Tours in Italy

[jennifer]

Hey guys!
I'll be travelling to Italy with my modern mom and have a few days that kind of don't fit in...

I'd love to see more of Chianti, Tuscany and the region. Is it best to rent a car? It seems as tours and cooking classes are really expensive.

Have i just not been looking in the right place? Do you have references?

[madamtrashheap]

Ciao ancora! If you want to see more of Tuscany, renting a car is a great way to get off the main roads and see those little towns without changing trains 3 times or taking the SITA bus, so if you have the chance then do it for a few days. The tours are good, but it's also easy to navigate your way around the area and you can just stop when you want. Check the cost of car rental for the number of days you're considering vs a tour and that might help you decide.

As for cooking classes, most are now fairly expensive as there is a large demand for them and even though there are quite a few (!) they are still very popular. I don't have any cooking classes to recommend that are "budget" as such. Would you consider doing a day or half-day class that also offered accommodation for a night? That might kill two birds with one stone and also be a bit of a treat.

[Eagle]

jennifer,

As MTH suggested, renting a Car is a good way to get "off the beaten track" and see some smaller towns. I tend to use car rentals "strategically" to get to specific places (often just a one day rental, although I've used longer rentals in England as I had a number of sites to visit).

I don't like the idea of renting a car for an entire trip though, as so many people from North America seem to do, as it's more of a hinderance than a help! I'm usually travelling to major cities, and I can travel much faster by high speed train and don't have to worry about parking, vandalism, traffic tickets, tolls or navigation problems. Also, it's not really cost-effective for one person to rent a car. It would be different if I there were a group of us, as the cost could be shared.

It would help to have more information concerning your trip. For example, Tuscany is a fairly large region. Which cities will you be basing yourself in and which city were you planning to rent the car in? Regarding tours have you considered local Guides in specific towns. The Rick Steves books always have a few listings of really good local Guides.

A few important points to mention regarding Car rentals in Italy. First of all, it would be a good idea to get the full CDW, so there are no worries should some "unforseen events" occur.

Also, as you may know it's mandatory for visitors to Italy to have an International Drivers Permit. Some people may tell you that they drove in Italy without one, and had no problems but be aware that you can be fined on the spot for not having one should you be stopped by any of the Police agencies. You can obtain these at any CAA office for about $15.00 plus cost of the Passport-sized photo (it's good for one year as I recall). Note that the I.D.P. is not a license per se - it must be used in conjunction with your normal D.L.

Be sure that you're familiar with the various traffic and parking signs (a small chart is provided with the I.D.P. so that shouldn't be a problem). You'll want to be vigilant with parking regulations, as it would be a nasty surprise to see a bright yellow "Boot" on your car when you returned after sightseeing (I've seen those applied in Rome, but not sure if that happens elsewhere?).

I would highly recommend using a GPS unit as well as a good Map (Michelin). I've found that GPS units are enormously helpful, but they're not infallible; they do go into "brain lock" once in a while. Be sure to get a GPS that comes equipped with the European maps. I wouldn't bother with GPS offered by the rental companies, as they're usually fairly expensive (and often programmed in the local language).

Last (but not least by any means) you will also need to be VERY vigilant with regard to the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato zones which are prevalent in many Italian cities (Florence is a good example, but I've seen these in the south as well). These often use automated electronic Cameras (similar to red light Cameras) to take pictures of the license plate of any vehicles that pass through these restricted zones. In some cases that I've heard of, the tourists had to pass through the zones to reach their Hotels, so it was almost assured they would be "nicked". As I understand it, these "limited traffic zones" are somewhat like the congestion charge in London - they're trying to discourage cars in the historic old parts of towns, in order to limit damage, etc.

Those that are "captured" by one of the ZTL Cameras often receive a $150 (or so) ticket in the mail from an agency called European Municipality Outsourcing a few months after they return home. There's been some argument on whether this agency is actually legal, but I suspect it's perfectly legitimate. Some choose not to pay it, and so far there isn't a lot of information on what repercussions may occur for the "scofflaws"? However, keep in mind that virtually all rental car contracts include a clause which states that the renter agrees to pay any applicable traffic tickets or fines. By signing the contract (which is mandatory) the renter has agreed to this. I've heard of a few cases where the rental firm also applies another charge to the credit card, to cover the "expense" of providing the renters home address to the traffic ticketing agency.

Hopefully this won't deter you from renting a Car and seeing some of bella Toscana, but I feel it's important to be well informed when travelling.

Have you thought of venturing into Umbria and perhaps stopping at Orvieto, with a side trip to Civita di Bagnoregio? Just a thought.....

Cheers!

[WillTravel]

Eagle has a very good point about the Zona Traffico Limitato. For example, I have read accounts of people getting multiple such tickets per day, as they drive along just a few blocks in Florence, going in and out of the zone repeatedly and getting a ticket for every re-entrance.

And it often happens that the rental agency just allows your credit card to be charged for the full amount of the tickets.

So if I were driving in Italy, I would never get anywhere near a city like Florence with a car. It is very tricky to avoid these tickets, and even when you think you are doing right, you are not necessarily.

[jennifer]

See i was thinking of a car rental for the "off the beaten track part". I sure wouldn't drive it in the city! Guaranteed!

I wouldn't rent it for the whole time either. Maybe you know a trusted agency?


Here is what we,ve thought of so far :

AVION
Rome
Rome
Rome
Rome
Siena
Siena
Firenze
Firenze
Firenze
Firenze
Pisa
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre
Venezia
Venezia
Venezia
Venezia

And we have about 5 days left where it would be great to roam around eating and drinking in Tuscany or so... That's where my tour/class/car rental cuts in!

I'm basically flexible!


Thanks for the tips about the zones, didn't know, but if I do rent a car I will sure read up, no worries, don't want to get scammed. And I will get an international license.

As for Orvieto, yes, it's on my list of maybes I think of you everytime I see the name!

Thanks guys

[Eagle]

Jennifer,

Of the places you listed, Pisa or Cinque Terre would probably be good choices, as they're smaller and won't have as much traffic. For the Cinque Terre, renting in La Spezia would be one possibility. Siena would also be something to consider (but make sure your Hotel offers parking - I spoke with one couple in Siena who spent over two hours looking for a parking spot).

Regarding which car rental agencies to use, you might try AutoEurope, as I've heard mostly good things about them. I can only offer limited suggestions on car rentals as I usually have my Travel Agent arrange these. I've used Hertz (and others but can't recall the names) in the U.K. and I believe also Hertz in France. Be sure to budget for the full CDW!

If you were considering using a "premium" credit card (Gold or Platinum card) to cover the CDW cost, be VERY CLEAR on the terms and conditions as these usually have very specific terms of coverage (for example, the entire rental has to be charged to that card; only collision,etc. is covered and the renter must accept the PL/PD offered by the rental firm; some car rental agencies may "discourage" renters from using the credit card insurance, so they can push their own; disputes may result in the entire cost of the vehicle being applied to the credit card, etc.). I usually just pay extra for the CDW offered by the rental firm, as I don't want any hassles!

Cheers!

[Eagle]

jennifer,

I was also looking at the order of cities in your last Post. Would it be more efficient to travel Roma - Siena - Pisa - Cinque Terre - Firenze - Venezia?

Were you thinking open-jaw flights Roma / Venezia?

I haven't checked the rail schedules, but all legs of that route should be fairly short (always a good idea to minimize travel times.

Just a thought.....

[jennifer]

Yeah, the order isn't optimal yet, I was just calculating how many days I was up to.. I might add cities in anyways so it will change

Yup, open jaw. I hate long train rides!
xoxox

[madamtrashheap]

Siena is a nightmare for parking, and particularly scary for "no-go" zones popping up at the end of each street! In fact, every little Tuscan city (and other regions - try Umbria!) has no-go zones around the centre, so you're wise to bear that in mind when you're driving around. As a tip, most (paying) public car parks are located either just outside city walls (eg San Gimignano, Siena, Montepulciano, Orvieto - check near the Funicular) or about a 10min walk from the centre (eg Florence, Pisa).

I've used Europe Car a few times in the past and have been happy with their rates and service, plus you can rent from one place and drop off at another, which is open-jaw for cars!