Apologies if this is an old and tired topic. I'm flying from US to Florence in September. After 4 days in Florence, my companion and I are renting a car for 7 days to travel to hill towns, staying near Montepulciano. After a week touring the hill towns, we go to Venice for 4 days before flying home. We need advice on transport, specifically, should we: 1) return the car by driving to Florence from Montepulciano, then take the train to Venice, or 2) return the car by driving to Venice directly from Montepulciano, or 3) something else. Any advice on cost, time, or other hassles? Thank you in advance. I promise to enjoy a sunset toasting your responses!
Posted by
Chicago
8271 posts
Drop it in Florence and take the train in.
Posted by
872 posts
Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; avoid leaving anything of value in a car when parked:
http://driventoit.blogspot.com/
Route planning on www.viamichelin.com, the + sign for multiple stops. Beautiful area surrounding Montepulciano:
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23701 posts
I personally would drop in Florence and take the train. The car is absolutely worthless in Venice. The only advantage to keeping the car till Venice is to hit a number of small town along the way. But after 7 days around Montepulciano you might enjoy a restful train ride.
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
To avoid Florence ZTL You'll have to drop the car at Peretola airport, take the tram headed to SM Novella station etc. etc.
I'd just go direct From Montepulciano to Venice and drop the car at Piazzale Roma square.
The train is more comfortable, but the high speed railway line doesn't reach Venice: you wouldn't save much time.
Be aware of the 3 speed traps on the causeway between Mestre and historical Venice, a speed limit of 50 km/h means that if you drive at 56 you'll be fined. Same thing along the mountains section of the A1 motorway: in tunnels The posted limit is 110 km/h, You can drive at 116, not at 120. Locals know where the speed traps are, ignore them.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16321 posts
It is really up to you. In any case I wouldn’t return the car at the Florence airport. It’s really inconvenient and farther coming from Montepulciano.
These are the options to consider:
1. Return the car at Chiusi, near Montepulciano. Take the train from Chiusi to Venice (one train change required at Firenze Santa Maria Novella). This option has the advantage of minimizing driving.
2. Drive the 4.5 hours to Venice. This minimizes train transfers and travel. It is particularly convenient for the passenger, but horribly boring and tiring for the driver. The freeway ride is long and boring.
3. Return the car at Florence Borgo Ognissanti rental car garage, walk to the station, take the high speed train. I would choose no. 1 above rather than this option. Taking the train from the start in Chiusi is faster and you don’t have to lug the suitcases for the 1/4 mile separating Borgo Ognissanti to the station. Hertz also has a rental facility on Via Ambrosoli, which is near the A1 Firenze Sud exit. From there you would take a taxi to the station (15 min taxi ride), which adds at least 20€ to the cost.
I would choose between 1 and 2, depending on how much you yearn for driving 4 hours on a freeway.
Posted by
2920 posts
Question for posters:
I was thinking of doing something similar on the train and was confused by the high speed train references.
Can you not take a high speed train from Florence to Venice if you start in Chiusi? I understand that segment from Chiusi to Florence would not be.
And where is the end point for the high speed train in relation to the historic city? It sounds like it would not be at that train station. Am I interpreting this correctly?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
@Beth,
Q1) Can you not take a high speed train from Florence to Venice if you start in Chiusi? I understand that segment from Chiusi to Florence would not be.
Yes, High Speed trains do not serve Chiusi, they only run on main routes. You take a Regionale (local train) From Chiusi to Florence, and a Frecciarossa (High Speed train from there to Venice. For example:
Chiusi-Chianciano Terme depart 09:09, Firenze S. M. Novella arrive 11:00 1h 51' Regionale Veloce 2306
Firenze S. M. Novella depart 11:30, Venezia S. Lucia arrive 13:35 2h 05' Frecciarossa 9414Q2) And where is the end point for the high speed train in relation to the historic city? It sounds like it would not be at that train station. Am I interpreting this correctly?
No, you are not interpreting it correctly, High Speed trains stop at the same station as all trains. They run on the same tracks for the last few Km into the station, it is only between cities that they run on high speed tracks.
Are you talking about Florence or Venice?
At Florence (Firenze S. M. Novella) you only have a few steps between trains. In Venice (Venezia S. Lucia) the station is directly on the Grand Canal. Click here for a photo. The flat roofed building is Venezia S. Lucia station, rotate 180° to see the Grand Canal. The floating pontoon with the yellow stripe is a Vaporetto (water bus) stop, with one just stopping. You cannot get that far into Venice by road, only by train.
Posted by
2920 posts
Thanks for the clarification. It is amazing how fast the train from Florence to Venice is!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16321 posts
Beth
Chris F above gave you the answer.
Just wanted to add that starting this month high speed trains started to serve Chiusi as well.
Unfortunately for now it’s only one a day in each direction (Naples to Milan, and back). As such, even if you took that one, you’d still have to change trains in Florence (or Bologna) to go to Venice.