lvs

We are arriiving in Civitaveccha after a cruise in August and have 3 additional nights before returning home. We are planning to stay 2 nights in Monntalcino but the 3 hour drive to the airport prevents us from spending our last night there with a 1:20 departure.

Does anyonne have suggestions where we should stay our last night? We'll need time the last day to return our car before arriving at our terminal.

Thanks,
Linda

joannyc

I'd drive into Rome, return the car to the closest return location, and take a taxi/shuttle the next day to the airport.

Or, spend the last night in Orvieto and drive directly to the airport and return the car there.

michele_d

Orvieto is really a lovely little town. Would stay there if you could. You would have plenty of time to return car and get to airport.

uhoh_busted

We've done that -- actually stayed in Orvieto the night before picking up my sister on her morning arrival at FCO which was earlier! It is quite do-able, and Orvieto is a favorite town

NoCaliGal

Besides, driving into Rome is a nightmare.
Have you ever stayed in Rome? If not, I'd ditch the Montalcino stay and be in Rome for 3 nights. Ditch the car at Fiumicino and bus into Rome.

lvs

We have been to Rome a few times before so we thought it would be nice to check out the Montepulciano region as we like wine.

We're hoping to pick up a car at the port and return it at the airport, assuming there isn't a big surcharge to do that. We were planning on stopping in Orvieto enroute to Montalcino but it sounds like an idea to just stay there the last night. How long will it take us to get to the airport from Orvieto, figuring in traffic? Thanks!

anna_roz

I would leave Montalcino for FCO at the crack of dawn on the day of your departure. I would probably not spend anytime in Rome in August.

ira

Hi lvs

The Holiday Inn Eur Parco Dei Medici is about a 15 min drive from FCO.

It's a very nice international-style hotel. Very nice buffet dinner. Very, very good breakfast.

Has free parking.

bobthenavigator

From Montalcino take the back roads via Grosetto and spend the night in Orbotello---oyu are 2 hours from FCO and you can avoid the GRA.

lvs

Thanks for everyone's input! My husband and I have been discussing all the options.

We're thinking that since we're starting in CIvitavecchia it seems to make sense to take the coastal road up to Orbotello and the back roads to Montalcino rather than on the way back to the airport. That sounds lovely. We definitely don't want to take the ride back to the airport from Montalcino the last day. Even if we leave really early there could be road issues and it's not worth the risk. Fiumicino can be a hassle and we have the car to return.

So we do want to spend time in Orvieto. I had originally planned om doing that enroute to Montalcino the first day. The question is whether to just spend a good amount of time there the last day and continue further south along the same road but closer to Rome (or even to the Holiday Inn that Ira suggested) and arrive at the end of the day. Or should we stay over in Orvieto. Are there clear advantages to staying over (interesting hotels and restaurants, nice to be there in the evening)? Is it easy to get out of Orvieto and on the road in the morning? Any other towns further along that route to consider?

Thanks again.

ira

Hi lvs,

>should we stay over in Orvieto.<

Why not, especially if you can drop the car in Orvieto and take the train into Roma Termini and then on to FCO.

I highly recommend lunch or dinner at http://www.isetteconsoli.it/

ira

PS
the 08:59 will get you to Termini at 10:40.

You can take the 10:52 LdV and arrive at the airport by 11:30.

bobthenavigator

Orvieto works, but I would keep the car and drive.

lvs

Thanks again. I think we will keep the car and drive the last morning. We carry too much luggage to have to to 2 different train lines!

If anyone has any suggestions where to stay in or around Orvieto we would appreciate your input.

bobthenavigator

In town, Hotel Duomo---you can park within a block behind the Duomo.

uhoh_busted

According to Googlemaps driving directions, you can get to FCO in 1 hour 49 mins on the A1 (which is easy to get to from Orvieto). The exit off A1 is Exit 30 for FCO.

You will want to stay up in the historical center of Orvieto -- we stayed in the Hotel Aquila Blanca some years ago, because they had parking. It was lovely and quiet. I think Hotel Duomo is also a good choice (we noticed both when we were there on a day trip from Spoleto last fall). I use venere.com to make reservations all over Italy, but there are other sites you can also use to check for availability and make res. You might want to check out Giglio D'oro for dinner. Right across the piazza from the Duomo, it is one of our favorite restaurants in all of Italy.