Car rental

We always book our cars with AutoEurope.com

I believe there is just Europcar and Hertz in Chiusi

I would not want to drive in to Termini
Tiburtina station would be slightly better

Do a search here I am sure Roberto has posted directions for dropping at either of those locations

Christine,
Yes, I booked through Autoeurope. I would rather not drop off in Rome if I don’t have too, but your suggestion for Tiburtina is good. Returning the car to Florence would be backtracking and then taking the train to Rome. If Orvieto was an option, that would be perfect.
Lexma,
It’s good to hear that Tiburtina wasn’t a problem for you. That’s encouraging to me.

For our September-October trip last year, we booked (as we always do) through AutoEurope and ended up with Europcar. We dropped off the car at Tiburtina rail station (after visiting Tivoli, btw). It was easy and convenient, though pthe dropoff location is not quite at the directions Google maps showed, though we found it just fine. We dropped the car, then walked half a block to the taxi queue at the rail station.

"We always book our cars with AutoEurope.com. I believe there is just Europcar and Hertz in Chiusi"

Hertz is closed, Europcar 400 meters, Avis 2 blocks away [through Europcar]; however it is less fouled up to just drive to Rome. Address of the Termini garage is Circonvallazione Nomentana, 532.

Suggest you have your car arranged at Via Palagio degli Spini, the complex near FLR, reached by taxi. Be aware of ZTL issues and have an IDP.

https://www.wanderingitaly.com/maps/valdorcia.html

https://tinyurl.com/5eum2na7

For a hotel the Locanda San Francesco in Montepulciano, at the end of the main street with parking on site; short walk to 3 good restaurants or La Grotta down the hill by the church. For a farmhouse La Fonte:

https://tinyurl.com/2rthwxvy

https://tinyurl.com/4fsms3wk

Orvieto has Hertz, and if you wish to visit I can tell you how and where to store bags. Train time to Rome is 1.5.

Avis/Budget appears to be in Chiusi. However those small offices close on weekends, so that might be the reason it didn't come up on the computer.

https://goo.gl/maps/jZXa1WhCVJ6Urjzu6

The Termini station return location is not on the Circonvallazione Nomentana. That is the address of Hertz and is actually in front of Roma Tiburtina station, not Termini.
If you want to return at Roma Tiburtina the address is 48 Via Teodorico, just around the corner from the Circ. Nomentana

https://goo.gl/maps/ouRxbFkk4SrSudTC9

But if you are really interested on returning at Termini, then the return location for all companies is at the Giolitti park (next to the Termini station) on 267 Via Giolitti.

https://goo.gl/maps/ATEc1jDeM1XTfRn17

Roberto is correct on Avis/Budget. We rented a couple of months ago from Budget in Chiusi to drive to Montepulciano/Pienza and surrounding areas then returning the car to Chiusi. We we didn't take in to account was that the office closes around 12:30, and does not reopen again until 3:30 pm. We made the mistake of not checking this and had to sit and wait for the 3:30 opening then another hour to catch our train back to Cortona. Renting and returning in Chiusi was breeze. We would definitely return the car in Chiusi and train into Rome Termini. The train station is a few minutes walk from the car rental with luggage. We looked in to Auto Europe and never could find cars, and they informed us a 3-day rental is required for Chiusi. You could train to Chiusi from Florence and pick up the car then head to Montepulciano then return to Chiusi for train to Rome. It was a very easy drive.

Pick Up Location
Chiusi Downtown,MX6
Via L Da Vinci 3, Zona Stazione Ferroviaria
Chiusi, 53043 IT
0578 226878
Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM; Sat 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Drop Off Location
Chiusi Downtown,MX6
Via L Da Vinci 3, Zona Stazione Ferroviaria
Chiusi, 53043 IT
0578 226878
Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM; Sat 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

We are doing the same route as well, Florence to Montepulciano to Rome, and finding that renting in Florence and returning a car to Chiusi is very pricey since there is a limited choice of car agencies. There are more choices/better prices if returning to Rome, however, we are hesitant to drive into Rome with the crazy traffic. If we did, which is the less stressful drive, returning to Termini, Tibertina, or Fiumicino Airport?

We rented a car through Autoeurope in 2019, picking up in Florence and returning it to Hertz at Fiumicino. The directions are well marked from the freeway as you enter the airport…quick and easy to return the car. We had an early flight the next morning, so it worked out well for us.

To return in the city of Rome from Florence first set your navigator to go to the location below:
La Rustica Nord
+39 06 229 6291
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CLPZWqgcSvcMQwMYA?g_st=ic

It’s a rest stop on the freeway. This is where you should refuel your car before returning your rental.

Once there set the navigator to go to the rental car return to the Tiburtina location. Since that location varies depending on which company you use I cannot give you the exact location until you give me the company you rent from.

If you decide to return at Termini, which is not much harder than Tiburtina, the the rental car returns are either here:
Interparking Italia Srl - ES Park Giolitti Roma Termini
Via Giolitti, 34 00185 Roma RM, Italy
+39 06 4470 4053
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uQwshufHQsTTddkr9?g_st=ic

Or at this parking garage, across the Termini station compared to the one above.
Parcheggio Roma Termini - Stazione
Via Marsala, 53, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
https://goo.gl/maps/p3MRXPYWp4WttBwt7

Check with the company you rent from which of the two is their return garage

Thank you, Cathy. Returning to Rome seems easy.
Roberto, great information on returning to the train station. Thank you. I'll reach out again when I book.

Roberto,
We rented a car from Avis in Florence and will be returning it to Tiburtina in Rome from Montepulciano. I’ve read your advice about stopping for gas at the place you mentioned. My friend is quite nervous about driving in Rome (I will be driving) and she’s making me a little nervous now. Can you please advise us again on locating Avis and calm our fears about driving in Rome? We are staying close to Piazza Navona, is a taxi the best way to get to our Airbnb?
Thank you, Kathy

Reading this made me go back and double check my reservation in March. I'm picking up in Perugia and dropping off in Chiusi near the train station. I reserved through Autoeurope and it's a budget car. It sounds like you've got a plan that will work for you now though. Have a great time!