PSGMARTINO

We are staying in the Trastevere area of Rome in June - at B&B Arco del Lauro. We plan to pick up our rental car on our way out of Rome going to Tuscany. What would be a good location to pick up the car and avoid driving through Rome central?

I was thinking of Via Tiburtina, as that looked like it was on the way towards A1 - but we'd have to take 2 cabs to get there from where we are staying. Our rental is from Auto Europe and my rental agreement says we'll pick up the car at the Rome city Office on Via Del Galoppatoio - which doesn't look right to me.

Any suggestions for someone that doesn't know Rome that well? Thanks for your help!

eliza3

After our week in Rome we picked up our rental car from the airport - just caught the train to the airport and was all very easy. Getting out from the airport was also easy. I do not know Rome well enough to know where that office is but would not recommend collecting a rental car from Rome city.

NeoPatrick

The car rental agencies near Termini Station are really VERY easy to travel directly out of the city on rather major, well marked streets. That would be my choice.

eyes

We're going to Tuscany this May and will fly into Rome. We're taking the train to Orvieto where Hertz has a car rental office right next to the train station.
FYI-If you pick your car up at the airport, they add on a 10% tax. This doesn't apply at other rental locations to the best of my knowledge.

kawh

We also wimped out in Rome... having been there several times to witness the traffic scene, we took a train to (forget which) a small town about 20 minutes in the direction we were going. An advantage to this is that you can hunt around for rates and choose the cheapest town on your route. We absolutely love Kemwel and they are the only ones we use in Europe.(their rentals are from various companies... Eurocar, etc.)
k.

PSGMARTINO

Neopatrick - not having taken the trains, how close or far is Termini from Trastevere? We are 6 travelers with luggage, and I'm wondering if we should taxi (we'd need two) to the location that we pick up the car, or if it's not too far - maybe my DH could taxi to get the car and come back to Trastevere to pick us up?

I've heard Trastevere is more residential, although have not been there yet. Maybe it's easier to drive there???

lovisa

Since you think that it would take 2 taxis to take you to the car rental place, are you sure the car you're renting will hold you and your luggage for 6 people? European cars and vans generally do not have as much room for luggage.

Also, your husband does not want to try to get from Termini to Trastevere. Since you're driving north, it would be more convenient to pick up your car at Borghese Gardens, Galappatoio location and go from there.

toni_g_b

We did the reverse, dropping our rental car off in Rome at the Galappatoio location and then taking one taxi to our hotel at the Pantheon. It couldn't have been easier as for traffic - although finding the entrance to the underground parking garage and rental office was a little tricky. We came in on A24 to the inner circle road, mid-week, mid-day in August and traffic wasn't any worse than a large city in the States. (We live in Atlanta.)

PSGMARTINO

Lovisa- yes we have rented a big 9 passenger van. Enough for us and all our luggage.

Our rental is set up to pick up the car at the Galoppatoio, so I guess that will work out after all. Glad to hear it's not hard to drive north from there.

Thanks a lot to everyone who responded.

ryokousha

PSGMARTINO

How did your car rental pick up location turn out? We are also 6 persons travelling end of April with a similar itinerary from Rome to Tuscany.We will be staying in the Campo dei Fiori area. My first choice is to take the train to Chiusi and pick up the rental car there but if its not too difficult from Rome, we just might do this. Thanks for any feedback.

Traveler2

Toni, since you have already drove to the Galoppatoio location can you tell me how far the inner circle road is to this rental office? Auto Europe agent told me it is only a couple of blocks. I was so relieved to see you mentioned that driving to the location wasn't any worse that driving than any other big city. I have drove in Atlanta and thought it a piece of cake compared to LA, which we just drove last week.
Is the inner circle road an autostrada? Also we will be picking up a car from this location which after reading your problems with returning a car there I am relieved.

We will be driving to the Amalfi coast from Rome so I hope it will not be too difficult. The reason I have to pick up at the above location is that I am renting a GPS and this is the only location that has the GPS.

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

jjkbrook

We rented cars INTO not out of Rome a several times. Its not that difficult to get in and out - there are major arteries and its fairly quick to get out of the congested center onto a highway if you are oriented and its daytime - I definitely wouldnt waste my time training out to the airport for this.

PSGMARTINO

ryokousha -

We have not been yet. You actually go before we do, our trip is in June. Have fun!

toni_g_b

Traveler2,

Our trip seems to be just the opposite of yours since we were returning the car to Roma from our visit to the Amalfi Coast. We took A1 to A24 to the inner ring road, and, yes, it's more like the autostrada (limited access). As I look at a map, I can see another road/street that circles around the historic center but that's not what I'm talking about. That may be what the agent is referring to when she says the location is only a couple of blocks from the inner ring road. When we got to the inner ring road (autostrada-like), we went north to exit at Via Salaria, then south to the Borghese gardens; they were on our right. Although it was more than a couple of blocks, it didn't take long getting there. If you go to mapquest.com, and enter the address and Rome, it will give you a map to zoom in and out on, and I think you'll see more clearly what I've tried to describe.

It really wasn't bad at all. In fact, we're returning to Rome this summer, and plan to drop off at this location again.

Toni

Traveler2

Toni: Thank you. Just the info I was looking for! The agent commented this evening, "just be forceful" regarding driving in Rome. That sounds scary, but then on LA's freeway's it is nothing to see people driving 80+ as well as being forceful. Guess it is all in what you get used to! By the way, loved the crepe myrtle trees. They were in bloom while we were in Atlanta.

Traveler2

Toni, I have one more question: Is Via Salaria an easy road to traverse? (Is the traffic bad, cars cutting you off etc.) It is some distance on Salaria to Autostrada when I looked at mapquest.

Thanks so much for your help!

debwhite

WE are staying near the Piazza Venezia in Rome and also are renting to head to Viterbo, then Tuscany. Never thought about taking the train to Viterbo, then renting. Any advantages? And should we also seek to rent from the termini area or Galappatoio? I think we'll use Auto Europa as well, on Karen Brown's site. Do you think the GPS is worth it for Tusdany? We drop the car off in Florence.

toni_g_b

Hi Traveler2,

I went back to mapquest and did a search for directions from Galoppatoio location to VIA DEL FORO ITALICO which is near the junction to the inner ring road (just northeast of Villa Ada on a map of Rome if you can find it). Mapquest says it's 9 mins and 2.9 miles. As I remember the time on the city streets to our eventual location was no time at all. Of course, we missed it during our first pass and crossed the bridge heading for Vatican City. And even that wasn't bad - turn around and go north on the same street. As for the stereotypical Roman driver that you see on travelogues, we didn't encounter them at all in Rome. As I said earlier, it wasn't much different than big city traffic in the States - lanes were respected, speed reasonable, no traffic jams. In fact, I'd call the amount of cars we encountered during midday pretty moderate by Atlanta standards. Although I do admit we didn't have to maneuver around a traffic circle; I think that's when it can get harry.
If your experience is similar to ours, the rental agency will have the best city maps and they can get you out of the city with as little confusion as possible.

Traveler2

Toni thanks again. You have been so helpful! Did you take A 24 to A1? Does the inner circle road take you to A24? The map is confusing.
The route that mapquest gives has 30+ maneuvers before you reach A24 and it is all on city streets. I like the route you gave and will note it and take it as I am sure the GPS will route us the way mapquest did!

I have peole telling me they think I am crazy to drive in Rome, but I feel better now, thanks to you. (I have been to Rome once but we only spent 1 day and we did not drive.)

Traveler2

Deb: Click on this and it may give you the answers you are looking for. It really helped make my decision.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34903467