Help Needed Return return car to Termini or FCO?

[Mom83]

After our week's stay near San Gusme, we will be driving to Rome on a Saturday in early October. We have always returned our car to FCO as we were flying home the next morning. This time, we are staying in Rome for 5 days. I had hoped to return the car to the Via Sardegna location, but it seems as if this office closes early afternoon on Saturdays. I am assuming we cannot return a car to this location after it has closed, correct? So now, our choices are FCO and Termini. Termini is closer to our rental in central Rome, but we have never returned a car here so I would have to familiarize myself with the correct route. Does anyone have a preference for these 2 locations?
Thank you!

 

[Andrew]

I suppose I would say Termini to avoid the extra distance to and ride from FCO, but get very familiar with the driving route to the garage at via Giolitti 267, even if I had a GPS. Things to note on the final stages if you follow the Google Maps route: on via Marsala , turn left into the one-way underpass under the tracks and you need to be on the left side of the median. That forces you to turn left onto via Giolitti on a segment where a divider forces you to be on the left side, British-style for a block before it becomes one-way and the garage entrance (Park Giolitti) is on the right.

If you don't feel comfortable with this, return the car at FCO.

 

[Mom83]

Thanks for this detailed information, Andrew - it is so helpful. My husband and I are pretty good at this...he drives and I navigate. So far we have successfully returned a rental car to central Paris, rented a car and drove out of central London, drove out from Heathrow at morning rush hour, and returned a car to the Via Sardegna location in Rome. Many other driving vacations all over the USA and the world, but the above were the most challenging pick ups and returns. We always research the route ahead of time, have the addresses in our iPhone maps and Garmin, and then just do our best. The kind of information that you have given me is of enormous help.

 

[Sandrac]

Andrew's advice is always excellent and he knows of what he speaks! I must say that after 6 years of living in Rome, I still loathe driving in this city and go to get lengths to avoid doing so! I usually rent a car either at FCO, or in small towns and cities in order to avoid renting from Termini or anywhere inside Rome! But in part that is because I am usually driving solo without a navigator.

It sounds like you are very well prepared and confident driving in unfamiliar cities, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
One thing to think about a few days before you get here is to watch out for information about strikes or protest marches in Rome, which can be frequent, usually on Fridays/Saturdays and can really snarl traffic - especially around Termini, which is a very central hub and close to where marches usually occur. Also worth keeping a careful eye out in advance for street work, closures, in this area which can suddenly force detours in strange (and not often marked) directions. GPS doesn't always pick this stuff up.

I will post a few links to sites that provide notice for strikes and also for detours in case this might help you with route planning.

Cheers,
Sandra

 

[Mom83]

Thanks Sandra! Yes, I do not think either Jeff or I would dare drive in these situations by ourselves. For us, it really does take 2 sets of eyes to figure things out. Jeff is an extremely good driver...much better than I. And I research our routes in advance and have as much information and maps available. So far, I think we have done pretty good...fingers crossed for this October.
Thank you for the heads up about the strikes/protests...I never thought about that possibility. We are driving in late on a Saturday afternoon, so I will check to see what is going on that day...any sites you can give me regarding these will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sandrac]

This is a good site, keeps an up-to-date list of strikes for all of Italy (of course, Rome is your only concern.)
http://www.summerinitaly.com/traveltips/transport-strikes-in-italy

And here is the official government listing of strikes (sciopero) - again, for the entire country so maybe a bit more complicated than you need:
http://www.cgsse.it/web/guest/scioperi-in-tempo-reale

Finally, the City of Rome's transportation authority keeps a website that is sometimes useful (although it is a bit complicated)
http://www.atac.roma.it/

It has a function (calcola percorso) to plan a transit route that also tells you if there are detours and that sort of thing.

Sorry if I am making things more complicated than need be, but sometimes it's helpful to have more information than not enough!

Cheers,
Sandra

 

[Mom83]

Sandra...thank you so much! I will look at these sites now to familiarize myself. Too much information is never a problem for me!

 

[Jeanne W.]

The garage on via Giolitti is quite a steep walk down hill from Termini station, as we discovered in June. It wasn't much of a problem for us but I felt sorry for the folks dragging their luggage up the hill. Depending on which direction you are heading, you may want to consider a taxi. If you are renting from Avis be sure to read your agreement with a microscope before dropping off the car. We were a bit too trusting when signing at Avis Termini station for our pick up and may be paying more than planned. (long story which I might share once resolved).

Jeanne

 

[Andrew]

If I'm allowed a slight tangent in this thread: we're booked to pick up a car from Hertz at via Sardegna 30A. On Google Street View, there are no apparent reserved parking spots at that storefront. Does anyone here have experience with the location: do they deliver the car to that location, where the paperwork is done, or do they direct people to the garage at via Sardegna 38 where the returns are, effectively two blocks away? It would be useful to know in planning the drive away, since the street changes one-way directions, facing away from each other, between the two locations.