This guide is for the independent, self-catering traveler.
It’s not for anyone traveling by bus tour or escorted group tour, and it’s not designed to tell you where to go or what to do when you get there.
It’s not complicated and it’s not long. It’s just a few words of advice from someone who has been traveling independently for years and wouldn’t have it any other way.
The thing is, I received an email recently asking for advice about an upcoming multi-week trip to Italy. Six friends had arranged to rent a villa in the Tuscan countryside for three weeks, after which they intended to spend a little time in the lakes region of northern Italy. The villa they have rented is located more than ten miles from the nearest town, and now they wanted to know whether they should rent a car.
So here’s what this group is faced with: given the remote location of their particular rental and the length of time they plan to stay there they absolutely must have a car.
But, and this is a big but, since their group consists of six adults they will most likely need two cars or at the very least a minivan. The rental cost alone will range from $3600 to more than $4000 depending upon agency and type of vehicle (they will need it for one month all together). And don’t forget that gasoline (“petrol” or “benzina”) costs $8-10 a gallon in Italy, or the additional costs of insurance!
That’s just for one vehicle. Imagine six adults spending three weeks cruising the back roads of the Italian countryside in one vehicle! Now that’s going to be an interesting journey indeed.
My point here is that while transportation isn’t nearly as appealing as poring over the glossy pages of a villa rental catalog and trying to imagine lounging by the pool overlooking the quiet Tuscan countryside, it is a very important consideration indeed.
In the example quoted above it is quite possible that the group will do just fine – that they all get along and are all fairly small people.
Frankly some of the blame must be laid at the doorstep of the landlord. In my experience most agencies, and even many private individuals, will tell you up front if you’ll need a car or not. In the case of this villa they make no mention on their website about the need for a car.
Of course, it is the ultimate responsibility of the independent traveler to ask this very simple question:
“If I rent your villa how do I get around?”
If public transportation is easily available, fine. But for nearly all rentals out in the countryside a car is virtually a necessity. In fact, I sent an email to this particular villa asking if a car is a necessity and they did reply, “yes, a car was necessary. But had I not asked. . .
If you don’t want to drive then you’ll have to think long and hard about staying in town as opposed to the country. It’s really that simple.
OK, you wisely ask, “what would you have suggested had they come to you first?”
Had they come to me before renting a villa or apartment or home I would have given them three simple rules for independent travel:
1. Decide where you want to go.
2. Decide how you want to live when you get there.
3. Decide how you want to get around.
If asked, I would have confirmed that they (a) wanted to travel as a group, (b) were committed to living in the countryside and (c) how they wanted/planned to get around.
For the length of time they plan on staying in Tuscany, unless they were willing to rent a couple of apartments in Florence or Siena, a car would probably be a necessity. In that case, I would have suggested the following: A short-term lease for either a minivan or two cars, whichever option appealed to their sensitivities and budget.
For example, they could get two Renault Scenic diesels for a total of $4400 for a month, on a short-term lease. For two A180 Mercedes from Avis for a similar period of time would cost more than $5000! And that’s without insurance coverage.
Why a lease?
If you’re renting a vehicle for longer than three weeks (and this group will need it for at least that long if not longer) then a short-term lease makes sense. You get a brand-new car, fully insured with zero deductible, NO maximum age, plus road assistance, and all for less than the cost of a typical car rental. Renault and Kemwel both offer short-term leases (we used Renault).
Deciding how one gets around a foreign country is critical for the independent traveler. In a country like Italy public transportation is widespread, generally reliable and not terribly expensive. Of course it does have the obvious limitations and, for some independent travelers it lacks that certain sense of, well, “independence” and freedom that can only come with a car.
Do you rent in the country or in the city? Will you want or need a car and if yes, for how long?
These questions must be answered together or you might find yourself spending ten hours a day, seven days a week sitting inside a tiny box with five other people wondering when it will all end.
Buon viaggio e divertirsi moltissimo!
