Rental Car
If you're traveling through the Italian countryside or renting a villa, a car is a necessity. For instance in Tuscany, train lines don't run to most of the small towns and buses are few and far between. Plus without your own wheels, you'll miss the great scenery along the back roads. A rental car offers the most flexibility since you can come and go without having to adhere to a schedule. Plus, in Italy you can return your car to a different destination from the pickup location for no extra charge!

If your vacation includes visits to the big cities, remember that you'll probably have to be pay for parking. Hotel parking can cost as much as 30 euros per night and even those who don't mind driving in Italy sometimes find city driving daunting. You may want to return the car and use Italy's great train system for city visits.

Other things to keep in mind:
+ It is easy to get lost in Italy. Rent a GPS. It is worth the small added cost.
+ You absolutely want to reserve your car before you leave the U.S. because it costs more to rent a car when you're already in Europe.
+ Unlike in the U.S., your rental car is likely to take diesel gasoline. Be sure to double check before you leave the rental office.

Click here to reserve your rental car.

Private Car Transfers
Some people just aren't comfortable with the idea of driving in Italy. Italian drivers can sometimes be aggressive and can be a challenge to navigate narrow medieval streets and unfamiliar territory. Though more expensive than a rental car, a private car with driver provides ease and comfort. You can hire a car with driver simply to transport you from the airport to hotel, to take you on a day trip or even to be at your disposal each day of your Italian vacation.

After you book your vacation package, you will also have the option to add a private car transfer.

TRAIN

Individual Tickets
The ultimate in stress-free Italian travel is to journey by train. Enjoy the ride, look out at the lovely countryside and even take a nap while you're whisked from one city to another. If you're traveling between Italian cities, the train is definitely the way to go. All the train stations are centrally located so getting to your hotel is much easier than from an airport. For major city routes, hop on the Eurostar train, which will get you where you're going quickly and in comfort. You might want to pay a little more for a first-class ticket for a roomier seat and complimentary drink and snack.

Be sure to book your train tickets with your Italy Vacations package!

Sample travel times on Eurostar:
Florence - Rome: 1 hour 35 minutes
Milan - Venice: 2 hours 23 minutes
Rome - Naples: 1 hour 10 minutes
Rome - Venice: 3 hours 20 minutes

Keep in mind:
+ Leave yourself enough time to find your track once you get to the train station.
+ Be sure to validate your ticket in the yellow machine at the end of the track before boarding the train.

>2012 Schedule for Most Popular Eurostar Italy Train Routes<

Regional Trains: Ticket on Departure
You need to collect a paper ticket in Italy before departure (through self service vending machines in the stations) by typing in the Trenitalia PNR code located on your itinerary. There is one PNR per passenger.

Please see the following link for a listing of all the train stations that have these machines: Regional Tickets Self Service Stations in Italy

The self-service distributors are automatic ticket machines, installed in Italy's main railway stations. They are used to pick up tickets bought on-line following a simple procedure. You simply enter your name and surname used for the purchase and the booking code (PNR). The ticket will be delivered in the machine to you.

In the event that your station does not have a machine, tickets can be printed at the Italian ticket counters (during business hours) endowed with SiPix (booking system).

IMPORTANT: Before boarding the train, you must validate your regional ticket by placing it in the yellow ticket validating machines.

Rail Passes
If you're planning to travel by train several or more times during your vacation, a rail pass may be a better value than buying multiple tickets. The pass allows you several days of travel during a two-month time period. You can choose first or second class seating and they're available for adults, young adults and children.

Types of Italy Rail Passes:

• Adult Italy Railpass
• Saver Italy Railpass (2 or more traveling together on entire trip)
• Youth Italy Railpass (up to 24 years of age when traveling)

Keep in mind:
+ Rail Passes do NOT cover your seat reservation, so those still need to be purchased separately.