The first thing to consider when renting a car in Italy is to get one just big enough for your needs.\u00a0 We learned it the hard way when we were faced with the daunting task of driving an eight-seater (for seven people) in the country roads in Provence last year.\u00a0 The small Fiat we had this time was just fine for the two of us.\u00a0 It was easier to manoeuvre in the narrow and winding roads in the Lake Como district in the north of Italy and finding a snug parking spot was not an impossible dream anymore.<\/p>\n
On the whole, Italian drivers were no worse than their counterparts in North America.\u00a0 Surely, they used their horns much more liberally and many would whiz past us in full speed when we were picking our way gingerly along the single lane mountain roads, but that happened here too.\u00a0 The biggest adjustment we had to deal with was their road signs.\u00a0 Even in a tourist destination like Lake Como, the Italians still did not want to divulge too much information.\u00a0 Signs were posted on the points of entry and departure to tell us where we were then but that was about it.\u00a0 Without a map at all times, we would have no idea as to where we were heading next.\u00a0 You would think they had to do better in the highways.\u00a0 Think again. \u00a0We drove about 120 kms to Verona one day from Como.\u00a0 That particular highway ended in Venice.\u00a0 If we didn\u2019t know that was the right way according to the map, we would be really worried because they gave no indication that Verona was on the same route.\u00a0 Only the name of Venice and the distance to it was occasionally posted. We had to gauge for ourselves the approximate mileage to any other city along way.\u00a0 They did put out little signs on the left when we were close to Verona and fortunately we did not miss them.<\/p>\n
From our London experience, we learned to return our car prior to going into Milan and used their subway.\u00a0 We bought day passes which would allow us to make unlimited trips within the city boundary.\u00a0 For a two day pass, we only paid 5.50 euros.\u00a0 It was a good deal.\u00a0 The subway system was fast and efficient and not difficult to figure out at all.\u00a0 We found that driving in the country but taking public transportation in the city yielded the most flexibility.<\/p>\n
To watch Lake Como video click here<\/a><\/p>\n To watch Verona & Milan video click here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first thing to consider when renting a car in Italy is to get one just big enough for your needs.\u00a0 We learned it the hard way when we were faced with the daunting task of driving an eight-seater (for … Continue reading