We will be arriving in Firenze from Venice by train. We want to rent a car to head southwest into Tuscany. Since we wish to drive as little as possible in Firenze due to the restricted areas, which station would be the best one to disembark? Santa Maria Novella appears to be fairly central with car rentals close and therefore probably close to restricted areas. Is there a better option that would entail less city driving? We would probably be in Firenze about noon on a Saturday.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
906 posts
SMN is best with car rentals close by. If you don't want to attempt the challenge of driving in Florence go out to the airport from the train station and rent there. Easy pick up and return buy might be a bit more expensive, but less challenging.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16894 posts
If you use the search box on this site with the street name "Borgo Ognissanti," you'll find Roberto's frequent advice about the driving route out from there, which doesn't have any ZTL issues. When departing the city on our tour bus, I've noticed that we get out of town pretty quickly after crossing the river (direction toward the Oltrarno).
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15290 posts
This is the itinerary from Europcar office on Borgo Ognissanti to the A1 freeway entrance FIRENZE-SCANDICCI.
Hertz, Avis-Budget are located on the same street in the next block west, so the directions are the same.
The ZTL camera is just east of the bridge (Vespucci), So make sure you turn right (south) onto the Vespucci bridge to cross the Arno river. If you go East toward piazza Ognissanti past the bridge you will get zapped.
Itinerary from Borgo Ognissanti.
Once there I don't know where you want to go exactly, but all options are open from that freeway junction.