Follow up to an earlier post: If we don't rent a car when staying in Tuscany, is there somewhere better to stay so that we have better access to restaurants for dinner? I'm comfortable with hiring drivers for tours during the day, but I'm concerned about what happens when we go back to our hotel but then want to go out to dinner. If we can't take a car out to dinner we are stuck at our hotel every night we are there. There is a chance we will end up renting a car due to reasons like this, but I thought I'd try to get some feedback on this first. Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16209 posts
Where are you planning to stay?
Any city, like Florence or Siena, will have plenty of options within walking distance from your hotel. If you don’t plan to rent a car, you should stay in Florence, or maybe Siena, not in a small village or in a villa in the middle of the countryside.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Rachel, in your other post you said you were planning on staying at Castello Banif. I'm assuming at their Borgo. Are you aware it is about 2 miles from the nearest town? Poggio alle Muro. The winery itself is slightly further, on the opposite side of town. Montalcino is 8-10 miles away but will tak at least 20 minutes to get there.
This area is beautiful, some mountainous areas, rolling hills and fantastic views. Roads for the most part are good 2 lanes, but slower driving. Driving is easy. If at all possible, rent a car if only for a day.
Posted by
OP
63 posts
Where would you recommend renting a car? Is it possible to do it in the countryside rather than Florence? I think we would prefer not to drive in the city.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
You could rent the car in Siena as you are leaving. It will take about 45 min to your lodging at Castello Banif.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32398 posts
" I think we would prefer not to drive in the city. "
It's a really good idea not to drive in the cities, as most of them have Zona Traffico Limitato areas. Each pass through one of these will result in expensive tickets, which you won't know about until several months after you return home. This is true especially in Florence, as the city is thoroughly covered by automated ZTL cameras, and each pass through one will generate a separate ticket.
Each driver listed on the rental form will also require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L.