Travel News

Ask Peter: London Fares After the Olympics & Driving Overseas

Locations in this article:  London, England Rome, Italy

Mary Ann in Mesquite Texas asked: I am a single senior who wants to drive from Rome to Sicily with my cousin. What is your your recommendations for making this trip safely?

Peter said: Mary Ann, I applaud that you want to go to Rome I applaud that you want to go to Sicily. However, did you know that the first rule of Italian driving of, “What’s behind me is not important.”

They’re nuts! Why would you do this to yourself? You may not be involved in an accident but you might cause a few. You can easily take a flight between Rome and Sicily or go most of the way on a train. Or you can be driven, and there are many different ways to be driven. In fact, there is even a tour operator that takes you around Italy in a Ferrari.

For more information, check out Road Rules, International Driving & Permits Overseas.

Linda in Oregon asked: My husband and I travel to warmer climates in the winter and usually rent a car for 2 to 4 months. Is there another option that might cost less than the standard car rental agency?

Peter replied: Buy a used car. You’re not there for show you’re there for 4 wheels and an engine to get you from point A to point B. After 4 months, when you are leaving you sell it back. The actual difference in price between the charge that you paid for the used car and what you sell it back for will be substantially less than renting even if you get the “low weekly rate.”

Let’s do the math. If you buy a 10-year-old car for $1,200 and sell it back for $800 the actual car cost with insurance might be just $600. That’s the same a renting a car for three weeks, but in this scenario you are owning for 4 months.

For more options, visit the Driving & Car Rental archives.

By Peter Greenberg for Peter Greenberg Worldwide