There are some benefits if you rent a car in Rome on a 2019 holiday. Most obviously, it is a means by which to escape the brouhaha and visit the wealth of sights fringing Italy’s capital without getting confused or slowed by the complexities of public transport.
Take Ostia Antica, found 16 kilometres (10 miles) south west of Rome city centre. A viable alternative to Pompeii and Herculaneum, this well-preserved ancient port – it once bordered the Mediterranean – is accessible via train. However, a car journey from Rome is so much simpler. Look out for the bar-restaurant’s menu still eerily frescoed on a wall.

Other potential day-trip destinations that make Rome car hire worthwhile include the unpretentious beach resort of Sperlonga, and Ponza, a small, charming island with yellow-painted houses and cutesy cafes. There’s also the hill town of Tivoli, full of leafy streets and upmarket shops.