Can I rent a car in Zurich and drive to Venice? or is the train better? I will be in Italy for 2 weeks?

Question

At some point during my trip I will need a car to explore the amalfi coast up to Lake como...I'm just triying to decide if I should have the car for the entire trip...or just part of it.

Answer 1

Use a car - you will see more from the country side

Answer 2

That is a tough one, the first time I went to Europe I used Eurail and was very happy as I was visiting the cities mostly. I am going next month and am going to rent a car to see more of the countryside. I have been to both Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast WITHOUT a car. The train goes from Milan to Lake Como and you can take a bus down to the Amalfi Coast from Naples I believe. My trip was in '98.  If you are a mountain lover, visit Interlaken, Switzerland and go up into the Berner Oberland, scenery you'll never forget.

Answer 3

I would use a car for most of the trip but take the train for the Venice part only.

The railway station comes out right in the centre of Venice so is brilliantly located. Also, since Venice is spread across several islands and you'll be walking/taking boats, a car won't  be a whole lot of use.

For the rest of your trip - The Lakes, Amalfi etc a car would be ideal.

Answer 4

You can do either... but the train is pretty d**n cool, convenient and reasonable.

Answer 5

Take a train from Zurich to Venice, and then rent a car in Italy. Driving is ok, but very tiring, especially in mountain region between Italy and Switzerland. Plus it is cheaper to rent a car in Italy than in Switzerland.

Answer 6

Take the train! For the trip from Zurich to the Italian border you can take a "panoramic wagon" and you'll have a great view of the alps (takes about 3 hrs)... In Italy the public transport is a bit less "luxurious" but in summer the traffic is just awful! I would take the train til Milan or so, and then rent a car locally and drive on smaller streets... (not motorway!)

Answer 7

Definitely use the car for only part of the trip. Having a car in Venice will not do you any good, unless you are visiting Lido, a small island next to Venice. I used the trains in Italy without having any problems visiting sites that I wanted to see. However, a car is useful for some excursions out into the countryside.

Answer 8

take the train trust me