googie

we are interested in picking up a rental car in Florence & returning it in Rome after a week in Umbria. Anyone have any ideas on this? We are not sure if the only place to rent would be at the airports & if that is a hassle to go there just to pick up a car. Not sure where exactly we are staying yet, I would think in the city centers. I am sure we could have a car delivered to our hotel, but we would like to do this as least expensive as we can. THANKS!

jay

You don't want to drive in the cities. Especially in Rome. I would pick up a car on the day before or the day you leave Florence and drop it off outside Rome somewhere and take the train into the city. It will cost more to drop off the car in a different place than where you picked it up. Depending on the route can you pick up and drop off in Florence and take a train to Rome or take a train half way to Rome and get a car there for a week drop off the car and then hop the train to Rome?

Neopolitan

While I agree that driving in Rome could be a little bit of a nightmare, let me say that driving into Termini area to drop off a car, so long as you have the directions can really be a "piece of cake". It is nothing like driving through the historical center, for example, and I think is easier and cheaper (if you have the car anyway) than driving to another town and transferring to a train to Rome, then a taxi or whatever to your hotel. Just one less step. I'm unfamiliar with car rental locations in Florence. We drove in and out without major problems except getting to our actual hotel on a one way street that always made us go across a bridge. But I would think picking up a car within Florence and following directions to leave the city shouldn't be all that bad.

MFNYC

I agree with Neopolitan. Dropping off a car near Termini is not too bad, but driving into the historic center is horrible (we've done both). Most of the major rental car companies have dropoffs at Termini. Florence is not as big as Rome. There are probably rental car locations in a few FLorence areas beside the airport. Usually there's something near the train station.

Betsy

Here's a strategy that a lot of Fodorites have used successfully. First of all rent from AutoEurope, a US broker. If you should have any difficulty with the rental or the car, you'll have a US telephone number to use 24/7, which may be easier than trying to straighten out a problem in Italian. Also, AE will meet the rate of any other company. Scan their website at www.autoeurope.com. When you're ready to make a reservation, use their 800 number to talk to a live person.

I'd suggest that you pick up your car as you leave Florence. If you pick it up at the airport, there will be a surcharge of either 12 or 20 percent (I forget) on the entire rental cost, and driving out of Florence is very easy.

Return your car in Orvieto (there will be no additional charge for this). If you have time, spend at least one night in Orvieto before taking the train into Rome (about an hour). Orvieto may not be listed as a drop off site on AE, but if you reserve by phone, you will be given that option.

Type Orvieto into the search box at the top of the page. It's a beautiful small hill top city well worth exploring. You can drop off your car and take the funicular up to the old city. When you're ready to take the train to Rome, you can take the funicular back down to the train station. Very easy.

john127

Driving in Rome is no big deal if you're used to driving in big cities here. I'm in NYC and had no problem driving in and out of Rome.

Neopolitan

I agree with much of what Betsy said, but be sure to check that dropping a car in Orvieto won't cost considerably more than dropping in Rome -- we once found it cost a LOT more, which is why we didn't do it. Add in the cost of the train tickets to Rome (not a lot) and the concern of checking your luggage at the station in Orvieto, it can all make for a not so relaxing travel day. I'd still check out the idea of driving all the way into Termini area (or possibly Tiburtina area) to return the car, and if anything do a separate day trip to Orvieto from Rome on another day.

tcreath

I certainly would never drive in Rome, but that's just my preferences. The trains are cheap and easy and reasonably quick. We dropped our car off in Foligno, in Umbria, and trained to Rome in about an hour and a half. Foligno and Orvieto are both good places to drop off the car and train into town.

Tracy

tcreath

Oops, meant to add that it didn't add any extra cost to pick up at the airport and drop off in Foligno. We figured we would probably spend more money in gas and tolls to drive back to Rome than we spent on train tickets (which were very cheap) to get into the city. But its certainly worth checking into before making your decision.

Tracy

googie

OOPS!! I should have been more clear. We DO NOT WANT to rent the car while in Florence or in Rome. We need it to drive from Florence after we are done there to Assisi where we are staying as a homebase for touring Umbria for a week. We then are driving to Rome & leaving the car before we stay there. I guess our real question is if there are other places to get a rental car besides the airports, or if it's our best bet to head there. Some of you mentioned train stations?

2Italy

I agree with Betsy. If you rent from Hertz/AutoEurope, you can pick up your car on Via Maso Finiguerra in Florence. The office is about 400 yards south of the train station. Getting out of Florence is easy and they give you a good map to do so.
In 2005 we did this and it was easy.
After roaming around Tuscany, drop the car off in Orvieto. The office is about 75 yards from the train station. Hop on the train and take it into Termini. Pretty easy.
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Grandma

I agree with 2Italy....but I would plan an overnite in Orvieto. When we arrived at Hertz there was no one in the office. So, we drove the car up to our hotel and it was picked up there (heavens knows when!... but there was no extra charge). Time in Orvieto is well spent.

annabelle2

Another option for drop off, and not too far from Assisi, is the Perugia train station. The station is in the lower part of town (so you can avoid driving in the upper and more confusing old historical part).

If you want and have time, you can take a short bus ride from the train station to the upper "centro storico" and check out the interesting Umbrian city of Perugia (great view from where the bus lets you out, too!).

We took the train from Rome to Perugia and back again a week later. It worked out perfectly. (Autoeurope; rented 2 cars.)

googie

Thank you everyone... especially Betsy. AutoEurope was just waht we needed. I truly appreciate EVERYONE'S advice!

knoxvillecouple

googie -

You won't go wrong following Betsy's advice. If you rent through AutoEurope and plan on returning your car in Orvieto (which I also strongly advise so that you can spend some time seeing the Duomo as well as enjoying the rest of the town), be sure that you get a Hertz car, and not Avis, because Avis has closed their office in Orvieto. Have a great time - we loved Assisi (just there for a day), as well as Orvieto and Perugia, and some of the smaller hill towns in Umbria.

KC

trishryanps

Hi all- this is a question rather than a reply, but I'm new to this. We are going to Umbria also in September for our 10th anniversary. We are flying into Rome, but renting a villa in Umbria for a week, before returning to Rome to renew our wedding vows (we were married at the Vatican). Any suggestions regarding renting a car in Rome at the airport and driving to Umbria vs. taking the train to Florence and then rentinga a car to drive to the villa near Umbertide? We are coming from San Diego and arrive early am, so I'm a little concerned we'll be exhausted. Also, any suggestions on day trips/restaurants etc. We're planning 1 day of a guided wine tasting trip, and it looks like Assisi, Perugia and Orvieto are great. Any thoughts on Lake Trasimeno, Gubbio or Spoleto? Unfortunately we haven't been back to Italy since our wedding, so I'm not sure what has changed. Thanks for any thoughts!

2Italy

trishryamps,
I would rent the car in Rome from the airport and drive to Umbria. Getting out of Rome from the airport is not bad at all.
The drive around Lake Trasimeno is very nice, we've done it and enjoyed it.
While in that area of Tuscany and Umbria, try taking in Cortona, you'll enjoy it!
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ira

hi trish,

It's about 2:30 hr from FCO to Umbertide.

You should be able to do it on adrenalin.

Stay in the right lane and keep to the speed limit.

Have a nice visit.