The house is conveniently located within a short drive from 3 airports. Pisa is the closest around 1 hour and 10 minutes drive. But Genoa and Parma are both under 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Travelling from Pisa
The car hire building is outside the main airport terminal. Come out of the terminal and turn right and you should see a mini bus in the car park outside. This is a shuttle bus that takes you round to the right where the car hire building is.
When you come out of the car hire park at the airport you need to drive along the road so you have the airport to your left so don’t turn right at the mini roundabout which has a blue sign for Firenze. look out for the green Autostrada signs. You go past the multi-storey car park (on your left) and follow the road round until you see the signs for Genova/Livorno. This is the A12 I think. You go up the ramp onto the road. Beware Italian motorways are often 2 way on the road up to join the motorway and they have very short slip roads. Italians also drive like maniacs and like overtaking on blind corners so be careful! Also you must drive with your lights on on the motorway.
Keep on the road until you reach the ticket booth for the motorway. Make sure you use the lane marked “biglietto” (ticket) with a picture of a little man leaning out of his car for a ticket. Some of the other lanes are for people with cards usually marked “Telepass”, if you get in that lane you won’t get a ticket and it creates a few problems when you leave the motorway!
Just after the ticket booth you will see the motorway splits and you need to go right signposted Genova. You should now be on the autostrada which goes up the coast. You stay on this road for about 45 mins until you see the sign for the motorway to Parma. It is close to La Spezia. Exit the Genova road and join the Parma one. You will travel on this road for 1 stop and you exit at Aulla. Here you will pay the toll. Go over the bridge into the town. At the bottom of the road turn right towards the town and then at the fountain/roundabout turn left and then get in the left lane signposted towards Pontremoli/Villa Franca and possibly Cerretto/Fivizzano. Go underneath the bridge and then you have to bear right and just carry straight on. Go up the hill and past the railway station. Hopefully Fivizzano should be signposted! Carry on until you come to a junction and then turn left (Fivizzano should definitely be signposted now) the road is the SS63.
Stay on this windy road through Pallerone, Rometta, Serriciola and various other places. It is very windy. After about 25 mins you will come to Fivizzano (your nearest shops). Keep on the main road, go over the traffic lights and then you will see Verrucola castle on your left, past this for approximately 10 mins (probably feeling a little queasy now). You will then see a bar on the left hand side. Immediately after this on the right is the turning for Po. It is a very sharp turn up the hill. There are 6 sharp bends up the hill (feeling decidedly queasy by now). On the last bend you will see the sign for Ceri and a wooden sign saying “Forno di Po” (Oven of Po) which is the way to the bread shop. Don’t take this turning now but carry on up the hill (nearly there) and you will see a “Wellcome” sign (spelt wrong). Take the road past the church marked “Verzano” and you will see our house on the left. It is yellow with green shutters.
WELL DONE - YOU HAVE ARRIVED!
Travelling from Genoa
When driving on Italian motorways be aware that you must have your lights on on the motorway and that the slip roads on and off the motorway are usually two-way. Be very careful when getting onto the motorways as there isn’t much of a sliproad and cars go very fast and Italians are very bad drivers!
On exiting the airport follow the road round the front of the airport and keep in the right hand lane. Follow the green signs for the Autostrada and go straight across at the junction – heading for Livorno (you are going south!). Keep in the right hand lane and then bear right still heading for Livorno. When you get to the toll booths DON’T go in the lane marked Telepass as you need a special card and you won’t get a ticket, go for the lane marked “Biglietto” (ticket) with a picture of a man leaning out of his car. On exit check for other cars leaving in the other lanes. Keep following signs for Livorno.
Keep going on the coast road through all those tunnels for approximately 90 kilometres until you see signs for the Parma road. You will take the exit off signposted Parma and possibly Aulla. Join the Parma road and Aulla is the first exit - approximately 8 kilometres. Take the exit for Aulla. You will have to pay E9.30 at the tollbooth. Watch out for other cars when leaving the booth. The slip road off the motorway may be two way.
At the bottom turn right and then get into the left hand lane to go round the fountain/roundabout. You then need to get over to the left to join the road signposted to Pontremoli/Villafranca, Fivizzano or Cerreto. Turn to the right and under the bridge and then round to the right and onto the ring road. You will go past the station. Go straight on and up the hill. Stay on this road until you come to a junction. Turn left here (I think signposted Fivizzano; this is the SS63. )
Follow the road now through various small towns – Pallerone, Rometta, Serriciola and after about 25 mins of winding road you will come to Fivizzano. Go straight over the traffic lights and follow the road round to Verrucola (lovely church/castle on the left). Keep going (you will probably feel a bit queasy if you’re in the back) for another 5 mins until you see a bar on your left just shortly after this a sign for PO on the right. This is a sharp turn and you probably need to get over on the left to get round. It’s a very steep climb up the hill with some very sharp corners. You don’t often meet anything thank goodness. It is approx. 1 kilometre to the top but seems like more especially when you feel ill.
Finally when you pass the bins on your left you reach PO. You will see the church and to the left is a sign to Verzano. Take that road and our house is the 3rd one along and is yellow with green shutters. Park to the right of the house. YOU HAVE ARRIVED!!!!
When you are returning to the airport, follow the signs for Genova and keep going until Ventimiglia and Aeroporto appear on the signs (I think Genova Ouest). You go through a tunnel when it goes down to one lane and then you join another road. Eventually you need to get in the slow lane and turn off for the aeroporto over the bridge. The turn for the airport is in the middle of a tunnel which is a bit dangerous, and then after you come off the motorway the road forks and you take the left fork for the airport. When you come to the airport roundabout you need to head for arrivals to return your car.