First off, thanks for the patience; I have done the search and would still like some advice. Question is for friends who are taking a first trip to Italy this spring. They are staying at the Albergo Senato in Rome, and then driving to Tuscany for 4-5 days. This will be the end of the trip and the car will be returned to MXP (flights were booked before husband decided he had to go to Rome). They would prefer to drive out of Rome instead of training to Chiusi .(which was my advice). What car rental location would be best to most easily drive out of Rome and north? I have read both Termini and Villa Borghese, and as we have always rented at FCO, I have no personal experience to offer up.
Another Rome car rental question
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We returned a car once at the Villa Borghese. The only challenging part was finding the actual car rental place, as it is underground and we did not know that. My husband enjoys the challenge of driving in Europe so didn't find it too difficult driving through Rome to get there. (Now driving in Milan - that was a different story!)
They could pick up the car at Orvieto rather than Chiusi. Orvieto is a nice place to visit. But check the opening hours of the car rental office.
If they insist on driving out of Rome, well, the underground garage at Villa Borghese is supposed to be not too bad. Will they have a GPS?
I'm not sure the logic of driving out of Rome... but if that's their choice, I'd rather leave from the Roma Termini station.
Having lived in Rome for three years we often rented cars and Roma Termini gave us the most in-town rental options (2nd only to FCO rentals). You can depart Roma Termini eastward to A24 and then onto the GRA (ring road) which will take you to A1 and north. Once you get on the A-24, it's like being on an interstate highway in States - well, sort of. The GRA is a six-lane ring road, so again, not like driving through the city of Rome.
We had a friend who rented a monthly space in the Villa Borghese underground garage so we drove out of there a few times, borrowing her car (Friends with cars is a BIG asset overseas).
If you leave out of the Villa Borghese underground garage, you'll more than likely head down the hill on the 4 lane road (Viale del Muro Torto) till you work your way to the Lungotevere (the road along the Tiber or Tevere river). On this wide (UN-LINED) road you can wind your way out of town... But you'll need a GPS for sure to find your way to the GRA.
Plan ahead and make sure the rental vendor WILL allow a one-way rental with a GPS (if that's your option). Many rental vendors in Italy are franchisees and they WILL NOT allow a one-way rental on cars with GPS units... They don't want to give up the extra revenue that car generates. If that's the case, your friends will have to take their own GPS unit.
Also, make sure the drivers have their IDP's (http://tinyurl.com/yeydx49) as it is the law, and more and more rental vendors are starting to ask for these.