Renting a car in Flo. to explore Tuscany for 5 days

we found renting in Siena as we were ready to leave was better. We took bus to Siena from Florence saw Siena and surrounding hill towns by bus then rented car for Umbria, Assisi , Orvieto , Cortona, Civita di B. Parking can bve diff in some towns.
Hope this helps a litttle.

Do you plan on renting the car after your visit to Florence? Picking the car up at the Florence airport would enable you to avoid driving into the Florence ZTL zone which would result in a high priced ticket. Then drop the car off in Orvieto and take a one hour train ride into Rome. A GPS and a good Michelin, or similar, map would enable you to find your way on the red roads in Tuscany and Umbria. Buy your map at a Barnes & Noble store and familiarize yourself with the roads and road signs. Get an International Driver's Permit at the AAA office. No test is required. Just two passport-type photos, which they can take there, and $15. Now you just have to decide what you want to see and where you want to go. Rick Steves' tour books will give you an insight to the area. We've enjoyed Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena, and the area surrounding Pienza. Do you have hotel accommodations? When are you travelling? Come back with a bit more info.

We plan on renting the car after we visit Florence, so picking it up at the airport is now on my list. I'll look into the maps.
We are staying a mile from Siena in Agri. Marciano for two nights and then in Orvieto for 3 nights at Locanda Rosati. We have a Rail Pass and plan on leaving the car in Orvieto and taking the train into Rome for 5 nights there as dropping it off in Rome sounds crazy. Any insight? Many Thanks!

You will LOVE Agriturismo Marciano. Will you have a GPS?

I think you are the gal that mentioned it in an earlier post! It sure looks neat. Thanks for the recommendation :)
I have my iPhone 4s. Would that work? Or should I purchase one?

Data in Europe would be very expensive. Do you own a GPS?

No, sadly we don't.

Have you arranged your car rental? I always use AutoEurope and sometimes they have a special deal for a free GPS. Alternately you could buy a GPS here. Some come loaded with European maps, or you can buy a European map chip for it. You might be able to pick up a used one on eBay or Craig's List. I highly recommend a GPS in Italy. You can go anywhere and always find your way home.

Our friends used their cell phone for GPS capability in Venice (they were lost, lol) and for a 1/2 hour of usage they were charged $400. Thank goodness they got the charges reversed, however, still not a good idea. If you want to check EBay, first find out what GPS units have both North America and Europe maps, instead of buying additional maps. We bought a Garmin Nuvi on EBay and it did not work, even though it was supposed to. That's the chance you take, right? However, we met several people who had Tom Tom's and they were working perfectly. If you want to meet up and discuss your trip's logistics, PM me.

Definitely get a GPS or just travel the old fashioned way with maps and road signs and enjoy being lost. Actually, I have driven there lots of times without a GPS. But most definitely ,do not put your phone on for any kind of data roaming.... it will cost a fortune. Only use it in wifi zones.

Maybe you could borrow a GPS from someone?

Easy solution: buy a TomTom App which works with offline maps, meaning it will eat up around 2GB of your iPhone, but has all maps on the device. It doesn't need any data to operate, you can actually disable the data roaming option and it will work normally (GPS satellite signals are free lol).

I just looked at AuroEurope. Mid size Peugeot w/ insurance packages for 5 days is 474. 84 USD. The Karen Brown (shhh, don't tell Rick) travel guide says to give her code number for a discount which I'll call and do tomorrow. We plan on picking up the car at the Florence Airport and returning it to Orvieto before catching the train to Rome. It doesn't look like extra is charged for a GPS. I'll find out tomorrow when I call them as I don't want to reserve on-line until I've spoken with a live person. Are my ducks in a row?

How many of you are traveling? Did you absolutely need a mid sized car? The smaller the better for parking and narrow roads. Not to mention a smaller car would be less expensive.

Just the two of us with luggage from costco. Not carry on. I'll look into a smaller one. Great idea. What would I do w/o this website!

I would rent the smallest possible car. It will be plenty big for the two of you. You will be much happier when it comes to parking. With the money you save you could buy a GPS if the rental doesn't come with it. Then you could have a GPS at home and for future trips!!

Yes, rent the smallest car you can. Most likely, you will be upgraded to the next class. I rent an economy, or compact, with a hatchback. Hopefully, one of you drives a stick. That's where the rental costs increase. Like you said, Kellie, check prices online but finalize your rental on the phone. Sometimes there are other specials that are not advertised. Also, ask about the cancellation policy. I make sure I can cancel up to the time of pick up without cancellation fees. You never know what might happen. If you want a second driver, some rental agencies, like Hertz and Avis, charge a fee. Other companies, like Europcar, waive the fee if the two drivers are husband and wife (unless that has changed). A diesel car always gets better gas mileage and costs less (all stations have diesel available). However, now most of the agencies charge extra for a diesel car. Ask about this option. Be sure to take a copy of your contract with you. Sometimes an agent may try to charge more for options you have requested, like a second driver. Even though you'll have the car for a short amount of time, avoid any possibility of theft by stowing your luggage in the trunk and don't have tour books, maps, etc. in sight in the car. It's just a precaution. When driving the autostrada, make sure to stay in the right lane at all times. The left lane is only used for passing. When passing, do it quickly. Most likely a Mercedes will suddenly be upon you flashing his lights. Also be aware of the speed limits, especially on the Autostrada. They have speed traps everywhere and you won't realize you have a ticket until months later. The autostrada is a toll road. We prefer to pay cash.

Denise is right. An automatic transmission will cost a lot extra. When I rented in Italy through AutoEurope our rental was with Hertz. They did not upgrade us. We ended up with a Ford Fiesta, which was perfectly adequate for the two of us. An extra driver was an additional charge, so I was the only driver. I was the only one with an IDP anyway. AutoEurope's cancellation policy is very good. I don't think there are any penalties if you cancel before you are supposed to pick up the car. Double check to be sure. They are very helpful when you call them. Do be careful of the speed cameras.

Another question: We'll be heading to Siena to start our 5 days in Tuscany coming from Cinque Terre. We were thinking of going to Siena via Florence and pick up car at the airport as suggested. However, is there a better route from CT?
Many thanks for your input!