My husband and I will be in Rome, Tuscany, and Venice for our first trip to Italy in April. We will be in Rome first and will be renting a car once we leave Rome. We haven't decided where we will rent the car or which towns we will visit along the way to Tuscany. We will be staying in Siena for 3 days. Our hotel has parking accommodations. Some of our thoughts are: Florence, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza, Assisi, San Gimignano, Orvieto. Of course, not all these towns as we only have 3 days in Tuscany.
My questions are:
Best town to rent the car or pick up at Rome airport?
Which towns to visit along the way to Siena and for our remaining 3 days?
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I don't know about car rental, but on the way to Siena you could visit Orvieto, Viterbo, Montalcino, Bolsena, Pienza, among others. You would have to make some choices. Monteriggioni is very near Siena.
North of Siena are San Gimignano and Volterra.
Posted by
Indianapolis
247 posts
How many days total is your trip?
I would take the train from Rome to Orvieto and rent your car there if you really have your heart set on driving. Driving in Rome, by all accounts (and particularly for first time visitors) is not advisable.
My personal opinion would be this: your sightseeing time would probably be most efficiently maximized if you take trains. Florence and Siena deserve at least 1 full day to see them properly, and with a minimum 1/2 day travel lost relocating between Rome and Siena you really won't have time to fully appreciate another town to be honest. You might consider a tour while in Siena with someone like http://www.toursbyroberto.com/ who can give you a wonderful day exploring Tuscany without the hassle of driving yourself.
Posted by
Portland
3592 posts
My inclination would be to go from Rome to Orvieto by train. Stay two nights (one full day). Get your car when you are ready to leave Orvieto. Of the other towns listed, Montepulciano, Montalcino, and Pienza are my favorites. Any two of them, or maybe all three if you are really energetic, can be combined in a day. I suggest you consider going to Florence by bus or train from Siena. The parking situation there is infamous; and you risk intruding into a ztl. If you are determined to drive, put up a question about parking; and hope that Roberto will answer. Last year, he gave us perfect detailed directions for getting to inexpensive parking very near to where we were staying.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15144 posts
If you go to Orvieto with the intention to stay a night (or more) to visit the town, you could go there by train and pick up a rental in Orvieto the morning you decide to leave.
If you decide to visit Orvieto just for a few hours, then you might consider renting the car in Rome. That's what I would do anyhow, that way you save yourself the hassle of lugging your suitcases to the station and on the train to Orvieto.
If you decide to pick up in Rome, then I suggest you choose a pick up location at or near the Tiburtina station, which is area that is easiest to get on the freeway and head out of town (the freeway entrance is right there).
Only Avis and Hertz are in Orvieto. Europcar (often the cheapest) is not.
To rent a car use a consolidator:
www.kemwel.com or www.autoeurope.com
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8125 posts
Orvieto is a very popular place to pickup and return rental cars as travelers come and go from Rome. It's about a 70 minute train trip from Rome Termini station, and the Hertz rental location is just across the parking lot from the Orvieto train station--100 yards. Check with Hertz.com and AutoEurope.com to see which has the lowest prices.
Orvieto is also a very popular hilltown to visit and spend the night.
It's about 90 minutes to Siena by controlled access toll road and 4 lane highway--easy driving.
Most of the cities you want to visit are south of Florence. Have you considered finding an agriturismo outside of San Gimignano or Siena for your time in Tuscany?
You can turn the car in at any major airport as you fly out of Italy.