Car or train in italy?

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conley39

I live in northern Italy and almost always take the train when I go out exploring. Driving becomes more economical when there are more people - gas and parking can be expensive here.

The trains are generally pretty convenient, but it depends on exactly where you want to go. For the Amalfi Coast, you can take the train to Naples and then transfer to a Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. But from there, you need to take a boat or a bus to get to other places along the coast. Driving in that area is not for the faint of heart, but it isn't terrible if you stay out of Naples. In Tuscany, the trains can get you to many of the more popular tourist destinations. For some of the smaller towns or out in the countryside, you would need a bus or car. If you wanted to go to San Gimignano, you could take the train to Poggibonsi and get a bus from there. Tickets for the bus are available in the bar of the train station.

You can check train schedules and prices on the Italian train website: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3fdbe14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD - On the faster trains, you can save some money by buying tickets at least one day in advance if the discounted Amica fare is available.

For the Circumvesuviana trains between Naples and Sorrento see: http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en ; one of the stops on the line is at Pompeii and another is Erculano.

Paolina

The car is always more rewarding as you can reach more remote places in the countryside. Though gas is expensive, parking in large cities is a nightmare.
In Italy the train system is very capillary and you can go almost everywhere.
50% of the trains (According to recent newspapers) are late at least 30 minutes.
Car get stolen as everywhere else.
Driving is hectic.
It depends on where you are from if you would hate it or enjoy it. (if you came from North America you might hate it as streets are narrow and crowded in comparison, while if you are from South Asia, you'll find it relaxing)

Paulie

I agree with just about everything that has been said here. A great deal of driving in Italy, if you decide to, depends on your driving skills. Italy is not for the weak of heart. My family is from Sicily, and all Italians will tell you that drivers in Rome and Naples are civilized compared to those who live in Palermo. If you decide to drive, the thing to remember in Italy is Offensive/Defensive driving wins the day. If that sounds crazy, its a fact of life driving in Italy. As has been pointed out,
Italy has a wonderful train system. However, I would recommend that you map out a few days in the country to get a feel for the real Italy. And, if you want to see the Amalfi Coast, the only way to experience it is by driving a car. One important point. Unless you are Very Good with a stick shift, rent a car with an automatic transmission.

Javed I

I would recommend Euro Rail pass. No hassle, no parking charge or problems, no fuel costs, I give you a link that would answer all your questions about Italy rail and drive
http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/italy-rail-n-drive/pass-faq.html
Have a Nice Trip

arcamdies

I love driving across the country here but if you are faint of heart go with trains buses boat or mules when you cross the border between rome and the rest of south italy you better have a set of brass cojones because napilotanos can smell fear on new drivers. in the campania area driving is a bit of a contact sport if you want to take the trains check out this website. http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD

once your in the campania region you can take the local trains where you'll buy tickets from the station to get you around the city or to the ferry landings. you can take a ferry from naples to capri, sorrento, positano or catch a bus cruising around the almalfi coast.

Alex D

Last time i went there, i rented a car in venice and drove to milan via verona then proceeded to florence and pisa via genoa and ended in Rome. Had no problems at all except in Rome, was so completely lost there as I arrived at night was looking for a gas station to pump up before giving the car back in the morning but ended up driving around for almost 2 hours!

Driving is fairly easy and i rented a diesel car so the price wasnt much! It gives you better flexibility and i also heard italian trains are confusing! The only thing to worry is that will you be ok driving on the left hand side and on the right side of the road? Also take note that italians drive fairly fast, was doing 120kmph on the slower lane and was still being flashed to move!...lol

bevx_878

It really depends on where you are going to go.
If you plan to visit big cites, trains and buses are better.
If you plan to go exploring the countryside a car is the best choice.

Here's a website with some tips for driving in Italy:

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/introduction.htm

Phil S

Do NOT take a car!!!! I am warning you right now, taking a car would be an incredibly big mistake.

1.) It is damn near impossible to find parking in any city here
2.) It is probably more expensive
3.) The trains travel everywhere
4.) Many Italians dont even need cars because it is so easy to get around.

You will be doing yourself an incredibly big favor by NOT taking a car.

Trust Me.

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