Renting a car/driving

Only in Germany is speed a concern. Driving in Italy is not much different than driving in Boston. You will need the International Driver's Permit. It is required even if the rental agency does not ask for it. Once off the main roads, a good GPS is essential as the road making only work well for the locals.

I'm not a fast driver and I don't speak much Italian either, and I've driven all over Italy & Sicily with never a problem. Just don't drive into the large cities and you'll be fine. You should pick up your car the day you leave Florence and turn it in the day you arrive in Rome. Learn the international road signs, stay in the right hand lane as much as you can. When you visit the smaller towns, head toward the "Centro" and look for the blue and white "P" parking signs. Watch the speed limit; Italy has speed cameras. Before you leave, go to an AAA office and get an International Driving Permit ("IDP"). It's required in Italy.

I am not a really fast driver either (although I often find myself cruising along on the autobahn) and speak no Italian and have managed to drive in Italy quite often. As stated, avoid big cities, for the dreaded ticket zones. Freeway driving is a piece of cake...just stay in the right lane. Narrower roads... if you find some impatient Italians behind you, just pull over when appropriate and let them pass and you can enjoy the countryside in peace...and if they are angry, just remember...you will probably never see them again. Driving is the only way I would enjoy Tuscany.

This is great information and much appreciated. Thanks. I cannot wait to get behind the wheel.

Listen to the advice given above but print a color copy of the International road signs for reference (see below). Most are self explanatory but some may be unfamiliar to Americans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy The freeway driving rules in Europe are somewhat different than in the US. Basically you can use the left lane for passing only, then you must clear it immediately and yield it to faster vehicles approaching from behind. Driving at or above the speed limit is no excuse for cruising in the left lane. You will be ticketed if you cruise in the left lane (in addition you will have to sustain incredible stress due to extremely aggressive tailgating from cars traveling 90 mph only millimeters from your rear bumper). Since European road signs are mainly symbols, knowledge of the Italian language is necessary only to curse other motorists. For a glossary of Italian curse words to be used on the road you can ask me via private message. Raising a fist with the pinky (little) finger and the index finger up (like two horns) will generally do. It is the Italian symbol for "Cornuto" ("Horned"). A man with horns means somebody who is betrayed by his wife. No Italian man will take that charge too lightly.

Driving in Tuscany is no problem. Pavement is good and the roads are well marked. GoogleMaps and Mapquest are great help if you don't have a GPS. Parking is easily found in every city except Sienna. Your car rental operation can give you directions on how to avoid ZTL's leaving Florence. We left our AutoEurope car at Hertz in Orvieto and took a 75 minute train ride into Roma. Avoid picking up any cars at any airport (Europe and U.S.) as they always come with high taxes, handling fees and any other charge they can get away with. City locations are cheaper.
Don't feel bad about not speaking Italian. Italians only speak English in the tourist cities and attractions.

The statement that cars are cheaper at a non-airport location is not true. It can go either way, but the airports seem to have the best prices and greatest inventory. I've never rented a car in Florence, but a random check on kayak indicates that the airport is significantly cheaper than renting in the city. With essentially equal prices, figure the cost in money and time to get to the remote location - - I've generally found it to be a faux savings, even when it appeared to domsomm

We drove a rental out of Florence through Tuscany and dropped it as soon as we got to Rome. We didn't have any issues with reading street signs, just that sometimes an intersection could point to the same city in both directions :). Google Maps was critical to our relationship success, though. We found the prices to be cheaper in the cities for rentals, not the airports, so it must depend on when you look. I also didn't see the point in the time or money to take attain from Orvieto into Rome -- we dropped off near the Borghese and it was a main road most of the way in with a few turns at end. Also, we got the international driving license, but no one asked for it. The other thing is that the hills can be steep and windy, so I'd get an automatic, unless you're really great with a stick shift.