Europe & Beyond

Italy Car Hire > Rome to Tivoli

Following the great feed back our feature about driving from Milan to Turin earlier this month we are delighted to focus on another Italian journey in our car hire Italy series.

You can book a car in advance and take advantage of online offers and have your vehicle ready when you arrive in Rome. Car hire collection can be at the airport or from various city centre locations.

To get to Tivoli from Rome by car, head out of Rome on the A24 partial toll road and take the exit signposted for Tivoli in order to get onto the SP51ab/Strada Provinciale Maremmana Inferiore partial toll road. Continue straight on along the SS5. This will take you into Tivoli.

You can stop off along the way to visit the Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa), just outside of the town. The ruined villa and its gardens are so large that it could take you a full day to thoroughly explore them, so it’s best to visit it and then stay in Tivoli for a few days before returning to Rome, so you don’t feel like your visit is rushed.

Villa Adriana was constructed in the 2nd Century A.D. and Emperor Hadrian is recorded as having been personally involved in the design of the building. Work began on the building, which was constructed around an existing villa on the site, soon after Hadrian took office and it was completed within ten years. The villa is said to have been considered one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Roman Empire and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You can see the remains of Villa Adriana’s many buildings, which included bath complexes, libraries, temples, a Greek Theatre and the Piazza d’Oro (Golden Court), which was used for formal events, before continuing on your journey to Tivoli in your Rome hire car.

Tivoli Attractions – Villa d’Este

One of Tivoli’s most popular attractions is the Villa D’Este which, like Villa Adriana, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The villa was constructed for Cardinal Ippolito d’Este II of Ferrera and was completed in 1550. You can take a tour of the villa to see its frescoed rooms and antique furniture, but Villa D’Este’s main draw is its gardens, which include some beautiful and unusual fountains.

The Organ Fountain, for example, plays music, whilst the Rometta Fountain incorporates miniature versions of some of the most famous of Rome’s landmarks. You can also stroll along the path of the Hundred Fountains or admire the Fountain of the Owl, where singing birds are silenced by the appearance of an owl.

Tivoli Attractions – Parco di Villa Gregoriana

Parco di Villa Gregoriana is the perfect place to go for a walk if you fancy a break from your hire car. The park, which is located in a gorge, dates back to the 19th century and includes a number of caves, such as the Grotto of Neptune, together with the 100ft Grande Cascade waterfall. You can also see one of the town’s landmarks, the Temple of Vesta, which is situated at the top of the gorge.

Italy Car Hire – Other Tivoli Attractions

Other things to see in Tivoli include: Rocca Pia fort, which was built during the 15th century; the Ponte Gregoranio Bridge; the remains of the Roman Ampitheatre of Bleso; and the Temple of Vesta and the Temple of the Sybil.

Car Rental > Italy Car Hire > Hiring a Car in Rome

Europe > Car Hire France > Paris to Reims

Paris is a great destination for a holiday, but if you hire a car while you are in Paris, you can explore more of France. In this article, we look at some of the things that you can see and do in the city of Reims, in the country’s Champagne region.

Hire a car in Paris

Visit Reims – Notre-Dame Cathedral and Champagne Region

It will only take you about an hour and a half to drive to Reims in your Paris rental car, but there is so much to see and do there that it’s worth spending several days there and turning your trip into a two-destination holiday.

To get to Reims from Paris by car, simply head out of Paris on L’Autoroute de L’Est partial toll road and continue straight on along the A4 partial toll road. Leave the A4 at exit 23 and follow the signs into the centre of Reims.

Reims Attractions – Historic Buildings & Monuments

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Reims is full of beautiful historic buildings, with one of its most significant being Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is one of four sites in the city to have UNESCO World Heritage status. It took more than 200 years to complete the Cathedral, which was constructed on the site of the cit

y’s old cathedral, which burned to the ground in 1210.

24 French monarchs have been crowned in Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is adorned with more than 2,300 sculptures, including the famous “Smiling Angel”, which has now become the city’s emblem.

The other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Reims are: the Saint-Remi Abbey Museum; the Romanesque-style Saint-Remi Basilica, which houses Saint-Remi’s tomb; and Tau Palace, the palace of the former Reims’ archbishops.

Reims also has a number of important monuments, including the Porte Mars (a Roman arch dating from the 3rd Century), the Statue of Joan of Arc (which was sculpted by Paul Dubois) and the Fontaine Subé (which is situated in Erlon Square).

Reims Attractions – Other Attractions

Reims’ museums include the Reims-Champagne Automobile Museum, which houses a collection of more than 200 vehicles, together with other items, such as pedal cars, toy cars and signs. You can also visit Le Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur, where you can see a number of works of art including engravings by Albrecht Dürer, and the Museum of Surrender (Musée de la Reddition) to see the Signing Room where the Third Reich signed the document which ended World War II.

Other attractions in Reims include the Planetarium, the Grand Theatre and the Carnegie Library. There are also a number of parks and gardens in the city, including Le Parc de Champagne, the Pierre Schneiter Horticultural Garden and The Colbert Square which holds an amazing array of flowers and shrubs all year round.

You can also use your hire car in Paris to visit some of the attractions that lie just outside of the city of Reims, such as the Pompelle Fort Museum (Musée du Fort de la Pompelle) or follow the Champagne tourist route to see the region’s famous vineyards and Champagne houses.

Car Hire in France – Hiring a Car in Paris

You can book a hire car in advance and get a good deal online with low-cost, specialist car rental firms. Find airport car hire in locations around the world, including Paris, and you can choose from a range of vehicles.

Car Hire Switzerland

Driving from Geneva to Martigny

In a previous post, we suggested Lausanne as a great place for a day-trip during a Geneva car hire holiday. In this post, we’ll look at another place that you can visit if you hire a car whilst you are staying in Geneva – the town of Martigny, which is situated in Switzerland’s Valais region, and which is often referred to as ‘a gateway to the Alps’.

Getting to Martigny from Geneva

If you hire a car in Geneva, you can drive to Martigny within an hour and a quarter. Simply head out of Geneva on the A1 toll road and follow it for about 49km. Take exit 17 and follow the signs for Lausanne in order to continue on the A1. Take exit 19 and follow the signs for Montreux in order to get onto the A9 toll road. Leave the A9 at exit 21 and follow the signs into Martigny.

Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – St. Bernard Dog Museum and Kennels

Martigny’s attractions include The St. Bernard Dog Museum and Kennels (Musée et Chiens du Saint-Bernard) on Rue de Levant. The kennels are located in an enclosure just outside of the building, and you can see a number of dogs there. The museum itself contains exhibits relating to the history of the St. Bernard breed, together with information about the Great St. Bernard Hospice and Pass.

There is also a restaurant and a gift shop at the museum and you can park your Geneva rental car in the museum’s car park.

Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – Roman Remains

Martigny is also known for its Roman remains, which include an amphitheatre and the Mithraeum, a temple dedicated to Mithras, a sun-god.  You can also see the remains of the Temenos, a complex which would have included a temple together with accommodation for pilgrims, and the remains of a private house.
Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – The Pierre Gianadda Foundation

Another of Martigny’s key attractions is The Pierre Gianadda Foundation (Rue de Forum 59, 1920 Martigny). The building houses Martigny’s Museum of Gallic-Roman Archaeology (Musée Gallo-Romain), where you can see some of the artefacts discovered when the Roman sites in Martigny were excavated together with the remains of a Roman temple.

The Pierre Gianadda Foundation building is also the home of Martigny’s Automobile Museum (Musée de l’Auto), which has a collection of cars dating from the early 20th century, and there are also regular temporary exhibitions of art held there. There is also a Sculpture Park outside of the building, which contains works by a number of famoussculptors, including Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin.

The Pierre Gianadda Foundation has a visitors’ car park, so you can leave your car there while you explore the museums.

Switzerland Car Hire – Other Martigny Attractions

Other attractions in Martigny include: the Manoir de la Ville, an eighteenth century house which is now used as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions; Moulin Semblanet, a 19th century watermill; and Château de la Bâtiaz, a 13th century castle. You can also take a break from your hire car by taking a tour of the town on the “La Baladeur” tourist train or walking along the Vineyard Trail, which leads from Martigny to Château de la Bâtiaz.