Tuscany by Car/Bus Question

Robert- I am by no means an expert- just in the process of planning our first trip to Italy.

In my research I have found that your best bet/prices/availability for automatics are in the larger cities. I was never able to find an automatic in Siena or Orvieto.
Our original plan was to get car in Siena- drop in Orvieto.
Neither my husband nor I have driven a stick in over 25 years, so we need an automatic- don't need the stress!
We will be getting our car in Florence then heading out of town immediately.

There are 2 Hertz locations in Florence I can choose from-1 is near the bus station in Florence (via Borgognissanti).
I wonder if taking the bus from Siena to Florence to get your car then heading back out to tour Tuscany would work for you?

Here is the thread with info:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/hertz-rental-locations-in-florence

Which hill towns were you thinking about staying in? Some are easier to access by bus/train than others. For example, I took the bus from Chiusi to Montepulciano for a day trip when I was living in Arezzo - and it is doable but you do have to plan ahead. I was just more limited on options of when to leave and come back, but it was a beautiful bus ride that I won't forget.

Car rentals in Italy are much more expensive than in many nearby countries. $1200 for 14 days for an automatic doesn't sound out of line. Autoeurope is a broker; they don't have any cars of their own, they have probably surveyed the field. Also, if you find a better price for the same car after reserving with them, they'll match it. You might try gemut.com; but I suspect you'll get a quote in the same ballpark.

The problem is that automatics in Europe generally come with the larger size vehicles. I spent $1123 on a midsize last summer (a VW Passat Station Wagon) for 14 days and it was a manual transmission, therefore your $1200 is on the average.

Europeans are not fond of automatic cars and they are harder to re-sell in the used market, therefore rental companies keep very few in stock (basically just for the Americans who don't know how to use manuals) and they also take advantage of the limited choice of automatics.

If you want to save, learning to drive a manual and getting an economy car is the way to go. That way you will comfortably stay under $800 for the two weeks. Between now and the next Palio in July you have 6 months to learn. It's not that difficult and once you learn you'll be like me. We don't have automatics in our family by design. Manuals are so much more fun (and also more fuel efficient).

If you don't want to learn, then you either have to fork out the money or travel by bus.

I have been looking into renting a car for a few days in May, out of the airport in Palermo. I am not dealing with the question of an automatic, as I did drive a manual decades ago, and since then rarely in international travel, and am hoping that it is like riding a bike, once you know how to do it, it's programmed in, at least for that lifetime. I have been very surprised by the wide range of prices for similar rentals, although it was sometimes a little difficult to know if I was comparing apples to apples, in terms of the model of car, level of insurance, etc. What I've found so far, without yet having taken any of these to the point of actually reserving, is that for some reason Hertz and AutoEurope were much more costly, and Sixt and AutoEuropeUK were much less. There may be fewer or different choices in Palermo than other places.

We rented online through National out of Rome (called Maggiore in Italy) but is National. We rented automatic transmission. Having a car exploring Tuscany is the way to go, lots of freedom.

Tuscany is doable without a car if you base in Florence. Florence is a major transportation hub! You can take buses to many Tuscan towns, including Siena and SanGimigano (sp?). A wine tour can also be arranged which generally leave around 9AM return late in the day, and usually include lunch at the Vineyard and maybe even dinner at a farm. You will have to open a new thread for recommendations on tour companies to use, but I knowo there are many options available. Florence, by itself is wortoh at least four full days! You might want to add Venice to your trip, as two full weeks gives you enough time to add it on. Just my opinion. The train service in and out of Florence is excellent to all parts of Italy, and I've gone from Milan, Venice, Rome from there via train, and smaller towns via bus.

I was going to start in Siena and end in Montepulicano. I was looking at staying at least 2 nights in each place, some 3 nights and meet some locals, not really touring sites. and hit up some loca festivals. I see a medieval festival in San Gim during the time period. I was going to stay in San Gim, Volterra, Montalicano and I'm looking to add another city in Tuscany. I did all the other cities this past september with great help from everyone here.

Roberto - that is a good idea. I may have to try and learn between now and then. They are all on the bus route if i can't learn by then.

I'm so glad I stopped by this page. I will be in Milan with friends April 23 until April 29 or May 1. My husband will meet me in Italy by May 1 (my b'day) I just found out May 1 is a national holiday. We plan to visit Rome, Venice, Florence, and would love to take donna's suggestion of doing a vineyard tour and/or farmhouse dinner. I am a little concerned about driving in Italy though my husband knows how to drive standard, I used to many years ago. Is it a save recommendation in Florence to go out to Tuscan towns. Are buses safe for tourists? Should tours be reserved online before arrival or are they easily available in Florence? Thank you all for your help.

Also, my friends were hoping to visit Switzerland for a day maybe one night two days. Is it easy and (and how expensive) to get to from Milan? since we have so much time in Milan we would like to take day trips and see as much as we can. Again thank you.