florence-tuscany-rome

I'd drive to Orvieto, enjoying the route along the way, and then return the car to the Orvieto train station, and take the 75 minute train into Rome.

Return the car to Orvieto or Chiusi. Check the hours of the rental agencies in the small towns - most of them close midday for several hours and are closed on Sundays.

question 2: whats a good place to rent a car in florence. somewhere centrally located is easier? or back to the airport to avoid driving in the city proper.

c.

we returned our car from siena and the hill towns to chiusi then jumped on the train to rome. very easy, good luck :):)

We have rented cars in a city and at the airport. Yes, there may be an additional charge to pick up a car at the airport, however, it is a WHOLE lot easier. I am sure there is public transportation to the airport. Rental car locations in, or even on the outskirts, of a city are hard to find and to get to unless you take a taxi. Unless, of course, there is an agency located in the Florence main train terminal. But then you still have to drive out of the city. I would recommend the airport. As others have mentioned, you could drop the car off in Orvieto. Again, you have to find the rental car agency in the city which is down below the hilltown and might not be that easy to find. We drove around in circles for a half hour just trying to find the free parking lot at the Orvieto train station--and there were 3 of us looking. The other option would be to drop it off at the Rome airport and take the train into the city. It's really a toss up. If you get a GPS, it would make everything a lot easier. Last year, we rented from AutoEurope and had our own GPS for the hilltowns. It's easy to get lost on the red roads in Tuscany and Umbria. Before you leave, use www.mappy.com to find out exactly where the car agency, the hotel, etc. are located. Also, use this website to print out your train schedules. That way you know what your options are. Have fun making memories!

I have rented at the Hertz location in Florence that is about 3 short blocks from the SMN train station. I do have comical memories of getting out of Florence, but we did it. We spent several days in Tuscany and then drove to Orvieto. The Hertz location there is a VERY short walk from the train station. I believe the train ride from Orvieto to Rome Termini station is 1 hour to 1:15 minute ride. The cathedral in Orvieto is a must see, the mosaics on the facade are incredible.

My husband and I have driven many places in the US and Europe including Washington DC and downtown Manhatten in rush hours. The only place my husband has sworn he will never drive again is Florence. If I were you, I'd rent at the airport and head straight out of town.