Advice RE rental car from Bologna to Airbnb

You should stick with your original plan of renting a car at the Bologna airport and drive directly to the villa. Just follow the directions to FIRENZE (Florence) on the A1 freeway and exit at the FIRENZE SUD exit (about 1 hour drive) and you'll be at your destination within minutes from the freeway exit. Grassina or Bagno a Ripoli (not sure where you are going, those are two different places) are within 5 minutes from the exit. If you give me the exact address of the villa I can give you detailed instructions. That area of Florence is where I grew up and go regularly.

I have no idea who suggested that the freeway between Florence and Bologna is winding. It's as straight as an arrow in spite of going through mountains. Curves are few and very soft. You can drive 80 mph if you want. Obviously that stretch is full of tunnels due to the mountains around, but it is a 4 to 6 lane freeway. The speed limit is 130 km/h (80 mph) but actual speeds are often somewhat limited by the traffic, due to being a rather busy freeway.

If you are afraid of driving on that freeway, you are not going to like driving around Grassina or Bagno a Ripoli, because the roads around there are not only winding but also very narrow.

Ditch your plan to take the train to Florence and rent from there. That plan would be way more trouble than is worth.

Pamela,
I wouldn't hesitate to rent a car and drive. You probably will want a car when you get to the villaso you can explore the area. I drove all over Italy. Get a good map and update your GPS on your phone. Have a great time.

Lorieann

Thank you, Roberto and Lorie. Roberto--I'm glad you advise that it will be fine to rent a car in Bologna because that seems the most efficient use of our time. We will be staying at Via delle Tavarnuzze, 19--the place is called Fattoria La Nutrice. If your offer of giving us detailed driving instructions still stands, we would be most appreciative! And since you're very familiar with the area, if you have any winery tours that you could recommend that would be wonderful, too. My husband is interested in possibly finding a wine harvest going on that would allow him (at a cost I'm sure) to pick grapes for a half day. Again, many many thanks for reading and responding to my post!

The A1 motorway between Bologna and Florence has always been a nuisance to drive due to heavy traffic. I would not define it as straight as an arrow, overtaking trucks in curves may not be for the faint hearted. But a new - lower and straighter - itinerary is being built and with a new section opened in December is 80% in place. The first section from Bologna is three lanes per direction and very easy driving. About halfway it splits - you can choose the old itinerary through Roncobilaccio or the new one, mostly in tunnel and much easier to drive through Badia. Here maximum speed is limited to 110 km/h (68 mph) and monitored. The two itineraries rejoin at Barberino where the new highway is still to be built, the old one is a bit curvy and steep (always referring to motorway parameters), but the section to Florence is short. So driving this stretch is much easier now.

Compared with what you will see after you exit the A1 freeway at FIRENZE SUD (Florence South), I think you will consider the A1 as straight as an arrow. But yes it's busy, as I mentioned earlier, and there will be lots of trucks traveling on that major Italian artery. Do be alert when you pass those trucks on the freeway. They often change lanes to pass other trucks and they don't give a damn if they cut in front of you. Also, unlike in America, you cannot cruise in the left lane. That is a passing lane only, therefore after passing a vehicle you must re-enter the right lanes and let faster vehicles pass you on the left.
I'll give you directions in a few.

When you exit the freeway and pay toll follow directions to SIENA (SR222). You will be turning right immediately after paying toll at the freeway exit. You should see a large hotel (formerly a Sheraton) on your right. After a couple of km, in Ponte a Ema, you will see a Burger King on your right. If you are hungry don't stop there. There is a restaurant/pizzeria next to it called "22 Noir" if you need to eat. Right after the Burger King there is a large roundabout. Bear right and take the first exit toward Siena. Grassina is about 1km after the roundabout. You will pass through Grassina's main Piazza. You will see a "Casa Del Popolo" (People's House-formerly the local HQ of the Communist Party). Keep going but immediately after the Piazza there is a crossroads. Straight is to Siena and Greve in Chianti on the SR222. You will be going left toward San Polo in Chianti. Say bye to civilization from this point on. You are now in the Chianti countryside. Follow that road al the way to the village of Capannuccia, maybe 5 or 6 km later. When you enter Capannuccia you will see an industrial area on your right with some factories. A little further is the village itself. Right after the village you will turn left toward Sant'Andrea a Morgiano. From that left turn all the way to the farmhouse (Fattoria) the road is a paved country road no wider than a narrow driveway. I've driven it a few times on my motorcycle (several of my high school friends live in Grassina and Ponte A Ema, one even near Capannuccia, so I roamed the area often). You have to be careful on the road from Capannuccia to the farm, especially at night, because the road is a two way road in spite of being no more than 10 feet wide. Your farmhouse is just past Sant'Andrea. Civilization never arrived there, so hopefully you speak some Italian. You are in the boonies my friend. Very beautiful area though.
I don't know if you need groceries there, but there is a decent size Coop Supermarket in Ponte a Ema (near the Burger King). Grassina has plenty of shops of any kind. There is also another Coop in Antella. You are about 20 min from the freeway exit. Florence is about 30 min drive from your farm.

The area near you has plenty of wineries. Very near your farm, at Poggio a Casciano (basically after Capannuccia, instead of turning left to your farm you would go straight toward San Polo), there is the famous Ruffino winery (I'm sure you have seen their bottles at your local store). They have tours and tastings. I doubt they will let you work at the harvest. That's a job that is coveted by lots of Italians (especially students) and I doubt they would hire illegal aliens like you and your husband. Too much liability if you get hurt(and it's not easy work). Ruffino never hired me for their harvest, in spite of the many times I tried. Too many people wanted the job and I had no connections there. But for sure they will let you tour the place. Maybe they have guided tours.

Thanks for your great advice and driving directions. We took a closer look at the area using Google maps and the drive looks completely manageable for us--as long as we're careful and, I think, make the drive during daylight, which we will as our flight arrives Bologna at noon. I loved your comment about being in the boonies! For 10+ days we will relish being in the boonies, yet also only a half hour or so from...not just ANY civilization, but Florentine civilization! Also, since we currently live in Kentucky, we know a little something about the boonies! Thanks, too, for your helpful advice about the wineries and my husband's dream of picking grapes for a half-day. I think he will be more than happy with touring wineries in the area! (side note: I had NO intention of picking grapes... and in fact my first response was "WHAAA???" when he said that he'd like to do that and "wouldn't it be fun?". It sounds more like work than vacation to me. Hard work. Again, many thanks to you, Roberto, and all the others on this wonderful travel forum. I have consulted it for one query or another before any trip we've made and it has never disappointed. Happy Travels, Everyone!

I'm glad that you have seen the light about the road from Bologna to Firenze, and about picking grapes.

I've also done the old autostrada several times, once in a fierce thunderstorm, and while it wasn't the best bit of level and straight road ever built it was always fine. As mentioned, just watch the trucks because they are slow and there's always one who is convinced that s/he is one kph faster than than another - when that happens you just have to be patient.

The new bit will improve things lots.

You're not doing this drive right after a long transatlantic journey are you? Jet lag driving is as bad as impaired driving. If you need, as you say in your original post, to stop and rest midway in a one hour drive then you are too tired.

Grape harvest is way more romantic to contemplate than to execute, as my wife once found out. This was in Napa Valley in California. Those knives are SHARP. Really sharp, and short. They have to be because the stalks are very difficult to cut. She told me that it is exceeding hard work, the ground under foot is not level, the grapes are messy and heavy, and worse there is no break from the sun. She's never recommended it to anybody else.

It sounds like you have a really pleasant and relaxing vacation planned. Have a fab time...

Actually it just looks like the boonies, but you are extremely close to civilization. The center of Grassina, 5 min away, is a large and busy district part of the municipality of Bagno a Ripoli (pop. 25,000), and the district of Ponte a Ema (just past the Burger King coming from your farm), only 15 min away, is already within the city limits of Florence. When I said Florence being 30 min drive from your farm, I meant Florence's city center. The city limit is much closer.
I forgot there is a fairly new Coop supermarket in Grassina also, so even closer to you.