Rent-a-car issues!!!
 

I need to rent a car in Nice and Drop it off in Florence italy. I just got a rate of 470 for 4 days from AutoEurope. The charge is High beacsue of a drop off fee(which is the lowest I could find - half what hertz and avis were charging direct!!!) <BR>My other option seems to be to pick the car up in San Remo(italy) for 330 dollars(4 days) - 413(5 days) The main problem with this is that there is only one train in the moring that goes to San Remo from Nice. 10 am - so I have to waste an entire morning, and part of the afternoon. to pick this car up. - to make things worse the car rental office in San Remo does not have very good hours (9-12:30, then 3:30-7:00). All the later trains arrive after 7:00 !!! <BR><BR>Any ideas??? - I think might just suck it up and take the costly rental in Nice. The only difference(besides the cost) is that I won't have full coverage(italian Cars must have it - but french do not). Any advice ?? <BR>Thanks <BR>

You can avoid the drop-off cost by doing two rentals and depositing the French rental in France, taking the train to Italy (the coastal train that runs along the Med from France into Italy), and picking up a second rental in Italy. I've never done this, but I know it's possible, though it may not be logistically reasonable - and the train fare will offset the car rental fee, though not by much, I wouldn't think.

The train schedulue is not good going to italy - only 10am + Trains are much much slower. the train ride from nice to Florence has 3 changes and takes 7:30 hours(3-4 hrs driving) - forget that. I also wanted to stop in Lucca on the way to florence - If I take the train, we won't have nearly as much time. + it is easier to deal with luggage

Where did you get the idea that there is only one train in the morning going from Nice to San Remo? On a typical day there are trains doing that route at 7:15, 8:04, 8:34, 8:54, 9:16 and so on. Although most require a change they are only a couple of minutes slower that the direct train about 10, ranging from l hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 26 minutes. Take the 7:15 and arrive in San Remo before the office opens, or take the 8:04 and get there just after it opens.

I was using the SNCF website - the problem is that when you get to italy you need to change and the times did not work out very good. - it looked like you would have to take an hour train ride - then wait an hour - then board another train for a 10 minute ride. only a few direct trains were available - the only one in the morning was 10 am.

If anyone knows how I can figure out the Train schedule from Nice to San Remo to show another train in the morning besides the 10AM let me know. I have tried both SNCF and RailEurope. <BR><BR>Thanks

I think that is the only nonstop train to San Remo in the morning, there is also one at 6:07 pm. I assume you know how to get all the choices by moving the departure time section you want (within a 4 hr zone). There are a lot of choices but they do have transfers, although some are more time consuming than others. <BR><BR>I think other than the 10:01 train, the one at 8:27 am seems most efficient as there is only a 24 min. gap during the transfer and it gets there at 10:06 am.