Tuscan Road Trip

A car is the best way to see the small towns and the countryside. A car is not necessary and actually a hassle in the big cities like Florence and Siena, which have traffic restrictions in the historical center. Therefore visit Florence first and maybe take a day trip to Siena from Florence by bus. Then, when you are done visiting those biggies, pick up the car and visit the small places.

It is a good suggestion to not rent a car until you leave Florence as there is no reason to pay for your car while not using it. Tuscany is not the only area that has interesting towns. Umbria's towns are equally as interesting and beautiful and not filled with the crowds that are drawn to Tuscany. It is just below Tuscany, so if you have time you should give it a try. Have a very nice trip.

Brian,

A few points to mention.....

For driving in Italy, each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. An I.D.P. is easily obtained at any AAA office, and is valid for one year.

The traffic restrictions that Roberto mentioned are referred to as Zona Traffico Limitato, and I've found that most towns have them so be sure to do some research on that. You may find it helpful to have a look at THIS website. In some cases they're enforced by automated cameras (Florence has extensive coverage with cameras), while other towns rely on the "cop on the beat" to issue tickets. The restrictions often apply during specific hours.

When visiting Cortona, there's a large car park (On Viale Battisti, free as I recall) just below Piazza Garibaldi. From there you can take two Escalators up to the town. Assisi (Umbria) also has ZTL areas, and was told by a local Guide that cameras will be installed there in the near future.

Unless your hotel in Siena offers free parking, you'll have to pay to use the public lots. If you just want a quick look at Siena, taking a day trip by Bus from Florence as Roberto suggested is a good option (DON'T forget to validate tickets!). I usually prefer to spend at least a couple of days in Siena as it's a beautiful city with lots of history. You'll be there before the Palio, so hopefully it won't be too crowded.

In late May/early June, I would highly recommend pre-booking all accommodations. That's in the spring shoulder season, and I've found it can be VERY busy then. While you may be able to find accommodations on short notice, it will take time to find them and you may have to settle for something that's either in a less-than-desirable area or at a price point that's above your budget. Pre-booking is the best way to get exactly what you want.

Happy travels!

Hi Ken, Chloe, Roberto,

Thank you so much for your insights and great suggestions. You've been very helpful. Thanks again!

Brian

Brian:

You should consider flying open jaw into Florence or Pisa and out of Rome FCO. It's a 1 hr. short train ride from Pisa to Florence.

Flying out of smaller European airports to the U.S. are often at 6:00 a.m., and you'll spend the rest of the morning sitting in a big city gateway airport--after a night of little sleep.

You would do best to tour Florence for a few days, and take a day trip by bus to Siena from there.

Rent a car at a city center car rental location as you're leaving Florence and they will give you directions out of town avoiding ZTL's. Airport rentals come with hefty taxes and charges that city locations don't have.

Then move to an agriturismo in Chianti for a few days. Virtually every farm in Tuscany has rooms and apartments as a source of secondary income. Use the car to do day trips to to to San Gimignano, Volterra and any other hill towns of interest to you. Tuscan roads are crooked but easy to navigate.

Many travelers turn their rental cars in at Orvieto, another great and popular hill town. Hertz' office is across the street from the train station. It's a 70 minute ride into Rome Termini from Orvieto.

And if you're wanting to research where to stay and what to do in Rome, see RonInRome.com.

We also really enjoyed visiting Montepulciano and Montalcino. The former has been used in quite a few movies and had a nice market on Sunday. The town has quite a bit to do (even some wine tasting). We saw Montalcino on a rainy Monday so it was a lot quieter, but still with seeing. We wound up making appointments for wine tasting a three different vineyards in the area and loved it (a much more personalized experience than the US). Also, if you're going to hit Orvieto to return your car, also recommend seeing Civita de Bagnoreggio. You can only get to it by a ped bridge and looks untouched by modern day.

Brian,
This may help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

Hi All,

Wow, what great tips and information! Really helpful. I think the agrituismo sounds like an awesome way to go, and leaving from Rome also sounds like great advice. Thank you so much!! Really getting excited for our trip.

Brian

When we travel in Italy, we only pre-book first and last day accommodations. This gives us flexibility as we travel. We have found that we have been able to find accommodations as we go as long as we do it by, say, 3p.m., or 4p.m. at the latest. We found this especially true on Fridays. This way you have your room out of the way and can relax and spend the rest of the day exploring. San Gimignano can get very crowded, so early morning or late after is best there. Voltera and Lucca are very nice too. Actually, all their towns are worth a visit, and you can't go wrong whatever you choose. Read up before you go and choose the ones that really interst you.

Devra