drive to Firenze from san gimignano

You take the bus down to Poggibonsi, the train to Florence and a ten minute walk takes you to the Accademia....be sure to book a timed entry...return to San G the same way. Do not consider driving in Florence.

Reconsider driving, Linda has given you wonderful advice. Florence is a minefield of traffic zones that are limited to locals with huge fines for each violation. If you insist on driving, then drive to Poggibonsi and take the train to Florence. ALthough I think it would be easier to still take the bus.

I believe that there is a charge for parking in Poggibonsi. My husband and I drove to to the next stop Certaldo, at the suggestion of a poster on this site, where there is free parking and you are a few minutes closer to Florence.

In Sept. 2010 my husband and I were staying in an agriturismo outside of San G. and decided to drive to Florence for the day. We had brought along our GPS and easily drove to Piazelle Michelangelo and were able to park all day here free. We had driven to Florence on a previous trip and parked near the train station. You must be careful as to not cross the ZTL. The GPS was very helpful!

Thank all for the advise on my trip from San G to Firenze. I ended up taking the train from Certaldo, free parking caught my attention. The machines @ the station did not work and the station was closed for the all saints holiday. Got mixed advise on purchasing tickets on board. Yes you can purchase on board. Cost 5e extra per ticket. Missed train on way back because of holiday schedule. Oh well, it was a fun experience and we made it back to San G. Think I'll try to drive if I do it again though. Thanks again.

Jerry, driving in Tuscany is a wonderful idea. However, as mentioned above, do not drive in Florence. Almost the entire historical area is a zona traffico limitato (ZTL). They catch you with cameras. It's a lot worse that you might imagine. Reportedly, Florence issues approximately 600 tickets a day for this violation. Just don't drive a car in Florence.

Jerry, If you have a GPS or good map and are a confident driver, you will be fine driving to and around Florence. It isn't what I'd call fun, as there is a great deal of traffic, but there are plenty of parking garages on the border of the ZTL and then you can walk in. Many garages show how many parking spaces are free on a green electronic display embedded in the signpost. Your GPS will route you around the ZTL, and the main road system is also designed that way. Going earlier in the day is the best bet if you want to park at one of the closer garages. The easiest to get into/out of on the South side of the city is Piazza Michaelangelo, as others have mentioned. It's a 15 minute walk from there to the bridges over the Arno. If you want to arrive later in the day, then I still think going by train is faster and easier as it is much harder to park. Well, maybe not faster on a saint's day, but less hassle for sure :-) Mathew