First Timers, Hard Not To Rent a Car (Florence/Tuscany)

Welcome to the Forum!
If you're visiting wineries, you obviously need a driver, as the Italian limit for impaired driving is lower than the US.
I like to look for local market days, so that may determine which days to explore. The markets add color and energy to local areas.
Do you know what ZTL's are?
Have a great trip?

ZTLs are limited traffic zones in Italy. I believe that you have to have permission or a permit to drive into the limited zone of Florence. Some Hotels have a permit parking space if you are staying there. So, you are right about not having a car while in Florence. I believe that they have car parking lots and perhaps car rentals near the Outlet Shops just outside of Florence. You can use a taxi, or bus to deliver you to your hotel if you are staying in town.

Other than for visiting a winery wine tasting, we always have rented for many years our own cars in Europe. We like the freedom to explore off the beaten path locations and can’t imagine not having a car.

We stayed at Castillo di Verrazzano, which is just outside Greve. Where will you be staying?

I'm not sure what your plans are for when staying near Greve, but be aware it's hard to explore the area without a car. I think you'd be better off renting a car in Florence. I imagine hiring a driver to get you to the coast and back would be pretty expensive. probably more than it would cost to rent the car for your time in Chianti.

Driving in Chianti is fun and easy, as long as you are familiar with the road signs and driving rules. All the ZTLs in the region are well marked and easily avoided. Assume anywhere within the walls of a hill town is ZTL.

You'll have a great time in Italy! Have you traveled in Europe before?

Hello Curt,

Rural Tuscany is one of the few places where a car rental can be justified given the scattered small towns and lack of regular public transportation between places makes it difficult to just look at a map and decide to visit town X.

But car rental is expensive, fuel is expensive (4x the states generally) and as mentioned there are hazards like limited traffic zones (ZTLs) and very, very strict drinking and driving rules. So when you rent a car and how you use it needs to have some consideration and some research. If you're staying at an agroturismo you may very well need a car just to reach the place you're staying, but driving to a train station and taking public transportation to someplace like the beach may be the best choice to avoid parking hassles, ZTL tickets etc.

If you plan out what you want to do hiring a driver and/or tour guide may make the best sense for making sure you see what and getting some context and background about towns, local customs etc which can add richness to your visit. Tuscany is as beautiful as advertised so make sure you get to see the best bits.

It sounds like you're asking the right questions, hope this helps.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

I’ve driven extensively in Italy and just made sure I had an International Driver Permit (required by Italian law) and obeyed all Italian traffic laws. Before there was as much tourist knowledge about ZTLs, I did get two tickets in 2008 for entering the same zone twice within twenty minutes. No traffic infractions since.

Just a note about car rentals. Be aware that most rental offices, with the exception of those at airports, have limited hours on Saturday and are closed on Sunday so plan accordingly.

With a little preparation, driving in rural Tuscany is not a big deal at all. IDP and ZTL are all you really need to know.
Could you share the rest of the itinerary? It may make sense to pick up the car elsewhere since you have nerves about driving out of Florence (but even that is totally doable with preparation so you know the route to follow). What would be ideal would be to do your rural portion before Florence, so you can drop car before Florence and avoid having the separate one-night stay. Unless you already have it all booked, that is what I would do.
Should be beautiful in October!

Wow, that's a lot of replies.

Our itinerary is simple. Land on a Monday, stay in Florence till Thursday visiting museums and some shopping. My wife likes art, especially renaissance stuff, and I like peace, quiet, wine, and food. Therefore, we're doing roughly half & half for our time there - with the second half of the trip in the countryside. So, on Thursday, we'll head to Villa Bordoni for some simple relaxation till Sunday. The plan there was a cooking class on one evening, and a countryside adventure Friday or Saturday just out exploring. Sunday, drive back to Florence for an evening, and fly out early Monday morning.

Given that plan, and some of the comments you all provided, if we do a rental car (which is probably really my preference), it would have to be a Florence airport rental location - so we could return it on Sunday.

I was going to book us in a place close to the airport for that Sunday night before flying out, as our flight is at 6:30 AM, but have read here the opinions about that sort of plan wasting a perfectly good night that could be spent exploring in Florence, and just arrange for an early taxi. So, that's probably what we're going to do. And, that night is the only hotel that I haven't booked yet.

I am curious, what time does the Florence airport open for accepting departing passengers on that early of a flight?

Finally, yes, I've read all about the ZTL situation, and that was part of why I was thinking of going the driver route. I've read all the replies with pros and cons about renting - so that, plus that I would of course would love to drive on the back roads through the hills of Tuscany - so I'm thinking rental it is. No wine on that adventure day, though.

Now, the only open item in my head is do we do that long drive on Friday or Saturday. I'd like to book the cooking class well ahead, and we'll be doing that on the other day - so I guess I better start looking for any fun sounding festivals or special events on the 4th or 5th of October to see if that steers my decision either way.

Thanks all. If there's any more feedback, keep it coming, this is awesome, and exciting.

You are thinking right on the last night--stay in Florence and then just brave the early morning.
Those who have transited through Florence airport recently can advise, but it will somewhat depend on your airline/the way you do things (will you check in online with an app and have your boarding pass, will you check baggage)--but if you are not flying direct to the US, I basically treat it like a domestic flight--no need to be there three hours early.
https://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en/the-passengers/departures/before-departure/check-in.html

First of all, to maximize your time and minimize hotel changes, since you plan to spend your last night in Florence (presumably to catch a flight the next day), I would lump together all your Florence nights at the end of your trip. In other words, first I would rent a car to visit rural Tuscany, then I would return the car in Florence and spend my last 4 nights in Florence (without a car). There is no need to change hotels in the last night to be closer to the airport. Florence airport is so close to the city center (3.5 miles) that any taxi can take you there in less than 20 minutes from anywhere in the city center, especially that early in the morning.

If you fly into Florence, you can rent a car on arrival at the airport. If you arrive too late and are too tired, then maybe you can stay near and rent the car the next day.

1. The cons of hiring a driver is the cost. While a rental car will cost you less than $400/week, the same amount will buy you only a day (8 hour) excursion with a private driver, if that. Driving from Florence to the closest point on the coast (Viareggio) is a one hour one way journey by car (about 100km), obviously more from Greve. But the Tuscan Coast in not too great unless you head to Maremma (Piombino to Argentario Peninsula), and that needs another hour.
2. In October you shouldn’t find major traffic to those locations. Sundays tend to be a bit busier with Italians taking day trips if it’s a nice day, but otherwise you shouldn’t see appreciable differences between Fridays and Saturdays. But as I said, I’d rent a car first thing upon arrival and leave Florence for the end of your stay.