Hello,
So here's what I'd like to do:
- Depart from Florence in the morning
- Make my way through Tuscany, stopping in Siena and various other towns on my way
- Spend the night in one of these towns
- Head to Rome.
I've been looking all over the internet for companies that will allow me to rent a scooter in Florence and drop it off in Rome, but so far, no luck. If someone could please point me in the direction of one?
Thank you.
Ryan,
I definitely agree with the others - forget the Scooter for that particular route. Scooters are designed more for getting around in congested cities at lower speeds, and not for "highway" use. Dropping off in another city is also going to be a problem.
If you decide to rent a Smartcar as Greg suggested, note that you'll need the compulsory International Driver's Permit to drive in Italy. This must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. Driver's can be fined on the spot for failing to produce one!
With a rental car, you might also want to have a look at some of the posts here regarding the dreaded ZTL areas that are increasingly found in many Italian towns (especially Florence). Driving through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket each time.
Finally, you DON'T want to drive in Rome!
Aside from that, happy travels!
Scooterhire.it can take care of you.
Don't do it. You will come home in a body bag. The 60's are over. There's too much traffic. Give up. Ride the bus or a goat cart.
Seriously? You won't be able to hit the Autostrada on a scooter, so you will have to take the back roads, IF you do this crazy thing. Have you any idea how long it will take you to do this using the backroads? There is no such thing as a direct route outside of the Autostrada, and good luck finding a scooter rental that does this sort of thing. Rent a car and buy a good GPS or lots of medical insurance.
I, too, would fear for your life! Don't do it!!
Hi Ryan - I'm Italian and always a bit upset that other posters think it's more dangerous driving in Italy than in the U.S. - However - Don't rent a scooter - Rent a Smart car and do the same thing and enjoy the safety of the car.
Ciao, Greg
I don't think you'll be able to find a place that will let you return to another city.
The best you may be able to do is take a loop through the countryside and then return to your rental spot. then take the train to Rome.
If you are an experienced motorcycle rider then don't get a scooter. they are usually terribly underpowered for travel on rural roads. Here is a place in Lucca that rents Ducatis. You'll have enough power to get around and get out of situations on the road.
...uuhhh... agreed with our Italian contributor... among others.
While driving in Italy is no more dangerous than in the U.S. .... ... driving in Rome is like driving in New York -- both of which are markedly more dangerous than Santa Margherita or Gainesville, Florida (or Gainesville, Texas... or Gainesville, Alabama... or whichever Gainesville you are from).
That's a pretty long ride on the back roads. Are you an experienced motorcyclist? If not, do as another said and do that trip in a car. Scooters are designed for short, in-town, trips --
-- it's about 80 km, over an hour, by car on the autostrade Florence to Siena, then another 240+ km and 3 hours to Rome. The back-road motorcycle friendly route is over 400 km -- and I'm not sure a scooter is up to that task.
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EDIT: To find a realistic expectation, I used ViaMichelin for directions, but asked for a Bicycle route. Florence to Siena is actually quite do-able, at 62 km and 4 hours. Siena to Rome on the bicycle friendly route is 216 km or 15 hours. A scooter (if allowed on all those routes) could probably do it in half the time -- but 7 hours on a scooter? I'd rather spend that time in Siena.
I agree with Greg that driving in Italy is no more dangerous than certain cities in the U.S., you just don't want to do it on a scooter. Dallas has some crazy-assed drivers and so driving in Italy was not a big deal to me, even the Amalfi Coast road. If you really want to see the countryside, do so from the relative safety of an automobile.
Ignore the detractors. Email
rent@stradanova.com and ask them what they can do on a one way trip to Rome - it will cost, cause they'll have to send someone to ride the bike back. But They are Good people and Honest.
You don't want a scooter for this. 650 CC or better if its two up. You CAN get to Rome on the Back Roads.
I'll leave that research to you.
Italian scooter drivers are crazy over there. Put an American on one and the Italians will run over you. We did four days in Tuscany on one tank of gas for our rental car.
