Italy : North East
Dear fellow travelers ..My partner and I are planning a rental car journey from Milan to Venice to Florence and then back up the east coast to Milan via Pisa and Genoa. We will arrive in Milan from Zurich by train ... probably coming in at Centrale is this okay? in March 2013. I have some questions for the experienced as it will be our first time in this part of the world ..
1. Best car rental company to approach : both from cost and service.
2. The most scenic routes to follow on this round-trip.
3. Where best to stay.
... our interests are historical but also woiuld love to get close to the local people we not classic tourists. Out of the way 2 - 3 star B&Bs or hotels would be good to hear about.
Thanks again!
1
Your plans are not very clear. Yes, the trains from Zürich arrive at Milano Centrale, which is the main railway station in the city - but as for your itinerary, it could be completely done by train without the need of renting a car. Just for what you pay in Italy for petrol and toll motorways.Milan lies in the middle of a very dull plain and there's little scenic from there to Venice and from Genoa to Milan, unless you choose lenghty detours. By the way, Pisa and Genoa are on the western side of Italy, not on what you call East coast, which is the Adriatic one.
2
we not classic tourists. (sic)
yes, like everybody else who wants to eat 'where the locals eat' and find 'the hidden gems'. And then you go to PIsa and Venice and Florence, some of the most touristy places in the world. get over yourselves- you're tourists, and if this is your first time I assume you speak no Italian so how could you ever by anything but a tourist?How long is your stay? As Chiara says, your itinerary as proposed is best done by train...
3
Italy : North East - the only town north-east on your list is Venice. Take a map first to get not lost if driving in this part of the world..4
Do reconsider the driving idea. In the centre of Milan and Florence it is very restricted - you need permits in Florence (ZTL = Zona Traffico limitato = residents pay for a permit, otherwise stay out!!) and there is a congestion charge in Milan, and for obvious reasons you cannot drive in the centre of Venice. If you want to spend some time in rural areas (and south of Florence in Tuscany is the obvious area to do so on your itinerary) then that might be the time to hire a car for a few days. But for town to town travel use the train - all the info you need is at www.trenitalia.com, just assume if you're checking schedule that what exists today will be there when you arrive too. And Chiaram is right about the scenery, it is mostly flat and uninteresting in the north once you are away from the lakes until you reach Bologna and the south of Emilia Romagna, however the smaller towns (Padova, Ravenna, Vicenza etc etc) are all worth a visit
