We will have 2 weeks starting in late June for our trip to Italy. Our flight arrives Milan and my first thought was to drive to Florence but after reading several posts regarding transportation it appears most experienced travelers in this area recommend the train. We have been to Milan, Forence, Venice and Rome on a tour a couple of years ago so we have seen these cities from a tour perspective but we prefer to have the flexibility of planning our on trip and exploring. So my question is should we take the train to Florence from Milan and rent the car in Florence then drive around Tuscany? Our flight leaves from Venice so we will need to plan the trip accordingly. I guess the final question would be do you recommend returning the car to Florence and taking the train to Venice? <BR><BR>Like other posts I want to thank everyone who helped with our trip planning to France last summer. We chose to drive from Paris to Normandy, to Loire and Provence and finally Nice for the plane home and it all worked well.

TRAIN!

I have driven from Florence to Parma and also taken the train. The road from Milan to Florence is pretty good. If you are an agressive driver driving in Italy is not that bad. If you are a timid driver it is torture. The train is great unless you have a lot of luggage, have trouble getting around or are really interested in exploring at will. Cars give more freedom but parking will be a huge pain and cost a fortune. Gas is really expensive. I'm on an expense account when I drive take trains when it's my money.<BR>Hope this helps.

How many people? and do the people in the back seat (if any) get an equal vote? or a lesser vote?<BR><BR>People who enjoy driving (like me) often favor car. Riders in the backseat often cite the comfort of the train.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping<BR>

Rex, you were one of the "helpful" people I referred to in my orginal post when I referred to our France trip last year so once again THANKS! Now back to Italy. There are only two of us and we successfully drove the France trip last year (getting lost only a few times). We have little experience with trains in Europe having only taken a train in Paris to Versaille so I am uncertain about the train aspect but comfortable with driving. Parking seems to be an issue in Florence. Discarding the cost factor, which would you do Rex, drive or take the train from Milan to Florence? Additionally, would you suggest turning in the rental car let's say in Florence and taking the train to Venice on the last leg of the trip as opposed to driving to Venice?

If you don't plan to stop anywhere between Milan and Florence and Florence and Venice, there is absolutely no good reason why two people traveling together should not take the train! Between Milan and Florence, there are Eurostar trains every hour. Between Florence and Venice, approximately every two hours. It's much cheaper and more relaxing to take the train. Spare yourself the expense and aggravation of driving and parking. Check train schedules and fares on www.trenitalia.com

GAC,thanks for the website. I will definitely take a look. If there isn't much to see then I agree the train sounds good.