Leaving Rome with a rental car

If they cannot provide a car for you in Orvieto, go on up to Florence by train and pickup a car a couple of miles from the train station (on Sansovino.) The train ride to Orvieto is 70 minutes from Rome Termini.

You can be in the Siena area is 45 minutes or so. We stayed between Certaldo and San Gimignano on a farm stay.

You should pick it up at a location in Rome. Some people here will suggest to go all the way to Orvieto, or Chiusi, or even Siena. I find that inconvenient. If I'm in San Francisco and want to rent a car to drive to Los Angeles, I don't take a train 50 miles south to San Jose to rent a car. I rent it in San Francisco. So I don't see why one should go to Orvieto (70 miles away) to rent a car, unless of course you want to spend a couple of days in Orvieto first. Picking up all the way in Florence (90 minutes away from Rome by high speed train) will set you back 45 euro per person in train fare, plus whatever taxi fare from the Florence station to the pick up location, which in Florence is on Borgo Ognissanti (15 min walk from the station) or farther. Then from Florence you need to back track south to Siena, since Siena is between Florence and Rome (albeit closer to Florence).

To rent a car I use a consolidator, such as www.autoeurope.com or www.kemwel.com (both part of the same corporate umbrella). They work primarily with all the major international players, such as Avis-Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and others, and often have better prices over going directly with those rental companies. When you select a pick up location in Rome, you should choose one either near your hotel or somewhere close to the GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare, or Grand Ring Beltway) from which it is easier to get out of town on the A1 freeway north toward Tuscany. All major companies have several offices in Rome, so depending on the company you select, you should use their 'station locator' map to determine the best pick up location for your needs. There are also offices at both main train stations in Rome (Termini and Tiburtina). I wouldn't bother to go all the way back to the airport, 20 miles away, also because airport rental taxes in Italy are high.

Hi, We rented a car at the airport and drove through Rome on the way to Tuscany. Yes, it was a bit stressful, but it was driving through, one time, and we had no real troubles, and I think it was was much easier than taking a train halfway to your destination. Robert in Montreal

If you rent at car at the Rome airport, you'll be able to skirt the city if you so choose. It's all multi-lane roads to the Autostrada. It was very easy. After taking a shuttle into Rome our last day, there's no way I'd drive in the city.

Where will you be staying in Siena? Have you worked out the parking?

Hi,

Pick the car up at the airport- it's highway driving from there, and relatively easy. However, I'd recommend returning the car to the airport, not central Rome (like Termini); I've done that once, and will never do it again. I'd also recommend using Kemwel. Buona fortuna!

There are several locations in Rome itself that are next to the freeway.
For example Tiburtina station, or, very convenient to get on the A1 freeway, via Salaria or via Flaminia. From the city center you would take a taxi to these locations.
Going all the way to the airport will set you back 50 euro for taxi, plus about 40 euro a week more in rental fees. I can understand the fear of getting lost in the center of Rome, but from locations near the GRA or the Tangenziale Est it's very easy. Don't be scared.

We picked up a rental car at Ciampino airport. It was super easy and were were on our way to Tuscany (Montalcino) quickly. Cannot remember for certain rental we used but I think it was Europcar.