We are thinking of visiting Tuscany in April. Would we be better off taking public transportation from the airport to Siena...Florence ..Cinque Terra..or should we rent a car? Thanks!
Posted by
Omaha, NE, USA
16 posts
I have the RS guidebook and still have the same question. We will start and end in Venice/Rome, but want to know if we should rail it or drive it with the approximately 4 days in between.
Posted by
Land of La
9323 posts
Best option is to buy a RS Italy guidebook and review. Will assist you in deciding what provides a better POV of the area. Train travel is wonderful but being in a car does offer more spontaneity. If you are heading to Tuscany from Rome take the train to Chiusi and get the car there.
Posted by
Denver
807 posts
Personally, I'm inclined to rent a car any time I don't intend being in big cities. I'm comfortable driving in Europe, with a manual transmission (and hubby is a great navigator). Not everyone feels the same way. I'm even ok with driving to and from the Cinque Terre, as IMHO it's more efficient than taking the train, as I believe you have to transfer several times to get to the Cinque Terre towns. So it depends on what you want to do, whether you want to stop and visit any small towns, or are only interested in Siena, Florence and the Cinque Terre. And I wouldn't drive in Florence. If you want to visit small towns, then I think driving a car is a much easier way to do that.
Posted by
OP
Paramus, NJ, USA
48 posts
Thank you!! One of my concerns is I have a bit of a fear of driving on mountains and did not want to do that but might have to in Tuscany. Guess I have to figure out a way to get over it!
Posted by
Victoria, B.C., Canada
36 posts
I visited Tuscany in May 2012, staying at an agritourismo just outside Pienza. As a solo traveller, I was initially apprehensive about driving, but my desire for independence and freedom to explore off the beaten path outweighed by fears. I rented from Hertz in Chiusi, located just a few metres from the train station. Thanks to good directions and a GPS, I had no trouble whatsoever finding my way. The road was great, the views magnificent, and there were plenty of places to pull over and let speedy Italians pass me. Turns out, renting a car to see the Tuscan countryside, and particularly the beautiful Val d'Orica, was a great choice for me, and I would absolutely do it again.