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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 04:56 AM
  #21  
 
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My next question:

You'll be ending in Munich and rather than drive to Frankfurt you will drive to Milan? Why spend more time driving to an airport when you've already done the drive from Venice/Lake Como? It's a third more driving time to leave from Milan.

>

This is the part of the trip I would dread, particularly in August when so many people are on the coast. You'll get a lot of slow driving. Book accommodations as soon as you can. Start your day very early in the morning to avoid most of the traffic. Keep in mind that August 15 is a holiday.

Buy a vignette for your car so you can drive on highways in Austria and Switzerland. If you don't have one you will be fined.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 04:59 AM
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I'm glad you've decided not to stay on the outskirts. Just so you know, we once stayed on the outskirts of Rome and it was a disaster. Public transport out of the city centre is average and it could take the best part of an hour each morning and afternoon. We are just home for a trip that included Rome and we stayed within a five minute walk of piazza navonna and it was great!
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 07:10 AM
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adrienne, we rented cars in Milan and returned to Venice, rented in Rome and returned to Florence (twice) using Avis and Hertz. There was no drop-off charge any of the three times.

I will add this warning to FarCanal, though. The Hertz drop-off in Florence is near the ZTL area. You must be very careful and not enter the ZTL there (or in any other city) or risk a huge fine.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 07:39 AM
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To the OP, to drive in Italy, you'll need an International Driving Permit as well as your Kiwi license. You get the IDP at the AA office; it's a translation of your license.

Chris_C, the posters are warning about the surcharge for renting a car in one country and dropping it in another -- per the OP's original itinerary. Though of late years when we've rented a car in France, I've noticed a small charge for dropping a car at another location in France.

The OP is leasing a car not renting it, and presumably has a limited number of locations to which he can return it. But no charge for dropping in another country.

dwdv, what time of year was it you drove the Amalfi coast? And how did you find parking?
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 07:51 AM
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"We had a car on the Amalfi Coast (although we stayed just outside Sorrento at a hotel that included parking). Driving the Amalfi Coast is one of the highlights of our travel experiences, so it would be nice to have a car there if possible."

Right, so you didn't actually stay on the AC, which is notorious for scarce and expensive parking. Driving the AC is not difficult, it is the traffic that is impossible - especially in August. Expect to be stuck in traffic, behind giant tour buses that have to back up at the hairpin curves if there is another bus approaching. I adore the AC and stay in Positano for a week each June and would never think of having a rental car there. Ferries are the best way to get around, especially in high season.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 08:43 AM
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Chris - yes, I too have not paid drop off charges when renting solely in Italy but this is not the OP's itinerary. He wants to rent in France and return to Germany (or Italy). I thought you meant renting in Italy and returning to a different country.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 08:51 AM
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No he is "leasing" in one country and returning to another. Not renting.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 06:08 PM
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The OP may have meant renting and just used the wrong term. Hopefully he will come back and clarify for us.

Don't forget you'll need a reasonable size car to comfortably fit four of you and all your luggage. Even if you travel light, the luggage takes more space than you think.
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Old Jul 18th, 2014, 07:17 PM
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I imagine the OP is leasing like the Renault lease buy-back program (there are others besides Renault). It requires keeping a car at least 17-21 days depending on company and airport pick-up/return mostly.

I think the OP needs to forget about driving so much and look at some budget flights so they aren't wasting so much of the trip on the autostrada. Maybe fly from Paris to Munich (not quite sure what they are visiting in Germany, but a car might not be needed). Fly to Naples and visit the Amalfi coast working their way back north to fly home from Milan or Nice. Could also take the night train from Munich to Venice. The only part in Italy where a car is needed is Tuscany.
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Old Jul 19th, 2014, 01:38 AM
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Consolidate stops as many have suggested.

Nice is on the Côte d'Azur so choose a place to base for 3-4 nights. I would spend a day in Marseille (not overnight) then head east along the coast and base in one of the smaller coastal towns or in one of the hill towns. From there, you can use the car to tour and/or take the very inexpensive bus system.

The local stopping trains linking the coast towns--Cannes, Antibes, Nice, etc. are also reasonable.
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Old Jul 19th, 2014, 09:47 AM
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We have stayed in Sorrento twice (hotel with free parking) and driven through the area including the coast road. In LATE MAY. It was fine. I would not do it in midsummer.

Driving quite slow in some places due to large trucks or tour buses. Never had any trouble finding a place to park - BUT we're from NYC and assume that finding street parking may take 15 to 20 minutes of searching and are used to parallel parking in spaces only a tiny bit larger than the car - and on either side.

I have seen suburban people used to mall/face in parking who were totally overfaced by parallel parking even in large spaces. If doing this be sure your parallel parking skills are up to snuff.

Oh, and after parking the car - ANYWHERE - push in the side mirrors so they aren't sheared off by other drivers.
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