At one point of our trip, we are staying in Montepulciano for 4 nights and want to do day trips from there. What rental car companies are available? We will be there from Thursday thru Sunday. What suggestions do you all have for the best driving days. We are planning to day trip 2 days. Any suggestions to locations to go to?
Posted by
Hood River, Oregon, USA
63 posts
How are you getting to Montepulciano in the first place? Since there was no train service, we have picked up cars from Siena and Chiusi in the past. There was a Hertz agency not too far from the station in Siena, but a little dicey walking over there through a round-about. The rental agencies in Chiusi were a little better to walk to, and Chiusi is closer to Montepulciano.
Posted by
OP
Ventura, CA, USA
297 posts
We are getting to Montepulciano by train.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
You can get to Montepulciano by train but it doesn't look like there are car rental places there. There is bus service throughout Tuscany but the buses don't run frequently enough for you to see a lot. A car is really essential. My wife and daughter will be facing the same problem in a couple of months as they will be staying at an Agriturismo. The will simply take the train to Siena and walk across the street to the Hertz office, rent a car and drive to the Agriturismo. They will have their car for 4 days for Tuscany, Perugia and Assisi. They will drop the car off in Orvieto. From Montepulciano, you are within range of Perugia and Assisi. For Tuscany, you can easily take a bus to Siena. Parking is not easy there. There are even frequent buses to nearby San Gimignano. Note that buses have very limited schedules on Sundays. But, you can easily drive to San Gimignano, Volterra and Colle di Val d'Elsa. These places do not have train stations.
Posted by
Campbell River, Canada
361 posts
Charlie, you have received good advice in above posts. Chiusi is a geat location for picking up your car. Where and when are you returning your rental? The one concern I have is if you are planning to return your car rental on Sunday. Most rental offices are closed on Sundays and usually close on Saturdays @ 1:00pm for the weekend. I would look into this before booking. Buon vacanza.
Posted by
Durham, NC, USA
41 posts
Charlie, Two years ago we stayed at an agriturismo just outside of Montepulciano. We took a train from Rome to Chiusi and rented a car there from: Aesse Rent Srl Piazza Dante, 22 53043 Chiusi, Province of Siena, Italy
0578 227993 We got a great car at a great rate with wonderful service. The office is directly across the square from the Chiusi train station. From there is is about a 30 minute drive to Montepulciano.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Go to Montalcino if you can, the home of the justly famous Brunello wine. If you want to visit someplace off the beaten track, Certaldo (go up to the old city) is really beautiful. If you go to Assisi, drive up to the Rocca Maggiore for great views of the town and the valley.
Posted by
Seattle
49 posts
If you're looking for specific scenic routes, I recommend you take a look at Frommer's Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours and Frommer's 25 Great Drives in Tuscany and Umbria. I found them to be quite helpful, with a lot of interesting tips for the areas around Siena and Montepulciano.