We are planning to rent a car in Florence to use in Tuscany for 3 days. I've read in other posts that we should rent the car at the Florence airport to avoid all the city confusion. Then after Tuscany, we are going to Pisa (for a few hours) then on to Monterosso for three nights. Where should we return the car? I was thinking that we would just go back to the Florence airport to turn it in and then take the train from Florence to Pisa etc. Does that work or there a better plan? We are spending our 2 Tuscan nights in Siena. We have been there before and it is a nice base and we'll see the prove races before the Palio is run after we leave. The Tuscan towns we may visit are San Gimi, Volterra, other suggestions?
Posted by
San Leandro, CA, USA
632 posts
Rent the car at the Florence Airport...drive to Siena...then day trip to San Gimi...I wouldn't try any more than that given the brief time you are there...then drive to Pisa where you will visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, then turn in your car before jumping on the train to Monterosso.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
The first alternative you give is best: returning the car to the Florence airport and then to Pisa etc by train. In Italy, if trains offer regular service to a place, take them and avoid unnecessary driving.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Amy,
Is there a reason not to return the car in Siena then train to Pisa?
Posted by
OP
Cincinnati, OH, USA
42 posts
Henry, we could return the car in Siena if that is better. What do you think? Also, can we arrange for the car from the States before we leave for our trip? Who should we use? Thanks for all the input.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Amy,
It seems to me that returning the car in Siena would be easiest on you.
I have used Autoeurope for car rentals. They are a broker and seem to give good rates. The car will come from a big rental agency like Hertz, Avis, Europecar etc. I get a better price through Autoeurope than going direct. Lately I have been using Autoeurope's Canadian site in order to get zero liability.
Posted by
Bel Air, MD, USA
261 posts
I found the best rates at autoeurope.com. Their rate includes insurance, a must. They do charge an extra fee if you use their airport site. Their Florence city sites are on the edge of town. Each pick-up site has different cars, and different rates (just to make things more complicated), but they are mostly close to one another. They also have a location in Siena (although it's closed on Sunday.) They did not charge me a one-way fee.
Posted by
San Leandro, CA, USA
632 posts
I agree with the posters who suggest AutoEurope. I have used them on our last 4 trips to Europe. As to your choices...I don't know why you would turn in your car in Siena then deal with the train station in Siena (waiting for the train)....then travel to Pisa..deal with luggage while you are visiting the Tower...then back to the station for the easy trip up the coast...if you drive from Siena to Pisa you (1) have more freedom to see things, (2) don't have to spend valuable time waiting, (3) have a place in Pisa to park your bags while you site see...and finally you can turn in the car and only deal with one train station departure for the day
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Amy, IMHO, you are just fine renting your car in Florence. Just be acutely aware of the Zona Traffico Limitato signs around many parts of the city. Computerized cameras snap pictures of your license plate and your rental car company will rat you out. You will receive very expensive traffic tickets up to a year after your visit. When renting your car, talk to the agent about these signs and restricted areas. The rental car agency may be in one and they are supposed to protect you by notifying the police department and providing them with your licsense plate number.
CLICK HERE to see an article on this subject and a picture of the ZTL sign. Note that Pisa has these restricted areas as well.
Now that you have the major disclaimer stuff and you are properly prepared, plan to pick up your rental car in Florence.
Posted by
OP
Cincinnati, OH, USA
42 posts
Thanks to you all! If we decide to drive from Siena to Pisa, how do we figure out the best route to take. I know there is probably a website to refer to but I'm not sure which one. Thanks again!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Next, it's just wonderful to drive around Tuscany. You might have fun finding parking around Siena but I'm sure that you will be successful there. Drive around to some hill towns and wineries. I suggest San Gimignano and Montepulciano. However, it's really your choice.
Once your are ready to head for Pisa, ViaMichellin maps will route you back up to Florence and then NW to Pisa. It's the quickets route. However, I would suggest considering heading west from Siena to San Gimignano and then to Volterra. From Volterra, head west to the coastal town of Cecina. Then head north along the coast to Livorno and then Pisa. It's a longer drive but more scenic. Plus, you hit a few wineries on the way. Again, be cautious of ZTL zones and cameras in Pisa. Finally, I would suggest driving north to La Spezia and turning in the car there.
The second biggest caution is to carefully note the hours of operation for the car rental offices. MOST are CLOSED on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Amy, the best website for travel is www.viamichelin.com. I used it to find the instructions in my previous post.
I would lastly suggest not returning the car back in Florence. First, you are doubling back from Pisa and second, it's a 3.0hr. train ride to Monterosso from Florence. If you turn in your car in La Spezia, Monterosso is 18 minutes away by local train. Turing the car in at Pisa would be a second choice. Have fun.
I'm done now. Larry