My wife and I are planning on spending two nights in Florence before spending two weeks in a cottage out in the country. I don't want to have a car in Florence, but I will need one when we leave the city. Do I rent one right away and try to drive and park in Florence, or do I wait and rent one elsewhere when we're ready to leave the city? (train station, place in the city, etc.) Any ideas?!
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Overnight parking is surprisingly difficult in the historic center of Florence. It's also easy to accidentally violate the Florence ZTL's, with $150 per incursion fines being enforced by automatic cameras. Some travelers posting here, who are sleeping in the historic center, rent from the Florence airport, checking out of their hotel and taking a taxi to the airport to pick up the car. Others deal with the problem by getting lodging outside the historic center that has parking. The problem is if you want to sleep in the historic center and have a car that you need to park overnight.
Posted by
Lake Worth, Florida, USA
101 posts
We just returned from a two week trip and I drove to Florence twice from our farm house near Siena. Parking is very difficult and it drove me crazy. It's also expensive. Avoid parking and rent your car when you are leaving the city.
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
Definitely get the car when you leave. Driving in Florence is a nightmare, and parking's even worse. Picking at the airport is a good method, although a GPS can probably get you out of town safely if your rental is on the outskirts.