I have some friends that are heading to Rome in a few weeks and they were asking me if I think it's worth renting a car for the duration of their stay. I would say no. The traffic can be really hellish and the public transport options work just fine.
Is Renting A Car When Visiting Rome Worth It?
- Thread starter Julian02
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Only if they wanted to leave the city. It is easy enough to get around without a car. Not only the traffic issue but where to park the car can be a bigger issue.
I would say no unless you are venturing out into the country. Everything is walkable and the public transport is very frequent to dissuade people from driving. It's also the parking which is an issue. Many cities have to have permits to park and unless you are used to driving there, then the chance of an accident is pretty high. Even crossing roads can be a challenge let alone drive on them.
I agree that a car is probably not worth it. All the times I have visited Rome I used a scooter once and public transportation the other and I got around just fine. I find that you do more walking then driving anyway so at the end of the day it is really not worth it.
I would never want to drive in Rome! Bunch of crazy drivers everywhere, and they are all so frustrated! We lived away from the center, and the honking started so early and would never cease for hours. XD It's pretty easy to get by with buses and metros for long distances, and within the Centro Storico, you can get by on foot!
As a tourist, I don't see any need to rent a car in Rome. The traffic is so bad, why would you want to drive around in that if you don't have to. Unless your friends plan on taking a day trip out of the city, there is no point in renting a car in Rome. I wouldn't mind driving around Tuscany, but not Rome.
No.
Ok, I wanted to just write that, but I feel some kind of explanation is needed!
Driving in the big cities is like suicide! It's so chaotic, you have no idea!
I see someone suggested you could drive if you venture outside of town, well that could work, on the open road and driving through small towns & villages can even turn out to be a lovely experience (if you take the highway all you see is cement
), but in the city... yuck! You'd spend most of your time in your car, perfecting your swearing methods 
haha!
Ok, I wanted to just write that, but I feel some kind of explanation is needed!
Driving in the big cities is like suicide! It's so chaotic, you have no idea!
I see someone suggested you could drive if you venture outside of town, well that could work, on the open road and driving through small towns & villages can even turn out to be a lovely experience (if you take the highway all you see is cement
), but in the city... yuck! You'd spend most of your time in your car, perfecting your swearing methods haha!
I think if your friends arent going to be leaving the city then i doubt it t's really worth it to be honest. I found that the transport network within the city was more than adesquate to get about and was pretyy reliable so we was never stuck anywhere.
You also have to consider the amount of traffic aswell and if theyre competent drivers and experienced in driving on the continent. Rome is probably the worst city to drive for somebody who hasnt drove in a different country before.
You also have to consider the amount of traffic aswell and if theyre competent drivers and experienced in driving on the continent. Rome is probably the worst city to drive for somebody who hasnt drove in a different country before.
I think the parking thing should be emphasized. The Romans I've met who drove us sometimes? They parked on sidewalks. They could nt be bothered to find a spot. There were no spots. Sidewalks! It really was not uncommon at all. And I think foreigners would not have the "I've lived here all my life" guts to do it (like for the jumping over the subway ticket thingie? to go free of charge in?), and then parking would become a nightmare.
So that's the driving aswell as the parking that are both negatives when it comes to hiring a car in Rome!
Like I said I've driven a couple of times in Italy and while outside the major cities it's not too bad, in the city is certainly a very different story. It's not an experience that I'd like to do again if I had the choice but it's not impossible to do. If you don't NEED a car though, I'd certainly recommend not hiring one unless you have to.
Like I said I've driven a couple of times in Italy and while outside the major cities it's not too bad, in the city is certainly a very different story. It's not an experience that I'd like to do again if I had the choice but it's not impossible to do. If you don't NEED a car though, I'd certainly recommend not hiring one unless you have to.
And the honking! So much stress that should NOT be a part of a nice stay in such a great, relaxed country! I swear, the diference between being a pedestrian strolling around, wondering at the sights, mixing with the old people walking their dogs and the Italians having a coffee around -- and the chaos of driving in Rome, where the Italians seem to go crazy with impatience -- the gap is so huge!
Oh man, the mere thought of driving (or even using a scooter) in Rome starts my heart racing -- I definitely don't think the stress would be worth it. I honestly hate when I'm driving in a new city and I don't know where I'm going...it just makes me crazy anxious, even when I have GPS to rely on. And the traffic as other people mentioned is horrendous, I think you'd be at a disadvantage there just as a result of getting stuck in it! I'd rather just enjoy the city on foot -- I honestly think you find a lot more hidden gems, that way too - we found a few lovely restaurants as a result of wandering around on foot that we definitely wouldn't have experienced if we were driving, that's for sure.
It seems like Rome is having the same problem that my city is having, and that's parking. I have a car and I have already paid two parking tickets, because I left the car for 5 minutes where I wasn't supposed to. But that's only because there is literally not enough parking spaces. There are over 100.000 registered cars in my city, and only around 2000-3000 registered parking slots. I actually read an article on this, and I'm not making these numbers up. I even refuse to go to the town with my car, because I don't have anywhere to leave my car, other than the paid parking, and that's like 1€ per hour which is a lot.
I don't think it's worth it, for Rome at least. Many other parts of Italy, yes, definitely worth it. But Rome has plenty of public transport for you to use, and I don't think it would really be worth the money. As well as this, wherever you go, you'll have to worry about finding a place to park your car. The traffic is a problem in Rome.
As @turtledove says, the public transport is more than adequate to get around in Rome, as it I'd with most major cities these days. I tend to use the busses, trains and trams in cities in England and just park outside. There's a lot of park and ride schemes that are there for that exact reason.
If you are planning on leaving the city is suggest renting a car. The main problem with renting a car in Rome (as in most cities) is parking. I'm not sure how the parking works in Rome. I'm also not see if and how there are parking garages.
If you are only planning on staying in Rome I would day you are better with out one. Getting around the city is pretty easy and doesn't rely on a car.
If you are only planning on staying in Rome I would day you are better with out one. Getting around the city is pretty easy and doesn't rely on a car.
