Italy Land Trip--Hank? Anybody?

[CathyCruises]

So we are tossing around what to do after our TA in May, which ends in Civitavecchia.

 

We thought about taking the train to Venice, then renting a car and driving over the Dolomites, stopping in Bolzano, Cortina etc after reading some recommendations here. We would go to Innsbruck, and DH wants to see his 'ancestral' family home in Wurttemberg, near Stuttgart. Maybe fly home from Frankfurt.

 

But one big issue is renting a car in one country and leaving it in another, which generally incurs big drop fees (~1000 euros last time I looked).

 

Then I thought about just renting the car in Civitavecchia and driving up from there, going through Verona, and do a loop and end up in Venice, flying home from there. We could stop in a few places along the way, visiting our niece who is spending her junior year in Florence, etc.

 

Any thoughts? Any reason it would not be doable? Any restrictions about taking the car into different countries--not that I've ever heard of but I'm just not sure? We have driven in Italy a lot so that in itself is no problem.

 

Any input appreciated!

[euro cruiser]

Cathy, check autoeurope.com and kemwel.com; I haven't seen a drop off charge between Italy and Germany. I have seen it for some Eastern European countries, however.

[CathyCruises]

Cathy, check autoeurope.com and kemwel.com; I haven't seen a drop off charge between Italy and Germany. I have seen it for some Eastern European countries, however.

 

Great, will do. We have had really good luck with Europcar in the past, but have heard good things about these companies too. Last time I saw the drop fees was renting in Spain and dropping in France, +900E. We just took the train over the border into France and then rented there, but that wouldn't work on this itinerary.

[euro cruiser]

Auto Europe and Kemwel are consolidators, so you may very well wind up with the actual rental coming from Europcar (I did when renting in Naples a few years ago via Auto Europe). I always check both consolidators because sometimes one has a much better price than the other.

[kurgan]

Great, will do. We have had really good luck with Europcar in the past, but have heard good things about these companies too. Last time I saw the drop fees was renting in Spain and dropping in France, +900E. We just took the train over the border into France and then rented there, but that wouldn't work on this itinerary.

 

If i understand correctly, drop fee for car from Italy to Austria or Germany will be significant anyway.

You can take train from Venezia to Innsbruck ( just 5 hours),get the car there, drive through Austria , drop car in Salzburg, across border in Freilassing, Germany ( 10 minutes by local train from Salzburg, Austria) get another car and drive to Stuttgart. Price for tickets from Venice to Innsbruck you can check http://www.oebb.at.

Edited February 27, 2014 by kurgan

[Tommy3putts]

Why not take a train? On our two rent trips to Italy. Used the train and hired drivers. Much less stressful.

 

For example in 2011 we flew into Switzerland and took a train though the Alps to Lake Como and Bergamo. Then went to Santa Margherita (cinque terre), Rome, Venice and back to Zurich. What a trip! This last year was Naples Amalfi and Sorrento and Rome mostly by hired car and boat.

[euro cruiser]

If i understand correctly, drop fee for car from Italy to Austria or Germany will be significant anyway.

Not necessarily true.

[Hlitner]

Not necessarily true.

Cathy, Am currently out of the country where I have lousy internet and none of my travel notes/files which are at my home. But you do seem to have the issue well framed. We used to be able to rent in one country and drop in another without many fees as long as the rental was for more then a few days. Autoeurope and Kemwel were good places to set this up (they are essentially discounters for some majors like Hertz and Europcar). But all the rules have changed in the past few years and now the drop charges are often ridiculous. Somebody at Autoeurope once suggested we do two rentals, dropping the first car at a near-border location (in the same country rented) and then take a train to our next country and rent again :). What a pain.

 

I am having trouble accessing their site here....but you might want to check on Sixt Rent a Car since that is a family owned company who, I believe, owns their own agencies. But we have never used them for this kind of rental so this is just speculation on our part. In any case your best bet is going to be with the so-called majors (but we are sure you already know this). Three years ago we faced the same situation as we got off a cruise in Civitavecchia and wanted to drive to France for a few weeks. What we did was to rent the car near the port (at Hertz) drive to France and do our thing. We then drove all the way back to Milan (where we caught our flight home) in order to save the huge inter-country drop fee. We had wanted to fly home from the NIce-Cote d'Azur airport but with the big drop fees it was a lot cheaper to go back into Italy.

 

Hank

[CathyCruises]

Why not take a train? On our two rent trips to Italy. Used the train and hired drivers. Much less stressful.

 

For example in 2011 we flew into Switzerland and took a train though the Alps to Lake Como and Bergamo. Then went to Santa Margherita (cinque terre), Rome, Venice and back to Zurich. What a trip! This last year was Naples Amalfi and Sorrento and Rome mostly by hired car and boat.

 

There is absolutely nothing stressful to us about driving--we love it. We spent a month driving through Italy a few years ago, followed by a month in France. We have also taken trains all over the place, but it's much easier to us to have a car, go exactly where we want, stop when the mood overtakes us (we seldom prebook hotels except the first and last nights), leave our big(ger) suitcases in the car and just take a small overnight bag into the hotels, etc. Of course I have a 7 hour drive to 'work', each way, so we are definitely road warriors!

[CathyCruises]

Cathy, Am currently out of the country where I have lousy internet and none of my travel notes/files which are at my home. But you do seem to have the issue well framed. We used to be able to rent in one country and drop in another without many fees as long as the rental was for more then a few days. Autoeurope and Kemwel were good places to set this up (they are essentially discounters for some majors like Hertz and Europcar). But all the rules have changed in the past few years and now the drop charges are often ridiculous. Somebody at Autoeurope once suggested we do two rentals, dropping the first car at a near-border location (in the same country rented) and then take a train to our next country and rent again :). What a pain.

 

I am having trouble accessing their site here....but you might want to check on Sixt Rent a Car since that is a family owned company who, I believe, owns their own agencies. But we have never used them for this kind of rental so this is just speculation on our part. In any case your best bet is going to be with the so-called majors (but we are sure you already know this). Three years ago we faced the same situation as we got off a cruise in Civitavecchia and wanted to drive to France for a few weeks. What we did was to rent the car near the port (at Hertz) drive to France and do our thing. We then drove all the way back to Milan (where we caught our flight home) in order to save the huge inter-country drop fee. We had wanted to fly home from the NIce-Cote d'Azur airport but with the big drop fees it was a lot cheaper to go back into Italy.

 

Hank

 

Thanks, Hank--I guess I have some exploring to do! Last year we took the train from Rome to Lyon, which was easy, and then rented the car there from Europcar; kept it a week, returned it in Paris, total charge $130 dollars!!!

 

If 'worse' comes to worse, we can always do the loop I mentioned above and leave the car in Venice--the distances are so short compared to what we frequently drive here in California, for instance. Last year when we rented in Lyon, I asked the guy at the counter how long it would take to get to Angers, I thought it was about 5 hours. He was horrified! "You go to Angers TODAY???" As if it was on the other side of the world!! We still laugh about that!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions--I'm sure we'll have a great time no matter what we end up doing!

[Tommy3putts]

There is absolutely nothing stressful to us about driving--we love it. We spent a month driving through Italy a few years ago, followed by a month in France. We have also taken trains all over the place, but it's much easier to us to have a car, go exactly where we want, stop when the mood overtakes us (we seldom prebook hotels except the first and last nights), leave our big(ger) suitcases in the car and just take a small overnight bag into the hotels, etc. Of course I have a 7 hour drive to 'work', each way, so we are definitely road warriors!

 

 

You ever try driving on the Amalfi Coast??? Egads!!!!

[CathyCruises]

Nope! Would not want to do that! That WOULD be stressful!

 

 

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[Hlitner]

You ever try driving on the Amalfi Coast??? Egads!!!!

 

We have done it quite a few times since we have vacationed twice (a week each time) in the small town of Praiano which is right on the Amalfi Drive about 5 miles from Positano. To be honest, we did not find it nearly as bad as some others roads we have driven in Italy...but I do not like driving it after dark. The biggest hassle of driving is trying to park in or near Positano. Most of the time we went to Positano we would take the local Orange bus from Praiano and avoid the parking problem.

 

The secret about that Amalfi Drive is that while it looks really scary when you are sitting high in a bus, in a small car it is not so imitating since there are excellent guard rails and stone walls keeping you from going over the cliffs. On a bus you sometimes are looking right over the top of those walls and it seems like you might go over!

 

Hank

[CathyCruises]

I thought you guys might be interested to know what I've found so far.

 

Europcar did not have a one way/drop off in Germany rate. Pick up In Civ. and drop in Venice was $400+.

 

Kemwel DID have a one way rate; pick up in Civ and drop in Frankfurt, Renault Clio (our preferred car) for $208! But they will 'contact me about any one way surcharges!' So we shall see. This should be interesting!

[CathyCruises]

Just got the email: Comments:::: one way fee €735.00 EUR + VAT paid locally

Never mind!

Also it appears Sixt does not have a Civitavecchia location and doesn't allow drop off in other countries--best I could do was Rome to Venice. . .

I'll keep looking!

[euro cruiser]

Yikes!

[Tommy3putts]

Train. :D

[CathyCruises]

Got an email from Kemwel this AM. Civ to Venice for $241 so that's probably what we'll do. Still cheaper than riding the train for a week x 2!!

[Tommy3putts]

True. But I can drink and watch the sites while on the train!

 

Cheers!

[euro cruiser]

Got an email from Kemwel this AM. Civ to Venice for $241 so that's probably what we'll do. Still cheaper than riding the train for a week x 2!!

Yes, plus you get to come and go when you want and where you want. I love the trains and use them a lot in Italy, but there are times when nothing will do but a car.

[CathyCruises]

That's it exactly. Trains ARE great and we've used them a lot but for this itinerary we really need the mobility. Plus, no matter how lightly we pack, it is a 15 day cruise and we DO have to conform somewhat to the 'rules'. I've learned the hard way about trains and baggage. . ,

 

 

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[Hlitner]

Ok, we often get into face to face discussions about train vs car when it comes to moving around Europe. Having used both pretty extensively, we think there are some pros and cons to both types of transportation. But we also find that each form (train, plane, automobile) is best for certain situations. For example, if you merely want to go from Point A to Point B (assuming both are cities) then a train is often the best mode unless the distance is so far as to make a plane the better alternative.

 

So, we think train travel is great for those that primarily want to just see cities. Having a car in a major European city is usually more a hindrance then helpful. However, some folks might be shocked to know there are actually some nice places outside major cities :). Our favorite part of France is Provence (we also love the Loire Valley) and the only way to properly see Provence is with a car. Trains just do not "go there." Sure they can get you to Avignon, but they cannot get you anywhere near Les Baux, St Remy, Pont du Gard, the Luberon, etc.

 

And it is the same in Italy. Sure, you can take a train from Rome to Florence. But when you want to experience the lovely Chianti wine country (outside Florence) you must have a car. And if you want to go to an interesting city like San Gimignano you will also need a car unless you want to take a train to a bus. And then once you leave San Gimignano and decide you want to visit Colle val d'elsa or perhaps Volterra you are going to need a car!

 

As to port days, we find that in many places (not all) a car allows us to see and do much more, as we please, without wasting precious port time waiting for a bus, train, etc. Just getting from a city like Le Havre to nearby Honfleur is difficult without a car. You cannot possibly tour the beaches and other sites of coastal Normandy without a car. We could fill a large book with these type of examples. As somebody posted, when you take a train you "watch the sites" as they flash by your window. But some of us do not want to settle for only seeing those sites that happen to be near train tracks as they flash by at speeds that can exceed 100mph. I can see Paris from the window of a plane....but it is not the same as walking through the streets, sipping wine in a picturesque café, strolling through the Musee d'Orsay (our favorite Paris museum) etc.

 

Now the big issue for many cruisers is whether to pay for a private tour (in a car, van or bus), cruise line excursion (usually in a large bus), use public transit and go on your own, or rent your own car. And that is why some of us like to come here on CC and help you fit the best mode of transport into your plans.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

Very true Hank. There are so many factors that go into finding the best fit for any given situation.

 

For example, I'm going to the Netherlands in a couple of months. On my own, or with just the kids, I'd probably use the trains. This time, however, I'll have my nonagenarian mother and wheelchair-bound brother with me. Mass transit simply doesn't fit in this situation.

[slidergirl]

Have a GREAT TRIP!!! The drive through the Dolomites is one of the most fantastic things I've done. We did it in winter, now I really want to go back in the summer and take it slowly, stopping in several of the little towns and doing some hiking! Hint: if you at all get any motion sickness, be sure to have some Dramamine/Bonine/etc with you on that road. The number of switchbacks was just mind-blowing.

 

You have many different choices on roads to get to all your places - research! You may want to blow on the Stradas between certain places, then take some of the meandering roads between others.

 

If you get to Innsbruck, be sure to visit the ski jumping facility. I believe you can still take the ride up to the top of the K120 hill and look down to see just how crazy those men AND women are who jump!

[maryann ns]

This may not help the OP but if you are going to be wanting a car for at least 17 days, then look at the programs from Renault and Peugeot. These operate more as a long term lease. You get a new car with full insurance. One company has a 17 day minimum and the other 21 days. There are drop off charges if you end up in a different spot.

 

We have used this program four times and never had a problem. The prices are excellent.

 

 

http://www.renault-eurodrive.com/en/source/

 

http://www.peugeot-openeurope.com/