Post Cruise from Civitavecchia to Tuscany in April?

[slidergirl]

Indeed, Auto Europe should be checked out first before going through the agencies! I am finding that a five day manual transmission rental at Auto Europe starting 15 April from Civitachevia (same place return) is only around $100 while at Hertz it was around $123 yesterday.

 

Too bad, I have already booked an automatic at Hertz for $183. I kinda need automatic--wife cant drive manual and I just won't risk me being the only driver and my nervousness of Italian roads (even if country roads mostly).

 

Thanks for the info! Hopefully, this will help others.

 

I had to chuckle a little at your comment about "nervousness of Italian roads." I worked on Hilton Head for a few weeks last summer; I was more nervous driving between there, Bluffton, Beaufort, and Savannah that I am when I'm driving through Italy solo ;) It really is not as intimidating as people make it out to be.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I had to chuckle a little at your comment about "nervousness of Italian roads." I worked on Hilton Head for a few weeks last summer; I was more nervous driving between there, Bluffton, Beaufort, and Savannah that I am when I'm driving through Italy solo ;) It really is not as intimidating as people make it out to be.

 

My DH is nervous about road signs in Italian. I told him that his GPS is in English! I guess that we will need to do an Italy update on the GPS and bring it along.

[LondonTowner]

I don't understand, the signs you need to look for are destinations, distances and speed limits. I have driven all over Europe, including countries like Greece, Slovenia, Montenegro which have difficult languages. Never had a problem and I'm British where we drive on the other side of the road.

 

Admittedly, I haven't enjoyed driving in Rome, but mainly because I was unsure of where I was going, but outside of the cities in the countryside it is fine.

 

When we were in Puglia I had an Italian right up my backside along very narrow country lanes. He overtook me on a very dangerous bend and whizzed past me. A little way along the road he had been pulled over by the police.

[euro cruiser]

My DH is nervous about road signs in Italian. I told him that his GPS is in English! I guess that we will need to do an Italy update on the GPS and bring it along.

There's an excellent and thorough resource on line he can look at ahead of time and print to bring along if he wants.

 

The introduction is here: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/index.htm

 

The web pages are set up oddly, to get to the next section go to the bottom of the column on the right hand side of the page and click on the next section title under the heading Road Signs, which is "Restriction" and you should get this: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/road_signs_cr2.htm

 

The next section is "warning": http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/road_signs_cr3.htm

 

And so on through precedence, necessity, temporary, helpful, add ons, and photos.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

There's an excellent and thorough resource on line he can look at ahead of time and print to bring along if he wants.

 

The introduction is here: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/index.htm

 

The web pages are set up oddly, to get to the next section go to the bottom of the column on the right hand side of the page and click on the next section title under the heading Road Signs, which is "Restriction" and you should get this: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/road_signs_cr2.htm

 

The next section is "warning": http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/road_signs_cr3.htm

 

And so on through precedence, necessity, temporary, helpful, add ons, and photos.

 

Thank you once again! Another site bookmarked and forwarded to my DH.:cool:

[Omega1]

On our recent road trip, we took our 'ancient' satnav (GPS). Other than the odd bit of new road, it was excellent and we would have been in difficulty several times without it.

[cruisemom42]

I had to chuckle a little at your comment about "nervousness of Italian roads." I worked on Hilton Head for a few weeks last summer; I was more nervous driving between there, Bluffton, Beaufort, and Savannah that I am when I'm driving through Italy solo ;) It really is not as intimidating as people make it out to be.

 

Well, maybe.

 

My experiences with a friend driving on the Sorrentine peninsula and around the narrow streets of Pozzuoli and vicinity were somewhat hair-raising and not for the faint of heart. Italians do not treat you kindly if you have to slow in order to read a sign or switch lanes in fast moving traffic to make a quickly approaching exit. And Italians will let you know of their displeasure with your driving by honking repeatedly, passing you with millimeters to spare and yelling at you, etc..... which, if you are not comfortable to start with, will make you distinctly UNcomfortable.

 

We had to drive around the same large loop outside Pozzuoli (a suburb of Naples, to give you an idea of the type of driver we faced) three times. Each attempt included an entry to a freeway with no lead-up ramp (basically one must go from zero to about 60 in a matter of seconds), crossing four lanes of traffic and exiting the other side. The first two times we failed; our nerves were just not up to it!

 

One of our biggest mistakes was assuming that our local guide would know his way around and would be able to direct us where to go. He didn't and couldn't. (He wasn't crazy enough to drive himself. He took the train to meet us.)

Edited March 24, 2016 by cruisemom42

[meengla]

Well, maybe.

 

My experiences with a friend driving on the Sorrentine peninsula and around the narrow streets of Pozzuoli and vicinity were somewhat hair-raising and not for the faint of heart. Italians do not treat you kindly if you have to slow in order to read a sign or switch lanes in fast moving traffic to make a quickly approaching exit. And Italians will let you know of their displeasure with your driving by honking repeatedly, passing you with millimeters to spare and yelling at you, etc..... which, if you are not comfortable to start with, will make you distinctly UNcomfortable.

 

 

Now you are making me even more nervous! ;)

 

Joking aside, we are going to not drive in crowded places; I think the most traffic we are probably likely to face will be from the Hertz car rental in Civit getting in and out of Civit. We will go to a farm house close to Seggiano as our base and check out places close to that location.

 

Anyway, some interesting feedback and info above about driving etc. Thanks.

[slidergirl]

Well, maybe.

 

My experiences with a friend driving on the Sorrentine peninsula and around the narrow streets of Pozzuoli and vicinity were somewhat hair-raising and not for the faint of heart. Italians do not treat you kindly if you have to slow in order to read a sign or switch lanes in fast moving traffic to make a quickly approaching exit. And Italians will let you know of their displeasure with your driving by honking repeatedly, passing you with millimeters to spare and yelling at you, etc..... which, if you are not comfortable to start with, will make you distinctly UNcomfortable.

 

We had to drive around the same large loop outside Pozzuoli (a suburb of Naples, to give you an idea of the type of driver we faced) three times. Each attempt included an entry to a freeway with no lead-up ramp (basically one must go from zero to about 60 in a matter of seconds), crossing four lanes of traffic and exiting the other side. The first two times we failed; our nerves were just not up to it!

 

One of our biggest mistakes was assuming that our local guide would know his way around and would be able to direct us where to go. He didn't and couldn't. (He wasn't crazy enough to drive himself. He took the train to meet us.)

 

I've had the same problem time and time again when I go to Washington, DC. I'll keep trying to get over from Crystal City to get onto the George Washington Parkway - I'll not get over fast enough and miss the turn - over the 14th Street bridge, round again, try again, miss again… And I've done that drive for years when I used to go to DC for business!!! I'm of the school of "if I miss it, I'll just go around and try again." Did that in Rome - figured my way out, did it trying to find the freakin' rental car return at the airport in Florence (I did that one probably for half an hour before I found the little dirt turnout!!!).

 

Just be familiar with the signage - you got some good references where to find them - and don't panic. I do not speak Italian, but I can read signs and menus. I used Google Maps on my iPad Mini to navigate from inside Rome (yes, I was "adventurous" and did mess up but I figured it out and got out) through Umbria and Tuscany (via the Chianti area) to Florence. I bought a SIM card for my Mini and used the 3/4G signal throughout. Before, my friends and I went through all of Tuscany and the Cinque Terre area on multiple day trips using a GPS we got for free in our Hertz car (thanks to a Hertz employee friend). Before that, it was through Italy and Germany with maps and my brain!

Everyone gets lost in every country all the time - just stay calm and you will get where you need to go!!

[cruisemom42]

I've had the same problem time and time again when I go to Washington, DC. I'll keep trying to get over from Crystal City to get onto the George Washington Parkway - I'll not get over fast enough and miss the turn - over the 14th Street bridge, round again, try again, miss again… And I've done that drive for years when I used to go to DC for business!!! I'm of the school of "if I miss it, I'll just go around and try again." Did that in Rome - figured my way out, did it trying to find the freakin' rental car return at the airport in Florence (I did that one probably for half an hour before I found the little dirt turnout!!!).

 

Just be familiar with the signage - you got some good references where to find them - and don't panic. I do not speak Italian, but I can read signs and menus. I used Google Maps on my iPad Mini to navigate from inside Rome (yes, I was "adventurous" and did mess up but I figured it out and got out) through Umbria and Tuscany (via the Chianti area) to Florence. I bought a SIM card for my Mini and used the 3/4G signal throughout. Before, my friends and I went through all of Tuscany and the Cinque Terre area on multiple day trips using a GPS we got for free in our Hertz car (thanks to a Hertz employee friend). Before that, it was through Italy and Germany with maps and my brain!

Everyone gets lost in every country all the time - just stay calm and you will get where you need to go!!

 

 

 

I think I've finally figured out an apt analogy.

 

I enjoy the challenges of figuring out public transportation in a different locale and taking it when traveling. To others, it's something stressful and to be avoided at all costs.

 

Others, like you, enjoy the challenges of driving in a different locale and figuring out directions. To others (like me) it's something stressful and to be avoided at all costs. :D

 

I suggest people assess what kind of challenges they enjoy. If driving is one of them, you can probably handle Italy with some preparation.

 

If not, you will enjoy your trip more by choosing alternate ways of getting around.

[meengla]

We had quite a nightmarish experience in Washington, DC barely three weeks ago: Coming from relatively empty rural South Carolina we landed in DC around 530 pm--rush hours! There was a roundabout for which we took a wrong turn.

 

Boy, we paid a price! The trusted GPS device could only help so much with quick decision, bumper to bumper traffic, some aggressive city drivers! We were no match for them.

 

About 50 minutes of desperate circling around in maddening traffic; we were down to only two bars in fuel--and it was getting darker. We were so desperate to be off the roads that we considered looking for pizza men or cab drivers to escort us to our hotel; we considered giving up our hotel reservation (losing money) and find whatever nearest. We even called our hotel asking them to send us to guide us but they had no one spare.

 

These things are quite possible after 540 miles of driving especially for us rural folks we hardly ever see much traffic--so any city, let alone a foreign country, can be too much. Yes, we have been made chicken by decades of easy driving! :)

 

 

Having said that: Considering that we will pick up our car at the Hertz rental in Civit, go to a B&B just before Seggiano, and check out rural places nearby, and then be back to Hertz in Civit--what should we be aware of? I dont see any major cities.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 24, 2016 by meengla