Rental Car - Alfa Romeo 147 or Lancia Y - does it matter?
 

Thanks for all the info you've all given me on my itinerary and train tickets. My 22 day trip to Italy in July includes picking up a rental car in Pisa, using it while staying in San Gimignano for three days (day trip to Siena, exploring Tuscany, etc.), then driving it to Orvieto to drop off before boarding a train for Salerno. On autoeurope, the two cars that are available are 2 door Lancia Y economy manual for US$216.69 and a 4 door Alfa Romeo 147 compact manual for US$311.19. It is just my husband and I traveling and we are both small and will each be bringing one large backpack and small daypack. We are only using the car for 3 days, and taking trains for the rest of the trip, so my question is...Is there a big enough difference between those two cars to spend the additional money for the Alfa Romeo or can we save some money and fit comfortably in the Lancia? Thank you!

Hi Tra,

Both cars have a back seat for extra luggage.

If you are under 35 take the Lancia. If you are over 50, take the Alfa.

((I))

Tra6, thanks for asking this question. I've had a similar one in my mind, as well.

My question, though, had a bit more to do with the "get-up-and-go" factor of each car. I, too, want to save money, but will be driving longer distances. Will the Lancia give enough horsepower to drive around in the mountains of Sicily?

I'm sorry, but, it was really inappropriate to equate the functionalities of the 2 cars with age.

While there may be differences in car sizes, there are enough spaces in each car for you to stow away your luggages and be able to sit and drive comfortably. The issues, as asked by the previous poster, is how you will be driving and where. Regardless of your age, you may have more difficulty with the Alfa, due to it's slightly bigger size , with parking in tight spots in small villages inTuscany.

For driving on the autostrade, I personally would be more comfortable, and feel safer, with the power and size of the Alfa. For example, the drive from SG to Orvieto involves a few stretches of highway driving. But on small mountain and village roads, each car should have no problem with maneuvering and navigating the twisties.

Dear ez,

Hold on to this post.

Reread it when you are 60.

See if you still agree. :)

((I))

Great! Thanks everyone, that's exactly what I needed to know (and what we were thinking would be your answer). We should be fine with the Lancia. I have read in several places that you cannot drive into Siena, so I guess we will just park the car outside the walls of the city and walk in. Is that a lot of walking and would we be better off doing it differently? Thanks!

Ira:

I have seen and driven both. Sure, one is slightly bigger (not by much) than the other. But, in terms of size, we're not comparing Cadillac versus Toyota Echo, here. Believe me, the small differences in sizes only translate into the same relative level of comfort for any age level. We're not talking Alfa 156 or 166 here - these are definitely much larger than the Lancia Y.

It's all about where you want to drive it, how you want to drive it and how comfortable you are about driving the differences in power of the 2 cars. Let's see how comfortable you are driving the underpowered Lancia on the Autostrada? At some point, it will feel more unsafe as you realize that the limited power and size doesn't provide much in getting out of other driver's way or in quickly getting out of an uncomfortable spot when in-between two giant tractor trailers driving in high speed.

On the other hand, if you want something a little more tossable and one that you can easily cram into the tightest parking spots in hilltowns all over Europe, nothing beats a small car - like the Lancia Y. It can easily transport a couple with minimal luggages from one town or one winery to another along small roads.

If presented those 2 similar cars when I'm 60, I'll stick to this exact same philosophy. If it makes it really difficult for me to travel in small cars, either I'll forego the small town travel or just hire a driver to shuttle me.

I suggest you keep your car until Salerno since you are not sightseeing in Rome. Why go to the time and expense of taking a train from Orvieto to Rome and then changing trains to Salerno when you could just get on the autostrada and drive to Salerno?

We thought about keeping the car, but once we get to the Amalfi area, it will likely be too late in the evening to return the car and we'd rather not pay to keep it a whole extra day just to retun it the next morning. We will be staying in Positano for 4 nights and have read in several places about limited parking and difficult driving, so were not planning on having it while we're there. The main problem is returning it. If we leave S. Gimignano early in the morning (8 or 9 am), we will get to Orvieto to return the car and have some lunch before boarding the train for Salerno. Otherwise, we would have to rush down to Salerno/Sorrento to return it before rental places close OR pay a whole extra day just to return it the next morning. I'm open to other ideas, but I think we've decided it's more hassle than it's worth to have it in Positano.

I agree that you don't need a car while in Positano. I had assumed you were staying the night in Orvieto. I didn't realise you would be going there that day to sightsee. You will still be arriving late to Salerno and might not be able to take the ferry. I'm not sure what an extra day of car rental is but keep in mind that you will be paying 50E for the Rome/Salerno train portion + the Orvieto/Rome tickets. I wouldn't want to drive the Salerno/Positano part at that time of year either but if the rental return in Salerno was open late enough without having to rush I would still opt for that. Travel time from Orvieto to Salerno on mappy.com is 3 1/2 hours with a fuel estimate of 34E. Wow! I forgot about the high price of gas.

If you are of a certain age, and grew up with any interest in cars, you must have dreamt of having an Alfa. Now is your chance, even if it's not flashy roadster. ((h))

If you are not in this category, you probably have no images at all about Alfa or Lancia, since neither has been in the US for a long time. In that case, just be practical.

I did some more research on trenitalia and autoeurope, and it looks like there are three car rental offices open until 7pm or later, so I guess we could drive down from Orvieto rather than return the car there and take the train. We would have to be charged a 4th day on the car rental, but it's practically the same price as taking the train. It would be nice to drive all the way down and take our time. A couple questions if any of you know the answer - which car rental office in Pisa is closer to the "Pisa Centrale" train station - the airport, or the downtown location? Also - does it matter which car rental office we return car to in Sorrento in order to take some form of public transportaion to Hotel Villa Rosa in Positano? Thanks!!

Forgot to say that the three car rental offices are in Sorrento. Seems to make more sense to return there than Salerno since it's closer to Positano, right?

ttt

Vedette (and any others interested) There are a few (very few) places that will rent classic cars including the Alfa Spider. Here are the few that I have found Garda Clasics, Zephurus (spelling?), and Happy Rent (not kidding "happy rent"). The Italian reference is Auto d epoca (Noleggio Epoca for internet searches).

I've looked long and hard but have not found a "classic car" for us to rent in June.

Hi Tra,

>Forgot to say that the three car rental offices are in Sorrento. Seems to make more sense to return there than Salerno since it's closer to Positano, right?<

Right.