Driving in Tuscany

Driving in Tuscany is very easy. Please, read up on all the driving regulations and be aware that there are cameras that will take pics of your license if you speed, travel in restricted lanes, enter limited traffic zones (ZTL's) or park where not permitted. Other than that, you should be fine.

I would suggest getting rid of the car before heading to Rome as you won't be able to drive into the city and parking is hard to find and expensive. Just take the train from Florence to Rome and you wont' have any issues.

Yes, I would rent and return to the Florence airport.

Donna

Just in case you need more input, I agree with everything Donna has said. We are in our 70's and, last year, drove all around Tuscany with no problems. Italians do tend to drive fast and use their horns a lot. Cultivate a thick skin and pull over when you can if someone is persistently indicating they want to go faster. A couple of other points about driving: You should be aware that a gps may lead you on some bizarre routes. Have a map to check, especially if road signs conflict with what the gps tells you. Read up on ztl's and speed monitoring devices on this site. We also love staying at b&b's and small family-run hotels for the same reasons you mention. I posted some names on the recommendations segment of this forum, dated early June. However, since we have been to Tuscany several times (always with a car and without problems) we didn't go to the usual top destinations.

We use the Green Michelin Guide for directions. Before the travel I type/ print out as many directions I know we will need and staple them together. The GPS is useful but can take you many different directions. Florence: We rented from within the city after our visit
and drove through Tuscany to a stay in Umbria.
Next time I plan to take a train out to a nearby town and pick the car up there which appears to have less traffic and hassle. Familiarize yourself with the signs or take the page out of the travel guide with you. Obey the signs and speed limits and you'll be just fine.

Similar to back roads in Britain, it helps to know through which towns you plan to travel when you set out. Roads are well signed with those directions (more so than road numbers). I quite enjoyed driving last fall, using the Michelin Map for Central Italy.

Road signs in Italy conform to the general pattern of those used in most other European countries which are based on the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Print them as a reference to become familiar with them. Most are straightforward self explanatory symbols:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy

Besides the road signs, one major difference with the US is that cruising in the left lane on a freeway is strictly prohibited. On a freeway the left lane is for passing only, and you can overtake another car only from their left flank (cannot go around them using the right lanes).

Another important feature to remember is that you cannot turn right on a red light like you can do in the USA, unless there is a green arrow light authorizing you to do so.

Be mindful that Tuscany is very hilly and mountainous therefore, outside of freeways, many highways have plenty of winding curves, including very sharp ones. Some country roads are also rather narrow with no shoulder. Be careful for upcoming vehicles and for the many bikers (especially on weekends), since Tuscany is a popular bikers' mecca. When a road is too narrow for two vehicles, the vehicle going uphill has the right of way, while the one going downhill must stop on the side and let the other vehicle go through first.

As mentioned, many cities and towns have traffic restrictions in the ancient historical centers. Only residents with permit may enter. You must park in a garage/lot outside of it and proceed on foot/bus/taxi.

This is an example of the round white with red border sign (no vehicles allowed) signaling you are entering a restricted traffic zone (Zona Traffico Limitato, or ZTL). Some ZTLs are enforced by photo camera and fines are stiff.
http://www.milanofree.it/images/stories/trasporti/ztl_milano.gif

Everything else works like in the US. Some Italian cities (Florence, Rome) have very dense traffic like Manhattan, therefore avoid having a car if you stay there.

I forgot to add, be sure to get an IDP- international drivers permit, before leaving home. Most rental companies won't rent without one. It's a simple translation of your actual license which you will need to have with you also.

Donna

I agree with all the comments above. 2 years ago, hubby and I spent 3 weeks driving from Viterbo, to Ravenna, then Venice, Florence, Pisa, and back to Viterbo. We chose Viterbo, because it was about 1 1/2 hours away from Rome, so we were out of the craziness of the city. We rented our vehicle from Sixt Car Rental (on four different occasions) and never had any problems. Carry a good map with you and as others have said don't rely on your GPS - it can have hissy fits on you at times!!

Stay off the freeways, the speed is intense at times, you have to pay tolls, and the exits are few and far between, so unless you are going from point A to point B, such as Florence to Rome, they actually take you longer to get places. Besides, you don't see anything of the country. You get to travel thru little towns, stop for a coffee, explore a street or two, take a side trip up to a interesting building etc.

The roads were generally good. I agree with watching for the cyclists, they can be plentiful at times. You will also run into the odd sheep, turkey or pheasant if you are lucky. No where near the Corniches, in intensity.

If you are around Viterbo you must visit the Parco dei Mostri (Park of Monsters) in the Sacro Bosco (Sacred Woods) at Bomarzo, and search out Civita of Bagnoregio, Bagnoregio - they are well worth the trip and no more than 20 and 30 Km respectively from Viterbo.

There is a lot of horn blowing that goes on, but generally it is to let you know they are there and not meant as an aggressive action.

Just relax, be alert and above all enjoy your journey. Have fun

We were in Tuscany 2 years ago, and we found travel by rental car to be the best way to see Tuscany. Trains don't go to all the really good off the beaten path cities, like Volterra and San Gimignano.

We avoid renting cars at airports anywhere as they usually come with facilities charges, extra tariffs and charges vs. picking the car up in town.
After visiting Florence for a long weekend, we went to the Hertz city office at 53 Via del Sansovino, Florence. It's about 2 miles by taxi from the train station. They gave us directions out of town where we wouldn't get near any ZTL's. We headed south toward Siena and got off the 4 lane at Poggibonsi. Our agriturismo apartment was in the countryside between Certaldo and San Gimignano.
Roads in Tuscany are well paved and no problems to drive. They're also well marked with road signs pointing you from town to town. We didn't even have a road map or GPS and had no problems getting anywhere we wanted to go.
This trip, we found our rental car (Hertz) through AutoEurope.com cheaper than we could book it direct through Hertz.com. If you join the Hertz frequent renter program (free), you can get a lower rental rate. I'd just suggest you shop the rates.
As we were going to Rome, we turned our car in at Hertz in Orvieto, 100 yards from the train station. We got on the train there for the 70 minute ride into Rome Termini. Orvieto is about a 90 minute ride south of Siena--and a very popular hill town to spend the night in.