Venice by train and then car rental??

Posted by sharyndmj on 07/29/18 10:45 PM

We are planning to travel from Venice to our final destination to a villa just outside San Gimignamo. My initial thought was train to Florence and rent a car there downtown and drive to the countryside. However, reading about the ZTL zones is making me rethink this. We could rent at the airport but this would involve getting from the train to the airport and rentals are more expensive at the airport but we avoid the Florence traffic and permit zones. OR is there another town (Siena?) that we should disembark at that has car rentals and avoid Florence altogether to get to San Gimignamo? We do plan on visisitng Florence at some point during the trip.

Thanks!

Posted by Dario

Italy

07/29/18 11:10 PM

3812 posts

It seems you think that only Florence has a ZTL, whereas there is one in every italian city, town and village.

Driving out of Florence without entering the ZTL is quite easy if you pick the car up in Borgo Ognissanti road. I might add that one must be blind not to see the bilingual warnings they put in Florence under the ZTL sign.

Even easier is renting in Siena: don't drive up to the hill and you won't be fined.

Posted by Kevin

Spokane, WA

07/30/18 01:16 AM

86 posts

My question is where are you heading after your stay near San Gimignamo?

Posted by Suki

07/30/18 02:15 AM

11673 posts

Why aren’t you renting the car in the Venice at Piazzale Roma as you leave instead of adding a second layer, the train? You drive right onto the causeway out of Venice. No extra tickets to buy or wrestling luggage on to trains. You have made this far too complicated.

Posted by sharyndmj OP

07/30/18 03:55 AM

3 posts

Thanks everyone! We would prefer to relax on the train instead of the 3 hr or so drive. Reading the warnings about picking up the car in the city center made me rethink the plan but it doesn't make sense to me to get off the train to go to the airport when the car rental is right there.

Heading to Rome after Tuscany.

Thanks for letting me think out loud 😊

Posted by Kevin

Spokane, WA

07/30/18 04:47 AM

86 posts

If you are heading to Rome, I see no reason not to rent a car for Tuscany. I would rent it from the Borgo Ognissanti location in Florence and then return it anywhere between your villa and Rome such as Chiusi or Orvieto and take the train into Rome.

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

07/30/18 05:24 AM

16200 posts

The options are:
OPZIONE NUMERO UNO
Train to Florence (2hrs at 45€ per person on second/standard class at full base price)
Walk to Borgo Ognissanti with whatever luggage you have (10 min walk)
Rent a car and drive to SG (approx one hour at about 5€ in fuel cost)

OPZIONE NUMERO DUE
Pick up car at Piazzale Roma in Venice (near station).
Drive 3.5+ hours to San Gimignano for under 30€ in fuel and about 20€ in tolls. The drive is a boring one, I’ll be honest. Almost entirely on 4 to 6 lane freeways, 3/4 of which on a boring flat plain and the other 1/4 largely underground through the Appennine mountain range under nearly 50 freeway tunnels, each so long that you have never seen before, certainly not in the US.

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

07/30/18 05:51 AM

32396 posts

sharyn,

One other minor point to mention is that each driver listed on the rental form will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit. These are used in conjunction with your home D.L. and are valid for one year. IDP's can easily be obtained at any AAA / CAA office for a small fee.