Driving Tuscany - thoughts, ideas, suggestions

Scott- I would take the train from Rome to Orvieto a must to see- pick up the rental car there(Avis is just across from the train station. Stop for a night in Orvieto you won't regret it. From there you can drive to Montipulciano, Pienza and Montalcino and then drive up to San G- and bus into Siena. This way you are working your way up to Siena and no back tracking - Get a Michelin map of Italy and plan your route. You can pick up regional maps as you go which give more indepth roads in the areas you want to see.

Scott:

Driving in Italy is a piece of cake. I am sure you have seen the notes regarding driving in Florence - but you aren't planning on driving there anyway.

Tuscany by car is wonderful. Remember when planning a drive that the Tuscan roads are slow - twisty and winding. What appears close on your map may take twice the time you think it will. Often you can't even get out of third gear! That is all part of the fun.

For our two driving trips in Tuscany we allowed some unplanned time to get lost on purpose. Put the map in the back seat and just start driving - some of our favorite adventures and meals have started with the sentence "I wonder what is down that road?". That is the true advantage of having a car on your vacation.

Have fun.

Please read this page (if you haven't already).

http://www.bella-toscana.com/traffic_violations_italy.htm

We have driven in Italy and had no problems or tickets (yet-it has only been a year and I guess they have 2 years to send them) However, we did read up a lot on these speeding cameras and ZTL zones so were very careful. Other than that, we really enjoyed driving in Italy.

"We are flying into Rome where we'll stay for 1.5 days. Then we are planning to get a rental car..."

Do NOT try to drive in downtown Rome. They'll eat you alive. The advice to take the train Rome to Orvieto and get your car there is excellent. If you don't do that, at least arrange to pick up the car at an agency near the outskirts of Rome, and take a taxi from your Rome lodging to the car agency.

Get a GPS that includes European maps and practice with it at home before going to Italy.

Get the smallest car that will hold you and your luggage. Bigger is definitely not better in Italy.

Get an International Drivers Permit from AAA. It's the law.

After touring around Tuscany we dropped off our rental car at the Pisa airport and found that to be a very convenient location. Once we unloaded the car with the rental agency, it was a short walk across the lot to the actual airport where we caught a bus to the train station. We left our bags in storage there and had time for a quick trip to the Field of Miracles to see the Leaning Tower and made it back in time to catch our train to Vernazza. It was all very easy and didn't seem rushed or stressfull at all - everyone was very helpful in setting us off in the right direction! The train ride was especially memorable - watch for glimpses of the coast when you come out of the tunnels.

Scott - you say hotel reservations are made, but aren't clear on whether Siena or Montalcino is first. If Montalcino is first, easiest pick-up spot is Chiusi. You could stop in Montepulciano and/or Pienza on your way to Montalcino area, and then focus your next day on the wineries around Montalcino. San Gimignano would be a good stop on your way from Siena area to Pisa airport or LaSpezia to drop off the rental car. If Siena is first, consider taking the train to Siena, doing your in-town sightseeing first day and then picking up the rental car next morning. In May, I drove in the areas you plan to visit and found a GPS to be very helpful.

Be prepared to encounter "roundabouts"--lots of those in Tuscany. Our GPS gave warnings when we drove through zones that had lower speed limits. We were in Tuscany in May and also hope not to get any tickets. Be very careful not to drive within any walled towns--Siena is especially a no-no--not a fun experience. Parking is available outside the walls and even within some of the walled towns but it is tricky navigating the narrow streets. In Montalcino we saw a car headed down a narrow street that ended in lots of steps. The driver realized this at the last minute and had to back up quite a hilly distance--there were no signs to indicate this at the top of the street.