Several Transportation Questions (Trains & Rental Cars)

I wasnt aware of the Sunday bit I did a quick search and found that hertz in Florence is open Sundays , so that may be my answer. Train to Florence , car to Siena and back, then cab or bus to airport

There are rental agencies by the train station in Siena. However, I believe that you are going to run into problems. I don't believe that any of the rental agencies are open in Siena on Sunday. You may have to rent at the airport in Verona in order to find an open location. Drving from Verona to Siena should not be that big of a deal. probably around 3 - 3.5 hours. I also am a bit worried about the drive from Siena to FLR for your flight home. I have seen the main Siena - Florence route closed for 2-3 hours because of wrecks. If you leave early enough you may not have any problems but traffic can be a bear around FLorence.

When your google-fu is back up, you can use Google Maps to see the distance from the train station in Verona to your lodging. Then you can decide if you want to walk it with luggage. Don't write off the taxi option, as they're pretty reasonable in Verona.

It's always risky to be in a different town than the one you fly out of on the morning of your flight. There could be accidents or bad traffic on the roads or your train could be delayed. It's usually the safer option to stay in the town of your flight the night before. I would suggest going to Florence Tuesday night for your flight on Wednesday. Donna

Jon, To begin with, is there a particular reason you're travelling Rome > Verona > Siena? That involves some "backtracking" so not the most efficient route. To answer your questions.... 1) While you can walk, I wouldn't do that with luggage. Use Bus or Taxi from the station to Piazza Bra. Which Hotel are you staying in? 2) Not sure? 3) Not sure? With an early flight, I would prefer to stay in Florence the night prior to the flight. Even though departure is at 10:00, you'll need to check in early and there could be delays. While it might be perfectly feasible, there's no way I'd drive from Siena to catch a 10:00 flight in Florence. 4) Have a look at This Website. I'd use the Airport Bus. 5) I rarely book tickets in advance, especially in Italy. However, it's sometimes worthwhile to buy tickets a few days before travelling, in order to qualify for discounted fares. Have a look a look at This Website for information on the "Mini" fares. continued.....

Obviously, it's your call, but central Florence is a veritable minefield of limited traffic zones (ZTLs) that are protected by automated cameras. It is possible to stray off your prescribed path and wind up getting more than one fine to tune of 100 euro plus for each violation several months later. If it were me, I'd find an open spot in Verona or take a taxi to the Verona airport site and drive from there to Siena.

Jon - Part II..... A few notes about driving in Italy.... For driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some case is offered at the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information. You may also want to have a look at some of the other posts here concerning the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many Italian towns & cities ( especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Happy travels!

Thanks all for the tips, espically about driving in Florence and the traffic. I'm contemplating modifying our plans so we stay in Florence (no driving needed) and take a day trip to Siena or something of that sort. Ken: thanks for the sites, and to answer your question: Yes, the path is backtracking, but I have a friend who lives in/is from Verona and had to work around his work schedule. Extra traveling, but worth it :)

Jon, I think your tentative new plan of staying in Florence and day-tripping to Siena (by bus) is a good one. It saves car rental fees and ZTL headaches and the problem with the stay before the outbound flight.

I'd do the trip without the car and use trains and public transportation if you stay in Florence you can take the bus to Siena or stay in Siena and bus back to Florence the night before you leave as others have posted don't try to drive into Florence, it's a bad idea
also parking is very limited in Siena

We had an adventure taking the bus in Verona from the train station to Piazza Bra, but we made it and filed it in our best memories! From the train station, the bus we took went to a park where the driver got off for a smoke break. We just hung around until he was ready to leave again. As always, speaking a bit of Italian helps, but this was long ago before we knew much and it was still okay!