Is it better and easier to rent a car in Florence and drive through Tuscany versus joining a ground tour group? Or would it be better hiring a driver. If a driver/tour guide who speaks English, can someone make a recommendation and provide contact information, please.
Goal is to see and learn as much of the beauty of Tuscany and not so much all of the main museums, galleries and such. Of course, that excludes Tower of Pisa and Michaengelo.
Just my opinion, but I really enjoy tours. The guides always add so much info and point out things that I would have missed. I usually find my tours starting a Viator.com and see the things offered and then usually enjoy shopping for a tour that fits me. Viator is a consolidator.
We rented a car and it was probably my favorite day. We took back roads to Certaldo, San Gimignano and ended in Sienna. The GPS made it so easy and not stressful at all. We could stop at every turn to enjoy the vineyards and olive groves, the views were breathtaking. We could spend as much time as we wanted in each hill town without being on someone else's time table. We took the autostraude back to Florence after dinner in Sienna. We may have missed some of the points provided by a tour guide, but we enjoy exploring on our own. We rented the car and returned it at the airport to avoid the no-drive zones Florence is so famous for. We found the Italians to be so friendly, and even with language barriers, we had no problem communicating! Enjoy your trip!
Is this for a day trip? Do you plan to do wine tasting?
We stayed in the country and had a rental car, but for a day trip I'd look into doing a tour that included visiting some of the great Chianti wineries. This way you can enjoy the tastings legally. The blood alcohol threshold is much lower in Italy than the states.
I suggest looking for a tour that has a lunch food and wine pairing.
Look at Tours by Roberto. Several joinable tours, around $100. Small group.
These are another option. Bigger tours by bus.
https://www.getyourguide.com/florence-l32/wine-tasting-winery-tours-tc104/
