Hi
I'm a newbie with a bunch of questions. I have a week in Tuscany in September and want to visit Florence, Siena, Pisa and Cinque Terra. I would like to have a settled base which I will be reaching from Rome airport. I have a few dilemmas:
1 I am finding it difficult to decide on car vs train/bus. I have a great aversion to being ripped off or incurring hidden/unexpected costs. I have heard horror stories of people inadvertently racking up major fines by driving into restricted zones unaware. How easy is this to avoid? Also the car hire companies seem to have a bad reputation for taking extra money without reason. On the other hand with time being limited the ease and speed of getting from A to B that a car affords is desirable.
2 Considering where I wish to visit what makes best sense for my base? Take into consideration that I will be arriving from Rome.
3 Does it make any sense to travel from Rome by train and hire a car in Tuscany? My group is a family of 4 adults so cost of train vs car hire is a consideration.
4 I am looking to rent a villa/house/apartment and like the idea of a pool. Is an unheated pool going to be enticing in September and will my itinerary give me enough spare time to use it?
5 My daughter would like to visit a beach. Which beach destination would be best for this itinerary?
I'm sorry for so many questions but my head is spinning and I think this site is my saving grace.
I'm a newbie with a bunch of questions. I have a week in Tuscany in September and want to visit Florence, Siena, Pisa and Cinque Terra. I would like to have a settled base which I will be reaching from Rome airport. I have a few dilemmas:
1 I am finding it difficult to decide on car vs train/bus. I have a great aversion to being ripped off or incurring hidden/unexpected costs. I have heard horror stories of people inadvertently racking up major fines by driving into restricted zones unaware. How easy is this to avoid? Also the car hire companies seem to have a bad reputation for taking extra money without reason. On the other hand with time being limited the ease and speed of getting from A to B that a car affords is desirable.
2 Considering where I wish to visit what makes best sense for my base? Take into consideration that I will be arriving from Rome.
3 Does it make any sense to travel from Rome by train and hire a car in Tuscany? My group is a family of 4 adults so cost of train vs car hire is a consideration.
4 I am looking to rent a villa/house/apartment and like the idea of a pool. Is an unheated pool going to be enticing in September and will my itinerary give me enough spare time to use it?
5 My daughter would like to visit a beach. Which beach destination would be best for this itinerary?
I'm sorry for so many questions but my head is spinning and I think this site is my saving grace.