Rent a car or get a driver in Tuscany

You can rent minivans large enough for 6 people in Tuscany, and this would be more sociable than 2 cars, and probably quite a bit cheaper than hiring a driver. If you wanted local expertise, the driver would be better, but if all you want to do is get from place to place, you can certainly do it on your own. You may have to pick up in a larger site, like the airport.

If you rent a mini van make sure you do this a long way in advance. Numbers are limited and they book out much more quickly than cars. Have a look at Kenwel for good deals.

The price of rental for two economy cars is way cheaper than one van. In fact I can guarantee you that you can rent almost 3 economy cars for the price of one van.

Two cars also offer more flexibility in case some people in the group want to do something different. Also roads and streets in Italy are sometimes very narrow and a van is more challenging to drive and park in those conditions.

Having a driver that takes you around is very nice, however I cannot afford it. With the price of one day car rental you can't even buy one hour with a private driver. You should expect to pay at least 40 to 50 euro per hour with a private driver.

I'm with Roberto. We were looking at different options for transportation for a group of 6 in Tuscany a few years back. A van was our first thought. In the end, renting 2 cars was the cheapest, most comfortable and most convenient option. Also extra flexibility and extra room for luggage!

A driver is great if money is no object. Not only could you get extra commentary but you wouldn't have to worry about parking either. But you definitely pay a good amount of money for that service.

I have done 2 cars as well as a large van on a few trips, and while it might be cheaper for 2 cars the extra hassle for the drivers can be a problem... following one another, trying to park together in busy towns on market days, having to make a bathroom stop, etc. We have found it to be so much more fun to all be together and we could make last minute changes in our itinerary. Dividing up the cost of the one rental would be worth it to me... plus you only have to pay for one vehicle to park, one insurance and while I am sure the gas costs more for the van, is it double? We had plenty of room and no one was uncomfortable, but we do pack light and once at our hotels did not have to haul much stuff around.

wendy,

If you decide to go with a car rental, keep in mind that each driver will require a compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used with your home D.L. You'll also have to be very careful to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many towns (especially Florence). Passing through these even by mistake will result in expensive tickets, which you won't know about until several months after you return home. Parking may also be a problem, depending on which towns you're visiting.

you can ask for a quote from this tour driver: http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/minibus.htm