Anyone have any experience with ICS Italy Chauffeur Service? Just need a simple airport transfer for ride from FLR to near San Donato in Collina outside of city centre. ICS's quote seems reasonable compared to some other companies...
Was thinking of picking up rental car but we'll be pretty tired after the red eye flight and transfer FLR, and will be returning to Florence a few days later where we won't need a car at all.
I'm not familiar with the car service you mentioned. Have you also looked at cost for a Taxi?
Hi Ken, thanks for your note.
Not sure how accurate online taxi fare calculators are, but they quote +/- 50-90 EU, depending on traffic. Read somewhere that for "country" locations where the car will go empty back to the city, they may double the metered fare. I've had 3 wildly varying quotes for private transfer service (one way): 250EU, 180EU (this from RS-recommended transfercs.com) and 110EU from ICS (and 90EU for the return fare).
I just noticed the posted one-way fare on www.4242.it to The Mall-outlet shopping is 65EU, this is actually a bit farther than where we're heading.
I'm ok with grabbing a cab from the airport stand (we're 4 passengers, carry-ons only), though wasn't certain if we'd have to wait a long time for a driver willing to take us? Or how expensive it would be to call for a regular taxi for the return trip to Florence centre.
In case I decide to self-drive, anyone have any idea whether the car rental agencies at FLR will be crazy-busy on the upcoming June 24th San Giovanni holiday? We're landing, bleary-eyed from across the pond via Zurich around 9 am.
It appears to be about a 30 min drive from the airport. If you don't have a car in this area, you only have bus service that runs basically for the locals.
Are you planning on just staying in San Donato?
There is a bus that goes from the airport to the bus terminal in Florence. From here you take another bus to SD. Takes under 2 hours and the 2 busses would cost about 6 euro.
It's around 25 min and cost is around 70 euro.
San Donato in Collina is part of the municipality of Bagno a Ripoli, just outside Florence. Bagno a Ripoli is close to where I grew up and have a bunch of friends and relatives living there.
There is a predetermined flat fare from anywhere in the Comune of Bagno a Ripoli to the airport and its a bit over 30€ now. Including baggage surcharge of 1+€ per bag, and maybe the surcharge for the 4th passenger, you are looking at about 40€.
However, if you want to go anywhere while there, you should rent a car, because bus service to San Donato is not that frequent. ATAF goes to Osteria Nuova with no. 24 from Sorgane or Antella. But from Osteria a Nuova to San Donato is a major walk (and uphill to boot). The better alternative is Busitalia 351 or 353, which is less frequent but takes you to San Donato. However the question is whether you are staying in San Donato proper or some freakin farmhouse somewhere in tho boonies near there. So basically without a car you are mostly stuck wherever you are staying or paying 25€-30€ each way any time you descend down to Florence by taxi. Unless you can convince former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to give you a ride since he's from around there in Rignano.
Thanks Gerri and Roberto. Hah! I'll resist calling up Renzi, but thanks for the tip.
Roberto, we are visiting friends for 2 jet-lagged nights only, then returning to Florence centre for 3 nights. They seem to be located just outside Bagno a Ripoli in Rignano Sull'Arno, but pretty close to San Donato, maybe 5-10 min drive. Definitely boonies albeit nice upscale boonies, as far as I can tell from the pics. Will most taxi drivers at FLR be willing to drive us to Rignano do you think, so we don't need to pre-pay a private transfer service?
We have not seen these friends in awhile, they haven't been too specific about needing a car or not, in spite of my asking. They've mentioned needing one to sightsee but, frankly, I think we will be happy to just to see the sights by the pool... and nap!
Any idea if June 24 holiday will make the airport rental car agency experience worse than usual? Any idea what the "usual" amount of time required is? I understand there's nothing in-terminal but a shuttle to all the agencies (I've tentatively booked with Avis). Not really keen to spend 1+ hour queuing and doing paperwork, with tired kids in tow, then navigating out to Rignano...
I don't mind spending a few extra euros on taxis but I haven't ruled out renting a car in case we really need one to go out for a meal or two with our friends... we don't really know how (in)convenient it would be for our hosts to help call/book taxis to their country house. I expect any restaurant in the area would be a 10-15 min drive... can't expect them to have a 9-seater to drive us all :-)
Rignano Sull'Arno is further down the hill. There are definitely some swanky villas or remodeled fancy castles and farmhouses there, but without a car (yours or your friends) your only activity is going to be pretty much sitting by the pool and enjoy the Tuscan hills. So if you want to venture outside your friends' estate, you should rent one, because there is very little public transportation there, and taxis add up to much more than a rental car.
Taxi drivers at FLR will drive you wherever you want to go. The fare to Rignano (which is its own municipality, not Bagno a Ripoli) is higher than Bagno A Ripoli, where there is the flat fare. But the taxi cabs in Florence charge 65€ to the Mall, which is past Rignano therefore your destination is likely less than 60€.
Last year I landed at FLR on June 24 (San Giovanni Battista, patron saint of Florence) while the taxi drivers were striking to protest against Uber. The wait was more for the shuttle bus that takes you to the Rental car center. I finally decided to call the rental center and yell at them to send the damn bus because there were a lot of tourists waiting (it was hot, so I'm sure the bus driver decided it was more fun to have a beer rather than do his job). The paperwork didn't take long at all (I rented from Europcar).
Around San Donato there is the Ristorante Nuovo Ranch, which is decent. Went there a couple of years ago with a friend who knows the owner. At Bagno a Ripoli there is Cent'anni that is good.
Thanks for all the detailed advice. Completely forgot to ask: are taxis pretty much cash-only, even for longer distances, or are credit cards accepted?
Taxicabs accept credit cards for any amount. They prefer cash, I'm sure, so they don't have to pay the cc commission. Also with cash payments it is easier to fool the tax man. Don't leave tips to taxi drivers or restaurants. That is an American habit that Italian consumers don't like to import. McDonald's is bad enough.
Excellent. Thanks again for all the great info. It's been over 20 years since my first and only trip to Tuscany. Could not have afforded rental cars or taxi fares back then... no tipping in the budget either :-)
