Car Rental vs Van hire vs Train

OMG, that’s gonna be complicated and I beg you to check it yourself first.

To make it compareable, I selected a Citroen C1 from sicily by car, with no insurance for car underfloor. That’s mainly cheapest alternative with most important things insured.
I simplified, no cost for driving etc. from Napoli for all trips in 2nd part (it’s the same for all possible options anyway and have to be added).
I did NOT add parking fees, tickets, overspeeding etc.
I did NOT calculate Nerves of the 2 drivers

I calculated following possibilities:

  • Car rental in Fiumicino, “all by yourself, incl. Assisi + Sienna”
    182,40 € Car Rental (8 days)
    50,20 € Toll (Airport, Assisi, Sienna, Termini, Napoli, Airport)
    124,73 € Fuel
    714,66 € total for 2 Cars or 89,33 € PAX
  • Rent-a-Van, Rest from fiumicino “all by yourself”
    154,69 € Car rental
    28,40 € toll (rome-napoli and back)
    57,36 € Fuel (rome-napoli and back)
    450,00 € van rental (with driver, toll+fuel for Assisi/Siena trip)
    930,90 € total for 2 cars + van, or 116,36 € PAX
  • Rent-a-van, Train to Napoli, rest yourself, Car back in Fiumicino
    401,97 € Car Rental (huhh, hire in Napoli, give back in Rome)
    450,00 € van rental (with driver…)
    112,00 € train tickets (2way Rome-Napoli-Rome)
    0 € toll/Fuel (train tickets instead)
    1253,94 € total for 2 Cars or 156,74 € PAX
  • Rent-a-Van, Napoli by train, car from napoli to napoli, back by train
    263,11 € Car rental (huh, more expensive in Napoli th. in rome, even if it’s 1 day less!)
    0 € toll/fuel
    450 € van rental
    224 € train tickets
    976,22 € total (or 122,03 € PAX)
  • Train to Assisi, no Car rental, no Sienna, all-by-yourself to Napoli
    154,69 € Car rental
    28,4 € Toll
    57,36 € Fuel
    240,00 € Train Tickets (approx. 15-17 € Pax to assisi * 8 pers. * 2 trips (return))
    720,90 € total or 90,11 € PAX

So, what shall I suggest? Honestly, 1st is really cheapest and including all – unfortunally also including a lot of stress and risc especially for the driver, and is not including the cost of parking in rome (and that’s really a horror). I myself would NOT like to do that trip myself nor can I recommend it, it’s a lot of kilometers, a lot of stress driving in Italy (at least in the big cities, but all of it with a car you donnot know), and starting early and coming back late, having to drive while all the others are most likely sleeping, 2 drivers needed… none may make any mistake (715 € + parking? + nerves + risc)

It’s definitely more expensive with VAN rental – but you invest in your security and Nerves (931 €), but I would really think about that as the possibility, where you see most with lowest stress level.

Last option: going by train: not as comfortable and you miss Sienna, will experience italian trains (721 €).

Now discuss it out within the family. Ahh, btw, all is calculatet for 8 pax, so Lily and me can’t take part. We would need another car (so 3 cars), so it’s kind of mix between 1st and 2nd possibility…