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Rental car return to Florence Airport is it a bad idea?

Hi all, we will be renting a car (Avis) in Chiusi for a week while visiting the Tuscan countryside. We have a day/night reserved in Greve, then on to Florence for a week, not wanting the car anymore. I don't see another good option for returning the car outside Florence except airport. We were trying to avoid the city and wonder if there is another area close to Florence we don't see? Thanks a mil.

Posted by
257 posts

We've returned Hertz rental cars twice at the Florence airport and it's a pretty simple process. The car rentals (incl Hertz and Avis) are located a bit away from the airport and are not in the city itself so it was pretty easy to follow Google maps to the lot, take a shuttle to the airport, and then catch the tram into Florence's center. It was an easy efficient process, particularly since it's so easy to get into the historic center of Florence from the airport.

Enjoy your trip!!

Posted by
15043 posts

Considering where you are coming from, returning to the airport would mean extra travel (the airport is on the opposite side of the city from where you are coming from) and possibly extra expense assuming you take a taxi from the airport to your final destination (presumably in the city center), since the taxi charge is almost 30 euro.

If you don't mind the extra mileage and extra cost, then it is a perfectly doable option.

If you have a car from Hertz, you have the additional option to return the car at the Firenze Sud location on via Ambrosoli, which would be perfect if coming from Greve via the Chianti Road.

If using any other car company, then, if you don't want to return to the airport, you would need to return downtown at the Borgo Ognissanti location, inside the Interpark Garage Europa, where all car returns are (including the Hertz downtown location).

I will post the instructions on how to return the car at this location shortly.

Posted by
15043 posts

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CAR RENTAL RETURN TO BORGO OGNISSANTI

Using Google Maps enter this linked location below. The location is Piazza Taddeo Gaddi across the river Arno and outside the ZTL. You will need to reach this piazza (a piazza with a large roundabout circle) to go to Borgo Ognissanti safely.
So no matter where you come from from the south of Florence set this piazza as your first destination before crossing the bridge and going to the car rental return.

Piazza Taddeo Gaddi

Once you are on Piazza Taddeo Gaddi, the location below is the garage (Interparking Europa Garage) where you will be returning the car. Google Maps gives you two routes to get there, both are permitted routes, but the important thing is to follow precise instructions after you cross the Ponte alla Vittoria (Victory Bridge). Immediately after you cross the bridge (and I mean immediately) veer to the right along the river. Shortly after that you will be turning left (do not go through the Lungarno Vespucci along the river or you will enter the ZTL. Besides that road is closed by a military road block erected to defend the US Consulate from terrorist attacks.

Interpark Garage Europa

Use the "street view" option to see what the route looks like as you drive there.

GAS STATIONS
To reach Piazza Taddeo Gaddi from Greve there are two routes Google Maps will send you too. Make sure you take the one via Impruneta (at the A1 Impruneta exit). You will come from Tavarnuzze via the Raccordo Siena Firenze. In any case near the freeway, on the way to PIazza Taddeo Gaddi shortly after the freeway exits (no matter which one) there will be several gas stations. Stop at the first one you see available, as there are few options as you get closer to the city center. From the freeway to the Borgo Ognissanti rental return there are no more than 4 miles, therefore if you fill the tank right after you exit the freeway, the tank will certainly show full at the garage where you return.

Posted by
1163 posts

Follow Roberto's advice.

We dropped our car here when we rented for a day to explore the Chianti region again and were surprised at how simple the directions are.

Posted by
15560 posts

I returned a car 4 months ago after staying in Greve. Easy peasy. There are petrol stations very close to the car rentals. There was a short wait for the shuttle bus that takes you on the short ride to the terminal (where you have clean bathrooms). Then a short walk to the tram (by tickets at the machine, you don't need extra tickets for luggage). The tram runs frequently and it's a smooth ride to the train station. From there you can walk easily to most anywhere in the historic center.

Posted by
13 posts

If you are not comfortable driving in the city, don't do it. I have family members who get nervous about it, so they return the rental car to the airport. It's really easy. As the first response says, drive to the rental offices (just off-site of the airport, like 500 meters away), drop off your car, walk or shuttle back to the airport, take a 15-minute 2euro tram ride to the center of Florence!

Posted by
15 posts

Thank you all so much for your kind and very helpful feedback, I'm so appreciative!

Posted by
48 posts

Picking up on this thread from last August... if returning a rental car (Enterprise) to the airport, then taking the shuttle back to the terminal and catching the tram into the city, how long would you estimate that taking? We are returning a car to the airport location, then catching a train to Venice and it would be helpful having an idea on how long that would take. Thanks!

Posted by
15043 posts

The shuttle from the Rental Car center to the airport terminal is less than 5 minutes, but I don't know how frequently they run it.

Once at the terminal you need to walk to the T2 tramway stop, which is about 5 min walk from the terminal. I think you can purchase a ticket at the automatic machine there.

During the day (7am-830pm) the tramway (basically light rail train) runs frequently (every 5 min).

The ride to the station is about 20-22 min long. Once at the station you can take the stairs up to the trains (get off at the Alamanni side of the station) and be at the platform within 5 min from the time you get off the tramway. This is the stop where you get off the tramway, it is called Alamanni-Stazione. From there you get up the stairs to the trains (the beige building in the photo is the SMN station, and the staircase is hidden behind of the tramways)

Assuming the car rental shuttle bus runs fairly frequently, from the time you get on the rental center shuttle bus heading to the airport terminal you can be on your train to Venice in less than one hour.

Posted by
15043 posts

If time if of the essence, you might save some time by taxi (20-25 min from the rental center to the station).

You don't need to take the shuttle back to the terminal to take a taxi. There are plenty of taxi cabs lined up at the taxi stand right there at the rental center itself, ready to collect the fare to take people back downtown after they return the car.

Of course the taxi will cost you in excess of 25 euro instead of the 1.50 euro of the tramway fare, but if money is not an issue, it's another option you have.