<BR>I will be traveling with 5 adults (and 6 wheeled carry-ons) to Italy in the fall. After a few days in Rome, we are planning to pickup a minivan at the airport and drive to Tuscany where we have a farmhouse rented for the week. Then on to Venice where we would drop the van and train/ferry to Bellagio for a few days before departing from Milan. Anyone have any experience driving a van in this area? Specifically, I'd appreciate knowing what agency you used, the cost, auto vs. manual and whether we should be looking at 7-passenger or 9-passenger with the 6 pieces of luggage? Also, how you found driving the van on the Autostrada and around the hilltowns of Tuscany? My wife and I were in Provence 2 years ago and found some of the approaches to the hilltowns a real challenge with manual transmission and a tour bus bearing down on you! Any personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

I have made a few inquiries about van rentals in Italy. We went through Avis - be careful about the price they quote as they do not always tell you everything that must be included in the cost. The 7 passenger vans are similiar to the Ullyses and the Espace. They both are manual - we were told that they do not have any automatics except a Mercedes van (from Eurocar) which probably could be purchased for the rental price. Luggage space across the back is minimal in the 7 seaters - my husband rode in one in London recently. You could use the unused seats for your luggage. You can check out the vans on their websites.

<BR>Thanks Mari! I appreciate the info.

I don't actually have an answer for you but I do have a question. We are planning a trip to Tuscany in June/July. Can you tell me how you went about renting a farmhouse and where it is. We are also travelling with 6 people(4 adults and 2 children). I would prefer this type of set up rather than 2 hotel rooms. Your help would be appreciated.

We used a van in Tuscany in 99 and in Germany in 98. A few tips: <BR> <BR>You will probably get a manual as there are few automatics. Diesel is also good for the fuel economy. Ask for one. Performance is good. <BR> <BR>One VW Sharon we had was great with one exception. There were 4 of us and we only needed the front and back seats. The Sharon also had two small seats in very back to bring capacity to 7, but this killed the luggage room we needed. I talked the Hertz guy at Frankfurt into holding the seats till we returned. He grumbled, but did it. Probably never again, but the storage would not work with the seats installed. <BR>A Renault we used in Italy worked fine. <BR> <BR>Roads in Tuscany were good and no real problem. Only east side route from Como to Bellagio was a little problem. Very tight in some areas, but we made it. <BR> <BR>You may want to really get them to guarantee that they will have a van for you. One company a few years ago was out of vans when we arrived and gave us a wagon. No one else at Munich airport had a van either. Careful on this one.Hertz may be a little more money, but they have always had the car I wanted. <BR> <BR>As you drive the autostrada you will see many toll gates. One of the gates is always marked for credit cards. VIN is the marking, I think. I used my credit card for these small fees and it speeded up the process without having to carry a lot of change with you. Exchange rate on the card was good also. <BR> <BR>Take a few US cassette tapes with you if you have any. They work in the vans and it beats Italian radio. You may also want to investigate a cheap plastic tarp or some kind of cover for the rear luggage when you get to Italy. You will be some places where you have your luggage with you and need to leave the car parked. Better to cover up what you have in back, than leave exposed. <BR> <BR>Have fun, great area to see by car.

<BR>Lori: You might want to begin your search by checking out a few websites such as: <BR> <BR>www.rentvillas.com <BR>www.tuscanhouse.com <BR>www.theparkercompany.com <BR>www.initaly.com <BR> <BR>You need to determine what gerneral area of Tuscany you wish to use as your base and how many days you will need to explore. Remember that most Villas/Farmhouses rent on a weekly basis (Sat.-Sat.). Keep in mind that many of the brokerage companies such as InItaly and The Parker Company, may not be exclusive agents for a property (or even the entire property!). Depending on how secure you feel dealing directly with the owner, you can generally save a lot of money by conducting a search to determine if the property has their own website and then contacting them by e-mail or fax. The property we found for our trip is Residence Fignano, just outside of Montaione - about 50km from Florence, Siena and Pisa and 15km from San Gimignano. We are renting the ground floor of a farmhouse (2,310 sq. ft. - 4 bdr./2ba.) for approximately $1,200.00. To check out Residence Fignano and it's "sister" property Residence LaValle, go to http://www.agricolalavalle.it. Hope this gives you some idea of how to begin your search. <BR> <BR>Bob: Thanks for your comments. I can't imagine showing up at the Rome airport with 6 people, 6 suitcases and being told, "Sorry all we got is a station wagon." That would definitely not work. I'm still curious though about the approcahes to the hilltowns. Are the grades steep (i.e. 45 degrees or better)? And how about parking? I know I'm sweating the small stuff, but with 6 people, including my 77 year-old father who doesn't get around as well as he used to, I'm feeling terribly responsible for making this trip as effortless as possible. I still can't even decide between the 7-passenger minivan or the 9-passenger minibus! Thanks.

Okay - - here's the pedant in me again. There is no such thing as a 45 degree grade road, and if there were, no vehicle could climb it. A road of SIX degrees typically gets a warning sign (for the downhill passengers) to be careful of brake fatigue). I doubt that there are many 10 degree grade roads anywhere. The steepest ski slopes I have ever heard of are about 30 degreees. <BR> <BR>There surely ARE a few 6 degree roads in Tuscany, but not that many; there certainly are around Monaco. <BR> <BR>With my never-ending crusade against "innumeracy"... <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>