to raise it. Insurance companies rake it in with those low deductibles.

Elizabeth_S

gtg - I don't take the extra insurance in Italy - apparently our CIBC Aerogold Visa covers it (although I always assume there's a way they can get out of it!) - like bvlenci we've assumed the risk of the deductible for years instead of paying the usurious daily insurance rates (which are like renting another car!)

Have a great trip!

goddesstogo

Elizabeth, how did you do that? I believe you can't decline the insurance in Italy. My TD covers it as well, so whatever costs I may incur in Italy (hopefully none, though) will be reimbursed by TD when I get home.

Anyway, I"M DONE WITH THE TRIP PLANNING! YAY! I don't know why but I found planning this trip so much more difficult and tiresome than ever before. Maybe it's just getting older, too many choices/details, just generally not feeling well these days but I found myself wishing for the good old days of the travel agent.

Well, all the travel details are done with finally so now all that's left to decide on is the fun stuff -- day trips, museums, restaurants, etc.

So many thanks for all your very good advice and ideas and here's what we ended up with:

Fly into Rome and then a short flight to Turin
A week in Turin (in a studio room with kitchenette at hotel Residenza dell'Opera) with day trips by train
Train to Bologna
A week there in an apartment (Residenza Ariosto); day trips by train; possibly a cooking class as a surprise for my SO
Train from Bologna to Arezzo (thanks amarante), pick up car (Fiat500L, I hope) rented through AutoEurope (thanks everyone) and drive to Cortona
A week in Cortona (in flat through VRBO/HomeAway) with day trips by car
Day before leaving, drive to Rome airport, stay overnight at Hilton Garden Inn (thanks Jamikins); fly home the next day.

One teeny question: Our car rental confirmation talks about returning the car to Fiumincino Airport and it says "Desk in Terminal". What does that mean?

immimi

From the car drop-off area you walk into the terminal and the desk is right there.
IIRC, there is a drop box for the keys near the booth. Easy access to both.

massimop

glad you decided to skip driving out of Bologna.

Even if I wasn't going to drop off the car in Chiusi & take the train into Rome for the last night, I would spend the last night at someplace more interesting & tasty than the Hilton, despite the points, since the flight doesn't leave until noon. Tempting to me would be Anzio or Genzano di Roma.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtn...b_2949141.html

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/b...-history-ruins

Or in the other direction, Cerveteri or Santa Marinella

http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome....nta-marinella/

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/cerveteri.html

if you do decide to stay at the Hilton, bring your own food and wine from Tuscany to eat at the hotel! Or, if you've already given up the car, spring for the taxi fare to Fiumincino eat a nice fish dinner at Pinzimonio.

joannyc

<< Remember to pull up on the ring.? >>

You must pull up on the ring around the stick shift to put it in reverse. I was stumped in the midst of a u-turn and had to have a complete stranger show this to me! Luckily, it was a deserted street!!!

goddesstogo

"From the car drop-off area you walk into the terminal and the desk is right there.
IIRC, there is a drop box for the keys near the booth. Easy access to both."

I'm still confused. In the US & Canadian airports I'm used to, there's a separate building where you rent and return cars and either a shuttle bus or train that runs between that building and the main terminal where the flights land/depart.

I assume from your post that 'the terminal' I'm walking into is the building with the flights but where do I actually drop off the car?

"Even if I wasn't going to drop off the car in Chiusi & take the train into Rome for the last night, I would spend the last night at someplace more interesting & tasty than the Hilton, despite the points, since the flight doesn't leave until noon."

It's not the points. It's that I'm trying to make this trip as relaxing and less stressful as possible (hence all the train travel instead of driving) and I know my SO well enough to know that after three weeks of traveling, he'll need a day of downtime before getting home. We don't have to get the car back till 3 pm and have to be at the airport at noon the following day so it's just an afternoon and evening. However...

"if you do decide to stay at the Hilton, bring your own food and wine from Tuscany to eat at the hotel! Or, if you've already given up the car, spring for the taxi fare to Fiumincino eat a nice fish dinner at Pinzimonio."

Good tip about bringing dinner. And I like the idea of a nice fish dinner. How long a cab ride would that be from the hotel, do you think? I just googled their menu and in translation there's a dish called "Curdled in the Hunters". I have no idea what the dish is but I love translation!

"You must pull up on the ring around the stick shift to put it in reverse. I was stumped in the midst of a u-turn and had to have a complete stranger show this to me! Luckily, it was a deserted street!!!"

I'm so glad you said this! I'm going to add it to my list of questions to ask when I pick up the car. I've been driving manual for 40 years but here you just push down on the stick to get into reverse. Thanks!

immimi

Wow, I owe you an apology...I'm confusing Rome w Milan...mea culpa for sure!

Carry on.