Road trip in Italy in September

dauly69

Hi,
I am planning a road trip in Italy in September with my girlfriend for 1 week to 10 days. The plan is to fly into Bologna and fly out of Rome/Naples depending on how much time I think I will have. I am looking for advice on places to stop along the way, sort of hidden gems, nice towns/areas. The plan would be to rent a car and drive from Bologna to Florence to Pisa or Sienna, down the west coast towards Rome and possibly onto Naples. I am not pushed about stopping in Rome as I will be there again so I would probably stay away form the city and head towards Naples.
I know that Italy has a good train system but I would rather drive so I can stop where and when I want so recommended rental companies would be welcome also?
Can anyone provide some advice on the trip?
Thanks

mfceiling

dauly69 wrote: »

Hi,
I am planning a road trip in Italy in September with my girlfriend for 1 week to 10 days. The plan is to fly into Bologna and fly out of Rome/Naples depending on how much time I think I will have. I am looking for advice on places to stop along the way, sort of hidden gems, nice towns/areas. The plan would be to rent a car and drive from Bologna to Florence to Pisa or Sienna, down the west coast towards Rome and possibly onto Naples. I am not pushed about stopping in Rome as I will be there again so I would probably stay away form the city and head towards Naples.
I know that Italy has a good train system but I would rather drive so I can stop where and when I want so recommended rental companies would be welcome also?
Can anyone provide some advice on the trip?
Thanks

OK....

Try to see the walled city of Ferrara. Spend time eating in bologna. Lucca is well worth a stop.
Szarna has a lovely vintage night time market which meanders through the tiny streets. Nearby to there is where the famous white marble used throughout the world (carrara).
Maybe go across to the west coast and see some of that. The liguria region is spectacular.
Towns like Alassio and Albenga are lovely and there is a little village in the hills called Apricale which has stayed with me the last 5 years!!
Enjoy!!

Hitman3000

Echo the above, Ferrara is a beautiful city and a bike ride around the city walls of Lucca is a must. If you drive inland from Sienna look for a village called Orte. It has an Upper and Lower. The upper is a fortified hilltop village spectacular views and a pub that serves lovely Guinness ( I know) the lower is the newer village and there is a train station that will take you into Rome if you don't want to drive. Auto europe is who I use each time I go, they are a trawling agency but always seem to get me the best deal. Just remember if you rent full to full make sure the car is full when you return as the price to top it up to full is ridiculous. It's a beautiful country and the people are incredibly friendly in my experience also if you make an effort to speak some Italian they behave far better towards you.

kupus

With rentals. just be aware to take photos of car from every angle before you even get in and enjoy driving in Italy it is an experience in itself lol.

xalot

Another vote for Ferrara, also if you're dates are flexible there's a performers festival on from the 17-26 August. We were there nearly 10 years ago and it was fantastic.

I would also recommend Siena, San Gimignano and Arezzo.
Make sure to stop off at Monteriggioni, it'll only take an hour or two.

Hitman3000

kupus wrote:

With rentals. just be aware to take photos of car from every angle before you even get in and enjoy driving in Italy it is an experience in itself lol.

To be fair the Autostrada is a fantastic road network , although it is tolled it knocks a lot of time off journies if you are on a schedule. The other road networks would be similar to ours. Driving in the cities can be interesting alright. Rome especially is an eyeopening if not watering experience.