Day trips from Siena

driving from Siena towards any direction is always a great experience in itself; Chianti area is a choice like Val d'Orcia valley both with wine tasting opportunities. Otherwise hilltop towns like Monteriggioni San Gimignano and Volterra (2 hours each + 3 hours of total driving)

Thanks for your reply. Is there heavy traffic in those areas, or is it an enjoyable drive?

Is there heavy traffic in those areas, or is it an enjoyable drive?
Are you looking at a one day rental or having more than one day to explore?

I think it would depend on time of year and time of the week. We were in Tuscany in December so our experience is probably not typical of the peak season.

The drive to San Gimignano and Volterra were wonderful. There's a large parking lot right outside the main gate leading into San Gimignano and there's an underground parking lot at Volterra. We got to San Gimignano early and there were only a handful of cars in the lot. I suggest you start early.

I also suggest driving over to Castillina, Radda and Greve. A wonderful day trip would be to drive Greve early, visit the city, then go to a wine tour and tasting at Castillo di Verrazzano. For a real treat, do the wine and food tasting for lunch. That will be the only meal you need to eat that day! Stop by Radda and Castillina on the way back to Siena.

We stayed near Siena in October and drove all over Tuscany. There are three distinct driving tours in the RS Florence & Tuscany guidebook that we followed. Traffic is not an issue on these routes. There are not too many cars, but the ones that are there, want to drive FAST! There are plenty of places to pull over and take in the scenery and take pictures.

This information is very helpful. We would probably rent a car for two days.

You need an International Drivers Permit for Italy. You can get one at AAA. It costs about $20. Also, study up on ZTLs and driving in Italy in general. For a rental, consider using AutoEurope and book before you go. Get the insurance.