Greetings all!
Is there anyway to get to the country side, small villages , Tuscany areas without renting a car?
Are here any options other than renting a car? From a major city to travel into the interior ?
Anything like Uber? Or taxi, private drivers?
Just looking for options, we have been to Italy several times and used the trains , busses, etc..
But never into the country side to Tuscany, private B&B's,
Thanks for any ideas
Nate
Some towns such as Siena and Pisa are accessible by train. If you really want to explore you will need a car or to take an organized tour.
Donna
Are you looking for day tours? You can certainly base somewhere like Montepulciano and hire a driver or go by bus to other villages and towns. The train station is a bit outside of town, but there is a connecting bus or you can take a taxi.
Even from Florence you can get day tours whether private or group. Take a look at Tours By Roberto.
Take a look at www.toursbylocals.com ---- when we tried them in Emilia-Romagna it was a nice local guy driving us around to see cheese made, etc. but there are other tours for visiting towns.
Is ghere a reason why you don’t want to rent a car? We always have had a car in Tuscany, Umbria, Piemonte, etc. It gives you the freedom to explore the area.
Why is it you do not want to drive? We use trains and buses all over, but once we were ready to explore countryside and small villages, we started renting cars and have absolutely no regrets.
I don’t understand why tourists from the country where people are most addicted to cars are reluctant to drive. Is it the different time zone that affects your ability to drive?
As a NYC native, I'm not addicted to driving. But it works much better for some things, and Tuscany is one of those things. Yes, you have to price the car, think about insurance and break-ins, get an IDP, watch out for ZTLs, search for a parking space, and buy fuel. All of those topics can be learned about from Rick's tips or the search box for this forum. You also have to find local activities to follow a wine tasting.
I'm with Roberto. I don't see why it's such a challenge. Just get the IDP, rent a car, drive. That's if you're just going to be in smaller places. We drive around everywhere, to the supermarket, post office, bar in town, trailheads. If we're checking out a little town, we park on the outskirts and walk a bit. Assisi and Perugia are a little complicated, but no biggie--just follow the signs to the parking lot. It just seems to me that there's a lot of nervousness over what can be an adventure. Do this--stay out of the left lane if you're enjoying the view. Use your turn signals. Don't drive too fast; if there's a crazy person in an Audi behind you (75 percent of the time it's an Audi) let them pass. Find a nice place to eat lunch. have fun.
There are many private drivers you can hire. We did, and I was really glad not to have to worry about anything while we were being driven around the countryside. Plus, if you go wine tasting, it's so nice to have a driver!
Do what works best for you.
Do this--stay out of the left lane if you're enjoying the view. Use your turn signals. Don't drive too fast; if there's a crazy person in an Audi behind you (75 percent of the time it's an Audi) let them pass. Find a nice place to eat lunch. have fun.
LOL There's some sound advice in this quote. It can be pretty hard and pretty expensive to get into the heart of Tuscany or Umbria without a car. While it can be done (so I'm told), it's not quite the same experience as wandering around the countryside on your own, being able to take as much or as little time as you like at any particular spot.
I'm reminded of one of the highlights of our trip. We set out one morning, heading south from our home base near Greve. Our ultimate destination was The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. We spent a leisurely morning exploring the charming hill town of Radda. We bought a lovely silver wine stopper adorned with the Chianti rooster. From there we wandered over to Gaiole, another charming town. We arrived at the Abbey around 3:00, just in time to see the grounds and the sanctuary. There's a nice restaurant adjacent to the grounds and we had a great homemade dinner before heading back to the Abbey for 6:15 Vespers, which are celebrated in Gregorian Chant. The sanctuary is in the late baroque style and while gorgeous, seems ornate for a monastery. There was a lady from a nearby town, the monks and us. We were invited to sit with the monks and were given service materials (which are in Latin) so we could follow along. We were even encouraged to participate in the responses! We are Episcopalians and members of our church choir where we often use ancient chants in Latin. We felt right at home.
We took a quicker route home and were back at our agriturismo around 9:00. It was an adventure only obtainable by car.
Plus, if you go wine tasting, it's so nice to have a driver!
👍 Melanie. Beyond visiting vineyards, the appeal of a lazy lunches/dinners with a nice view and a glass or two of the local grape (or brew) is probably a good reason why public transport is preferable for many. :O)
