No Time to Research-Input on Car Logistics-Rome
 

I would appreciate advice/suggestions as I don't have time to do my usual hours and hours of research as I have a six month old baby. I used to spend my nights combing these boards, I miss it!

Arrival Sunday, Oct 2nd from DTW at 9am-we have a night to kill before checking into our place near Siena, thinking of visiting Orvieto for one night. Flying Coach so will be tired.

1) Given we will have baby-should we pick up rental car at FCO or spring for a private car to Orvieto and then pick up car on our way out of Orvieto the next day?
2) Returning car after Tuscany before Rome-I have seen others recommend Chuisi as a drop off and then training into Rome-would this make sense with baby or should we just do a drop off at Termini before heading to Rome hotel?
Thank you for your input as I don't have an spare time these days!

I don't suppose you've taken any long, overnight flights with your baby yet... and I'm guessing someone will be holding the baby for most/all of this flight. In coach! Obviously, in this scenario, a driver from FCO to Orvieto would be heaven, but it will be very expensive. This company quotes close to $300.

http://advanced.shuttledirect.com/searchresults/quote

Whether you'd feel comfortable getting behind the wheel after the flight is your call. The drive would be close to 2 hours, but you could stop frequently. You could also head to some place closer than Orvieto. Say, Bracciano, which would take about an hour.

I'll let others who have dropped a car at Termini respond to the other half of your question.

Why not take the train to Orvieto and pick up the car the following morning? It's a lot cheaper than a private driver. And I certainly wouldn't drive out of FCO in a rental after an overnight flight with a baby.

You could also stay in a hotel at FCO and take off the next morning. Not ideal, but you might be glad you did the next day.

With a baby would stay over at FCO, just because it would be simplest.
I would not want to drive or even take a train. You have no guarantee that you will have slept wink.

With a baby everything needs to be slowed down I only, especially for a first big trip, which I assume this is.

I'd stay over and drive or take the train the next day.

What about picking the car up at FCO and only driving to a beach hotel at Fiumicino? Spend the day unwinding, walking on the beach, have a nice dinner, then the next morning you could get in your ready to go car and head to Siena.

Orvieto rentals, I believe, have become less easy than they used to be. I'm not sure but I think I've read about it here.

A hotel at the airport would have to guarantee you a 10am check-in otherwise it would be pretty useless. Just dropping bags won't work with fatigue and a baby.
I think I would pick up a car and go, traffic should be light until noonish....maybe not as far as Orvieto though.

How about Santa Marinella or Civitavecchia(40 mins from FCO)? You'd have a scenic 2.5 hr drive to Siena next day, part of it along the coast.(In total, the coastal route to Siena takes about 15 min longer than the inland route through Orvieto.)
SottoCoperta in Civitavecchia has 12noon check-in, free parking, 24hr access to a stocked kitchen, and is 75Euros including baby crib.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/sott...avecchia3.html


2) Regarding returning the car to Termini, where is your hotel? if your husband can drop you and the baby and your baggage at the hotel, then return the car to Termini, it would be nice. Is Termini your only choice for drops?

I would rent the car at the airport since you have a much better chance of getting the car that you want (do you need an automatic) plus one with an infant seat. Both can be rare at smaller offices.

Not sure of your experience driving right off an overnight flight - we have no problem with a couple of hours - but one drives and one navigates. If you have been up all night with baby a closer town/hotel might be better.

As for dropping off - definitely have you and baby dropped at hotel with luggage and then have DH drop off the car.

AFAIK, the only car rental company with an office in Orvieto is Hertz. We've rented there and had no problems, but we didn't have any special needs like a car seat, etc.

Wow thanks everyone for your input, I bought her a seat in Coach so we might sleep a bit and won't need a car seat since I am going to bring it on board. It's always so hard to make a choice! I really appreciate everyones help.

There's a bus from the airport to Siena. It stops in places like Orbetello so perhaps that would be easier than Orvieto.

http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/nuov...iumicino-roma/