Reviewed September 2026. Schedules and rules change — check Trenitalia, Italo, or Travelmar directly before booking.
The short answer
Trains for cities, a car for the countryside — but the right choice depends on exactly where you’re going, not just which region. Rome, Florence, and Venice are well connected by fast rail. Tuscany’s countryside is genuinely easier with a car. The Amalfi Coast is more nuanced: it depends on the town, your accommodation, and the season. Buses and ferries serve many popular coastal destinations — check the specific route, operating season, and connection from your accommodation before choosing a base.
Train-only, car-only, or a mix?
| Your route | Recommended approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| City to city (Rome, Florence) | Train | Fast, frequent, no parking to find or pay for in historic centers |
| Venice | Train directly into the historic center, or drive only as far as Piazzale Roma | Venice’s historic islands have no road access at all — a car only gets you to the edge, then it’s on foot or by water. See Venezia Unica for arrival details. |
| Tuscany countryside (Chianti, Val d’Orcia) | Car | Public transport between small towns is limited and slow |
| Amalfi Coast | Depends on your town and accommodation — often bus or ferry, sometimes a car for the approach | Travelmar ferries and local SITA buses connect the coastal towns directly; the coast road itself is narrow and slow to drive, especially in summer |
| Mixed route (e.g. Rome + Tuscany countryside) | Train between cities, rental car for the countryside leg | Avoids driving in Rome or Florence while still reaching rural areas |
Your options
Train-only
Simplest option for a city-focused trip. No parking, no driving in unfamiliar traffic, and high-speed rail between major cities is genuinely fast. The trade-off: countryside regions and small hill towns are harder or impossible to reach well.
Car-only
Best if your whole trip is countryside-based, or you want full flexibility on timing. The trade-off: driving and parking in Rome or Florence’s historic centers ranges from stressful to outright restricted by automated limited-traffic-zone cameras. Venice is different again — there’s no road into the historic islands at all, so a car only gets you as far as Piazzale Roma or the Tronchetto car park, where you’d continue on foot or by vaporetto.
Mixed: train between cities, car for one leg
The most common approach for a Rome + Tuscany countryside trip: train to Florence, pick up a rental car there (not in Rome), drive the countryside leg, then return the car before heading back into a city. You get car-free time in the cities and flexibility in the countryside.
Checking current times and fares for that first leg? See Rome–Florence trains on Trainline.
The Amalfi Coast, specifically
This one genuinely depends on specifics. If you’re staying in a town directly on the coast road with good ferry access (Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento), buses and Travelmar ferries can cover most of your movement without a car. If your accommodation is up a hillside away from the main road, or you’re arriving independently from Naples airport, a car — or a private transfer — may make more sense for that leg. Check your specific property’s directions before deciding.
What actually changes your answer
- Which destinations: an all-city route (Rome, Florence, Venice) rarely needs a car at all.
- Budget: weigh train tickets against rental cost, fuel, tolls, and parking — city-center parking is often surprisingly expensive.
- Comfort driving abroad: Italian highways are straightforward; historic-center streets and limited-traffic zones are not — factor in your own comfort level.
- Luggage and group size: trains involve carrying your own bags to the platform and often up stairs; a car doesn’t.
Example: combining train and car for Rome and Tuscany
Sample approach, not a booking guarantee: for a Rome + Tuscany countryside route, a common pattern is train from Rome to Florence, then pick up a rental car in Florence for the Chianti or Val d’Orcia leg, returning it before flying home. This keeps both cities car-free while still reaching the countryside.
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