Has anyone rented a car in Rome and driven through Tuscany to tour wineries, have a wine dinner and stay overnight in Tuscany and then hit some more areas of Tuscany the next morning and drop car in Florence?
Was this a good way to do the trip vs fast train to Florence and renting a car there?
If so where in Rome is easiest to rent a car? We will be staying in campo de fiori area.
Any itinerary ideas?
Suggestions for where to stay overnight and have a great wine dinner?
The easiest is to take a local train 70 minutes north to the hilltown Orvieto. Hertz's rental office is across the parking lot from the train station. You can pickup a car there and get on the toll road north that takes you to the heart of Tuscany.
First, spend a night or two in Orvieto--a great hilltown. Then go up to Siena. We stayed a few days between Certaldo and San Gimignano on an agriturisimo. Virtually every farm in Tuscany has rooms and apartments for rent. We also took day trips throughout the region--and went to Volterra which is another large and great hilltown.
The Hertz office we went to in Florence was on Sansovino--2 miles from the train station. Many just turn their cars into the airport and take a train into the center city. Take any car into the Florence city center and you'll get fined for entering a ZTL without the proper permits.
It sounds like this would be 2 days with a car. If you rent the car in the morning, you will probably have a late start. What time do they open? Allow at least 1/2 hour for the paperwork and checking out the car. How late can you drop the car in Florence? The airport rental are open 24/7, then you can take the tram or a taxi into the city. The tram is easy and cheap and takes you to the train station which is on the edge of the historic center. If you want to drop luggage first and return in the city, you may want to drop the car after hours. Not all companies do this. There may be an extra charge.
I haven't stopped at any rural wineries, since the tours don't really interest me (been to so many, they all seem to be more or less the same) and tasting at more than one is an issue when you're driving. More than one glass can put you over the limit of 0.5% (compared to 0.8% in the US). Plus driving in Tuscany has its challenges! You may have to make reservations for tours/tastings. Some wineries have tasting rooms in nearby towns. Montepulciano has several. If you spend the night there, you could drink with impunity :-) There are plenty of very good wines at most restaurants. Choose based on the food.
Another possibility is to look for wine tours from Florence. It's also likely you can find a private guide/driver to take you around for the day.
Has anyone rented a car in Rome and driven through Tuscany to tour wineries, have a wine dinner and stay overnight in Tuscany and then hit some more areas of Tuscany the next morning and drop car in Florence?
I've rented a car in Rome and driven to Tuscany many times, but always for longer periods. It looks like you are planning to rent in the morning and returning the car in Florence the evening of the next day. The drive alone, assuming you are not taking the A1 freeway, is at least 5 hours (without pit stops).
Was this a good way to do the trip vs fast train to Florence and renting a car there?
It's a good way to do it, because it's cheaper and faster to rent in Rome and tour from there, since many Tuscan locations people like to visit are between Rome and Florence. However it looks like you have a very limited time. Rental offices open at about 8am. Often there are waits. I've never been able to pick up a car in Rome (or Florence or Bologna or Milan) and drive off the garage in less than one half hour (or a very good day). Car rental returns in Florence close before 8pm. The one at the Florence airport closes at Midnight.
If so where in Rome is easiest to rent a car? We will be staying in campo de fiori area.
I use the consolidator/broker www.autoeurope.com or their affiliate (same company) www.kemwel.com (check prices in both). I always select 'Rome All Locations' as pick up options, as prices vary greatly at different offices on different dates. All companies (Europcar, Avis Budget, Hertz, etc.) have several offices in Rome. The closest offices to Campo de' Fiori would be in the area of the Vatican/Prati or near Via Veneto. But I would choose the pick up location depending on the best price. No matter which office, you will need to get a taxi to take you there. Getting to the GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare=Rome's Grand Ringlike Beltway) is not difficult from any office. That is where you want to head first to get out of Rome. From Tiburtina station or from Termini station it is easier to reach the freeways. However they rarely have the best rental prices. The Airport has always the most expensive rental prices, if you pick up from the airport.
Any itinerary ideas?
Strada Regionale 2 (SR2 'Via Cassia') through the Val D'Orcia, Siena, and eventually to Florence (via SR2 or via Chianti Road) comes to mind.
Suggestions for where to stay overnight and have a great wine dinner?
Lots of choices, depending on itinerary. Decide the itinerary first then someone will suggest nice spots.
