Spending a week in San Gimignano. Flying into and out of Florence, will want to visit Sienna and Cinque Terre plus a couple of wineries. Could we do all that without a car or is it best to have one?
Posted by
Folsom, California, USA
316 posts
Louise, Get a car. There is not a lot of mass transit to this small and beautiful hill town and there are MANY other places to see in Tuscany. If you don't want to drive in the bigger cities, drive the car to a "suburban" rail line, park the car, and take a train (subway type) into, say, Florence. If you think you might drive in a bigger city like Florence, get a GPS, Italy GPS map uploads and spend some time logging coordinates (easy to get off Google Earth) for the places you intend to go. Street signs in bigger cities are tiny and on the sides of buildings making it hard to navigate, and that's without the added chaos of Vespas. Good luck. You will LOVE Tuscany, Kaye
Folsom, CA
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8144 posts
We too will be there in 2 weeks. You should pickup a rental car as you leave Florence. It's the only to efficiently see the region. We intend on seeing Volterra, Siena and just ramble through the Chianti countryside.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
You will need a car to really explore the area (BTW - the Cinque Terre is NOT in the area) and visit wineries and little towns. But keep in mind that a car is not allowed in the city centers of the places you will visit. You'll need to park in parking areas outside of the towns and DO NOT drive in Florence (due to ZTL restrictions). Pick up your car at the airport and return it there, but take a bus or park outside the city to visit Florence itself. All drivers in Italy must also have an International Drivers Permit along with their state license. AAA issues the IDP in the US.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
It is most definitely a wonderful way to enjoy Tuscany. Can't imagine sitting on a bus and watching it all pass by. With a car you can turn on a whim and visit anyplace you want, stop to enjoy a field of sunflowers, find a winery along a little country road, and find your own 'back doors' to Italy. But, also follow advice of other and do not drive in Florence. If you can, just take a bus and leave your car in San Gim. Also, it is not easy to drive to CT. I would drive to LaSpezia and leave your car there and take the train to CT. Have a wonderful trip.