Hi:
We will pick up a car in Chiusi after arriving there by train. We will be staying four nights just outside of Siena as base for Tuscany. We will not go to Florence because we have already been there five nights and also saw Pisa and Lucca last trip. We prefer to arrive in Siena before dark to avoid night driving. What is the best way to make use of that first day as we leave Chiusi with the rental car and make our way to Siena by dark? We should have the car by 11:00 AM. Train from Rome to Siena connecting in Florence would arrive after Hertz Siena closes on Saturday which is why he had to get the car in Chiusi. We are open to other places to pick up car. Also should we purchase a GPS of our own rather than run risk of car not having GPS although one was requested. Thanks all for any input!
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
You don't say what month you'll be traveling, so it's difficult to estimate how much time you'll have before dark. That aside, I would stop in Montepulciano and/or Pienza before heading north at Pienza towards Siena. Driving those roads isn't difficult and I thought they were scenic. If Etruscan sights are of more interest to you, there are some in Chiusi and nearby towns. I purchased a GPS with European maps for my travel in Tuscany and Umbria (got a great deal on Amazon), so I have no experience with relying on the rental car company to have one available. I found the GPS invaluable and wouldn't have wanted to be without one.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Thank you for your response and suggestions. We will arrive in Chiusi on October 12. I was thinking Pienza for that first day.
I forgot to ask about suggestions for a winery tour. We don’t want to make a day of it but maybe a half day or even several hours while we are in Tuscany. We don’t want to do this the first day since there could be unforeseen delays. Thanks again to all!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
We just rented a car in Chiusi from Aesse Rental. It was brand new Citroen automatic and, after we downloaded the Android Auto app, allowed us to plug our Android smartphone into the car's dashboard monitor and operate Google maps from there using a cable. Very convenient except I couldn't figure out how to switch it to night mode after dark.