Dietger

We are two weeks out from a long-anticipated first trip to Italy -- Genoa, Cinque Terra, Tuscany, Venice, and Lake Como, in that order. We will be renting a car for the entire period ... but now I'm wondering if we should drop off the car after the first week because I am reading over and over that driving in the Lakes district is not a lot of fun or wise. Specifically, I'm considering dropping the car at Malpensa airport and taking either trains and/or buses to Menaggio on Lake Como. And I'm wondering if someone out there can tell me if there is a fairly simple way to do this without endless train/bus changes? (Which might take longer than finding our way -- and keeping our senses -- by car)

uhoh_busted

How long will you be in the Lake country? If it is only a couple of days, I might drop the car. We thought about that for our upcoming trip...but we have free parking in Bellagio, and we might want to do some driving day trips anyway. It all depends on what you plan to do.

Dietger

Thanks. We will staying in Mennagio four days and I really would like to have the convenience of a car for day trips as well. But, as I mentioned earlier, reading some of the horror stories about driving in the Lakes country has my wife spooked! The first week of our stay will be in the countryside of Tuscany -- less congested and hopefully more relaxing, even with a car!

Michael

What horror stories about driving in the lakes area? Are the sources reliable? The roads are narrow, but that is true of Alpine roads elsewhere. If you should choose to have an excursion to the high Alps visible form any of the lakes, it probably would be more convenient with a car.

StCirq

<<I am reading over and over that driving in the Lakes district is not a lot of fun or wise.>>

What the heck have you been reading? How would you get around the lake region without a car? I'm an almost 60-year-old woman and I have no hesitation about driving around the lakes region in Italy?

Seriously....what's the problem? It's just driving! Sheesh!

I have issues with high-speed driving on French autoroutes, but driving around the lakes region in Italy is a piece of cake!

Jean

The more relevant question is why will you have a car while you're in Venice? You'll be paying the daily rental plus a daily parking fee for a car that's sitting idle.

After your time in Tuscany (where exactly?), you should turn in the car. After your time in Venice, rent another car and drive to Menaggio.

But do think about what you plan to do while you're at Lake Como. What day trips? Will you be going places where legal parking will be scarce and/or difficult to find? Is your time on the lake over a weekend (when it's busier) or during the week?

greg

First, what type of traveler are you regarding a car?

1. Always drive. Negatives with driving a car is a figment of imaginations by those who cannot drive. No need to compare cost or travel time as there is no other way you would travel.

2. Almost always drive, except when there are major drawbacks, such as enormously more expensive or take much longer time, etc.

3. Consider pros and cons matched against the proposed itinerary. Choose relevant means of transportation that gives you acceptable convenience, cost, and travel time.

4. Got hit by multiple ZTL fines last time in Italy. Will never drive again in Italy.

I think the posters here are mostly in 2nd or 3rd categories and therefore ask what you are proposing to do that benefits having a car. For example, following are assumptions that require validation unless you are the first type of traveler:

- Not having car means endless train/bus changes. Is this really true about your itinerary and how is it less desirable than doing it with a car?
- Taking longer and finding the way is more difficult without a car. This depends on relevant metrics. I know many acquaintances who rather drive around city for an hour or more looking for the hotel and find a place to park (and racking up ZTL fines in the interim) than finding which train to take and which platform the train departs.
- Keeping senses. Here, it depends on what annoys you more: having to synch with train/bus schedules or going in circles trying to find destinations.

In Lake Como whether having a car is a convenience depends on your attitude towards car as well as where you are going. From Menaggio to Bellagio or Varenna is a piece of cake by boat by foot, but it take longer if you insist on driving there or a hassle if you take your car on the car ferry just to find lack of parking on the other side. Unlike foot passengers who can just hop onto the boat at last minutes, you must queue up ahead of time at the dock to bring car on the ferry.

ekscrunchy

I was very glad that we had a car during our 4-night stay in Menaggio in 2008. There are a number of interesting and very scenic drives, and there are restaurants that are difficult to reach by public transport. Many hotels have free parking. The drive to Malpensa is easy.

TDudette

Sound advice from Greg. As Jean mentions, you will not be driving in Venice-if it's a savings to turn car in while there, her advice is good. Can you get the same car back?

ira

Hi D,

>reading some of the horror stories about driving in the Lakes country has my wife spooked!<

She ought to stop reading horror stories before going to bed. It will give her nightmares.

My wife and I are even older than StC ( ) and had no problems.

I, also, wonder why you are keeping a car in Venice.

Michael

Turning in the car in Venice and picking one up at the end of the Venice sojourn might not be cheaper than keeping the car. Daily rates are considerably higher than longer term rates and parking in Mestre is not expensive, at least not the last time we used it. This is an item that should be discussed with the rental agency.

mnag

Depends on how much you plan on exploring in the lakes region. The main towns (bellagio, mennagio, varenna and como are well connected by ferry service). Car ferrys from one town to the next are more limited than passenger ferries. The big factor for me would be is your hotel/rental in mennagio within walking distance to the ferry. Driving in between towns does involve some narrow roads. The one big qns to ask (and we regretted not asking) when we stayed in Argegno this july is how far up the hill/mountain is it to get to your rental villa (if you are renting) and how are the roads to get there. We were travelling with another family and had a van and it was definately scary taking the hair pin turns on an extremely narrow road (if you can call it that) to get to our villa. We would never stay there again. The view was fantastic though.

nytraveler

We have driven in the laskes region several times and never found it horifying. That said, I know some people are terrified of narrow roads or roads cut into hillsides above a lake. But it's more convenient to get around the area with a car.

You will NOT need the car in Venice - but we always keep ours (parked at Piazzele Roma) since renting for several weeks is cheaper than multiple shorter rentals.

TDudette

I wondered about the savings of turning in the car for a few days-glad to hear that point clarified.

DH and I traveled by foot on the ferry between the towns on the lake but we wished we'd had one to get to the airport on the way home!

Dietger

Thank you one and all for your tips and suggested questions that WE need to answer. I now have a much better perspective on this upcoming adventure. To answer Greg, I am in your "always or
almost always drive" category, so my secret wish was for others to confirm what I wanted to do in any case! One or two more questions for all of you who have explored the Lakes country: What were your favorite sights/experiences in the area, and -- if you've been to Lake Orta -- is it as intriguing and worthwhile as I've read? Again, Grazie!

ekscrunchy

One of my favorite drives was into the highlands to the west of Menaggio near Porlezza. The Tourist Office might still have a book of driving tours from Menaggio.

bobthenavigator

Lago Orta is the smallest but most romantic of the 6 major lakes---we love it. Take a look:
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4173