sarahnic

My husband and I are heading to Italy at the end of the month. We have heard both sides of the argument between car and train, but we still can't make up our mind. We have driven in Europe before (Germany, Denmark, Holland) but still aren't sure because everyone says driving in Italy is not a good idea. We do have a GPS. Here are our thoughts:

Car: Easier for us to be on our schedule, don't have to worry about our luggage between checking in/out, let's us explore more, supposed to be "dangerous"

Train: not as flexible, no liability as with a car, have to make sure luggage has a place to be when we have had to check out of a hotel, don't have to worry about parking/directions

We are so confused. We are starting in Venice, heading to Florence area (with Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre), and then going to Rome before going back to Venice to fly out.

Help!

charnees

You cannot drive into the central cities you plan to visit because they are restricted to residents and commercial vehicles. It you do drive into them, six months later your auto rental company will sock you for hundreds of Euros in fines that the Italian government requires them to do. (they take photos of cars that enter and check the license plates. Besides that, traffic is insane, parking on the street impossible, and in garages expensive. Besides, the streets are full of water in Venice! .

You can get to ALL of your destinations by train. Easily.

adrienne

Driving in Italy is no problem but since you're only going to cities or places that are not driveable I would use public transport. In many places you can't drive into the historic center and you would have to find hotels with parking.

I'm confused about some of your comments:

<< don't have to worry about our luggage between checking in/out >> What does this mean? Between checking into and out of a hotel your luggage will be in your room.

<< Train: not as flexible >> There are plenty of trains going to where you want to go. Yes, you do have to adhere to the train schedule but there are plenty of options.

<< have to make sure luggage has a place to be when we have had to check out of a hotel >>

Could you mean that you need a place to store luggage after you check out of the hotel and before the train leaves? You can always ask the hotel to hold your luggage or store it at the train station.

<< supposed to be "dangerous" >> A car is dangerous? What does this mean?

<< everyone says driving in Italy is not a good idea >>

EVERYONE does not say that driving in Italy is not a good idea. I have driven in Italy without problems. So...that eliminates your blanket statement about everyone. There are plenty of people who drive in Italy - just wait until you get there and see how many cars are on the road.

wanttogo

I have never stayed at a hotel in Europ that did not agree to
store my luggage between hotel check-out time and train departure time. It is not an issue.

If I were you, I would just rent a car on the outskirts of Florence, use it in Tuscany, and return it to the outskirts of Florence. Then take a taxi to the train station and train it to Rome.

Pat

madamtrashheap

The places you have listed are indeed easily reached by train, it's if you decide to travel to some of the smaller towns along the way (particularly) in Tuscany that you will find a car useful, but even then the bus routes servicing these towns are very convenient.

You've driven in Europe before, but driving in Italy can be a whole other ballgame, but you'd get the hang of it fairly quickly. The point about not being able to drive in the centre of many of the cities listed is a good one - that will involve being clever about parking options (esp in Florence and Pisa - CT you can only drive to certain points above some of the villages), so consider that.

The trains between Venice and Florence and Florence and Rome are fast, if you take the Eurostar (Italia), and the other cities have regular (read: 3-4 times an hour) trains to/from Florence, so you won't be confined by a strict train timetable. If you are hesitant to drive, and what to relax a little more, then take the train option this time around.

Jean

There isn't one destination on your list that is easier to reach by car. But if you hoped to see remote areas of Tuscany, then a car would make your travels easier and faster. Do you have time for wandering?

StCirq

Since you haven't figured out how to approach Tuscany yet, this question can't be answered. If you're staying only in cities, a car is not advisable. If you're planning to visit the Tuscan countryside, you'll need a car. It's getting pretty late in the game for you to formulate your plan.

litefoot

We were in the same dilema last month and decided to use the train and buses. Italy has a very good transportation system. We used both the fast and local trains and the long distance buses. Most of the time our luggage was with us (and we're talking the bags w/wheels). We may have looked funny but no one questioned our 'baggage' when we slipped into a church or boarded the city bus. There are plenty of taxis at the train stations to get you to your hotel. We usually walked to our hotel from the train station. Some hotels did say we could leave our luggage after check out on their website. If there is a question you can send the hotel an email. All hotels we stayed in always answered my emails. We left our luggage at one hotel after check out and it was in Venice.

On the train there is a storage section in each car by the door for large bags, and there is a large shelf for smaller bags above the seat. If the train wasn't crowded I kept my bag with me. We were two women who did not speak any Italian and we visited 7 cities/towns. We did not feel too restricted by schedules as there are many trains going in and out of the larger cities.

greg

I think the lack of objectives is contributing to the confusion. Without the objectives, it is difficult to decide why one mode of transportation is more preferable than others for a particular segment. "Florence area" is a vague notion. Visiting Uffizi, dinner in Fiesole, watching sunset from Piazzale Michelangeo, walking the city walls of Lucca, hiking Via dell'Amore, visiting Castello Banfi, staying at an agriturismo, etc are concrete objectives which help choose relevant transportation options.

Man_in_seat_61

It's pretty simple:

Hire a car if you want to explore the countryside. A car can't be beaten for this.

Take the train if you want to see the cities, and travel between them. Cars and city centres don't mix in Europe, with no-go zones you're fined for entering, little or vastly expensive parking, and nightmare congestion. A car becomes a liability.

You might decide to do both, hiring a car for a few days to explore, then using train from city to city.

You can check Italian train times and fares at www.trenitalia.com

ira

Hi S,

>We have heard both sides of the argument between car and train, but we still can't make up our mind. <

Why do you think that hearing more of both sides of the argument will, somehow, help you to make up your mind.

You have all of the information you need.

Stop dilly dallying and make your arrangements, NOW.

>We are starting in Venice, heading to Florence area (with Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre), and then going to Rome before going back to Venice to fly out.<

All cities served by trains.

Enjoy your visit.

rineurope

I would agree with **Man_in_seat_61** and **Pat**. We've lived in Italy for 3+ years and do not own a car (but do own a motorino). We rent a car ONLY when we're going to Tuscany (always) and occasionally when we head to the Amalfi area (one of our favorite driving spots, although not for the "faint of heart!"). We've lived in Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Italy and certainly driving in Italy can be the most "adventurous!"

That said, based on your proposed itinerary, I'd ONLY use a car in Tuscany. Sounds like your plans are flexible for that area... and that's great!

We've driven a motorino in Rome daily and it's a challenge. We've driven to Venice, in Florence, and also CT (a huge error!). Frankly, with the ZTL's - see http://tinyurl.com/Rome-ZTL - you can get huge tickets if you're not careful. Even Pisa has a ZTL area! (I know from personal experience). In Lucca, you're better off parking outside the city walls and walking in. In CT, the parking is often down narrow one-lane roads on the side of a mountain with no guardrails and NO gas stations!

If you're coming from the USA, you'll need an International Drivers' Permit for each driver - see http://tinyurl.com/Italy-IDP. They can come in handy if you run into one of these: http://tinyurl.com/traffic-stops .

If you get the chance, I think you'll enjoy driving in Tuscany - it's quite different from other parts of Italy. My wife and I always argue over who get's to drive when we rent a car there. The hairpin turns, winding roads, and beautiful scenery make it a driver's dream!

nytraveler

We almost always drive in europe and never had a problem. You can drive your car into center cities as long as your hotel is there. They give very specific directions on route and where to park the car - and if you follow them wo;t hve a problem.

That said just to go rom one major city to another train makes sense. To go to smaller towns and countryside a car is realy a necessity.

As for being dangerous - drivig in the US is far worse than Italy IMHO. (There people are at least required to learn how to drive - here a blind chimp could get a license.)

ira

Hey NYT,

>...here a blind chimp could get a license.<

Now you know that isn't true. A visually impaired chimp, yes, but not a blind chimp.

sarahnic

Thank you everyone! It sounds like a car most likely for Florence and train everywhere else.

Jean

"... a car most likely for Florence..."

Make sure you know the boundaries of the ZTL (limited traffic zone) in Florence and parts of Tuscany, or you'll be sent unwelcome souvenirs after you get home.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drivin...s_speeding.htm

mo_han1

When we were there last, we hired a car when we left Rome and travelled through Tuscany. We stayed close to Sienna and drove to Florence and surrounding towns. Then went on to Venice (parked our car outside) and Lake Garda. Never had a problem - in fact we were pleasantly surprised how well they drive. We're going at the end of this month too and hiring a car again.

PalenQ

cars are complete liabilities in places like Florence, Rome and Venice and any large italian city since they are banned from much of these cities' centres and even many hotels may not even offer parking so you have to pay a fortune just to stow your car whilst in these cities - but cars are great for bopping thru the proverbial hill towns of Tuscany or Umbria. So take the train Venice to Florence, rent a car an motor thru Tuscany and Umbria perhaps and return the car in Chiuisi to hop back on the train into Rome. Or simply take the really excellent bus service that links all hill towns of interest with dirt-cheap frequent links - anyway for lots on Italian trains check out these sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. there is also an Italian railpass that if you travel on enough days can be surprisingly cost effective - contrary IMO to the Fodor mantra that railpasses are always a bad deal in Italy - they are not!