Tuscany without car - Worth it?

The buses are that inefficient. They provide primarily commuter service, not tourist transportation. You'll need to plan carefully. If you're going to have seven days, is there a reason you don't want to rent a car?

I'd say get a car. you will have so much more flexibility and be able to A) stay in an agriturismo, and B) be able to be impulsive and not tied to a schedule. Can you do it by bus? Probably, but with limitations. Montalcino is about 60 minutes from Siena by car.( Use Google Maps to check your routes.) I have no idea about bus trip times. We did meet people who relied strictly on busses and private tours, so it can be done. Regarding driving in Italy: It wasn't bad. I drove, my husband navigated. I think it takes two heads when you aren't sure of the terrain and routes. We had a little trouble with Google maps, so use them only for planning and rely on a good Michelin road map and/or a GPS. In Italy, there are few road signs, it's more directional. You need to know the town beyond your town. For example, Siena to Montalcino you look for the signs to Arezzo first, then later see a turnoff to Montalcino.

A few years ago we successfully took public busses(very clean) from Siena to San Gimignano, Montepulciano,Pienza & Florence. Just know the schedules ahead as in April they may be infrequent. For other Tuscan/Umbrian highlights as Orvieto, Assisi, Cortona we drove. Driving is a cinch in Tuscany and Umbria. We got an Avis car in Siena reserved from USA to use for the drives. Just get a small size car it will be fine. You could also ck with your hotel for assistance. It really is easy to drive in the country!
Buon Viaggio

I would rent a car, but make sure it has a GPS. A car will give you flexiblity and the ability to book hotels in the country which gives you a different experience. The dowside of a car is parking can be challenging in some cities, but overall it will be a benefit.

Alea, I think most people would take 45 minutes to an hour to drive from Siena to Montalcino. To do it in 30 minutes you will have to exceed the speed limit for most of that time. Check the bus schedules yourself: http://www.sena.it/index_e.htm
http://www.trainspa.it/train04/extraurbano.pdf

We used the bus to get from Siena to Montalcino and back to Siena. I thought it was very efficient and we really enjoyed using the public transport - it was part of the adventure. The journey took about 60 minutes. We spent 3 nights in Siena and 4 nights in Montalcino, using one day to walk to Sant Antimo Abbey which was one of the highlights of the trip. You can also catch a bus there. Perhaps it would be better to pick one hill town and spend some time there rather than trying to visit too many.
Lesley

I cannot think of one significant tourist site/city/town in all of Tuscany which cannot be reached by public transportation. A car is much more efficient to visit the more rural parts of southern and central Tuscany, but it can indeed be done by train or bus as well, with some careful planning.

Lesley mentioned one of our favorite trip activities: Hiking from Montalcino to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. Took about 2 1/2 hours one way, and another 15 or so to walk from the Abbey to Castelnuovo del' Abate, where we had lunch while waiting for one of the infrequent busses back to Montalcino. It is not, as our local source told us, a "groomed" trail like we have in the US, but doable in dry weather and so lovely! Be sure to ask in Montalcino about the route. We had a hiking guidebook that had a questionnable start, so our B&B's proprietor gave us a more practical route. For more than half of the hike, we encountered no other people. Quite a contrast to Siena.

Thank you for all the input! My husband drove on our last trip to Italy and it really stessed him out. Granted, we were driving between big cities. He might be willing to consider the possibility of picking up a car once we're in Siena. It's encouraging to hear from others who have been successful with the bus. I like the idea of focusing on Siena and a couple hill towns. We've found an agriturismo a few miles outside of Siena. Our goal is to slow down, soak it in, and relax.

If you'll be staying at an agriturismo outside of town you almost definitely will want a car. I think the previous responses saying that buses can work were based on the assumption that you would be staying in Siena, not outside. After all, how are you going to get back and forth from the agriturismo?

We took the bus to Montalicino and spent the night, then came back and spent some time in Siena. If that was the only trip, or in addition to another, I wouldn't be dismayed by the use of the bus. But since you want to stay somewhere off the beaten track, it makes more sense to me to just rent. Another caveat would be that many of the busses to wine towns (Montalcino, the Chiantis for sure) will leave from the train station (just outside of town). Others will leave from city center. We connected the two via city bus, but it's one more annoyance. That said, the extra 15-20 minutes lost while making stops is made up for while enjoying the view and not having to worry about being lost.

Hi Michael, The agriturismo is about 6 miles from Siena and according to Tripadvisor reviews, within walking distance of Monteroni d'Arbia. From what I understand, from there we can take a bus into Siena. The hosts are also offer a shuttle to Siena periodically. I really want to experience an agriturismo and this is the best "compromise".
We haven't ruled out a car. I'm researching the car option today. If we do, then the location will be all the more convenient!

Ken - Good point on the scenery! It seems the driver often misses much of the scenic landscape. If we stick with the bus, I think we'll do one or two trips to hill towns as you and Lesley described. Add a couple days in Siena, maybe a day in Florence, we may have a good pace. I suppose we could always set up a car reservation for our second day and see how felt once we got there. We could always cancel it.

We spent two months in Italy last year. The Tuscan area is a more challenging bus schedule, but it was part of the adventure. My husband doesn't want to drive in Italy either. Check the schedules as much as you can before you leave and you will be O.K.
We went all over Italy on Trains and Buses. From Sorrento to Orvietto to cinque terra to Ravena to Venice...Well you get the point. We hit a few snags but it was an adventure and we would do again. We live in Dallas also.

We drove from Siena to Montalcino in 2:40. However we made a few stops on the way.It is a very scenic,easy to drive route. I dont think you would have any problem driving this route.