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what would you do?

rent a car out of bolzano and drive to sienna in tuscany? Or-------- take the train to sienna from bolzano and rent a car in sienna?
I admit I am leary of driving in tuscany. I just dont' want the hassel/responsibilities / stress of driving a car (esp. if we are out wine tatsting.)

Our plan is to spend 5 nights in Tuscany/Umbria and we know we want a car. We plan to stay in an Agrutourisimo for 3 nights out of Sienna and perhaps 2 nights out of Cortona (or??? any recommendation?) (orveitio) Chianti?)
The question is: since we will already have a car in bolzano (dolomites) should I just suck it up and drive to sienna in tuscany regardless of my desire for stress free transportation? Is driving really so stressful/crowded/joy robbing from bolzano to sienna? Taking the train sounds relaxing where as if I had to fight the traffic around Verona on my way to sienna ....what a joy robber.

If i am to pick up a car in Sienna should I instead get it out of Florence since the main train line ends here and I would have to take a regional train. Is the drive form Florence difficult to sienna?? Or should I take a bus from Florence to Sienna and then rent a car from there.???? Or should I just rent a car out from the florence train station and drive to our agritourisimo??

Posted by
5955 posts

I can only speak to our recent experience- first trip to Italy. We rented in Florence at the Hertz Sansovino location- were given super easy directions to get from there to Chianti Road which we followed to our hotel in Siena (they had also provided excellent directions to their dedicated parking, so no fear of the dreaded ZTL). The scenic drive was very easy.

We took a GPS loaded with Italy maps- it worked perfectly, even on some very tiny roads!

We drove all around Tuscany for next 6 days and then to Assisi, then to Spoleto to drop the car.
We found driving in Italy to be no different than anywhere here in the US. I actually found the road signage to be very very good and we had no issues with speeding drivers, traffic snarls, parking problems, etc.

I would plan to do whatever makes the most sense for you- economically, time wise or whatever.

Posted by
3586 posts

Viamichelin shows the distance from Bolzano to Siena as 437 km, all but 10 km on superhighways, so the driving should be pretty straight forward. However, they put the time at 4 hours 40 minutes. Since the common wisdom is to add 25% to vm's estimates, you're looking at, perhaps, five and a half hours of driving. They also estimate the cost at 79 euros. I would certainly check into the cost and convenience of training it, but don't forget to take into account the fact that car rental rates get cheaper per day as the rental period gets longer; i.e., a 7 day plus a 5 day rental will cost more than a 12 day rental. As to driving around Tuscany for wine tasting, maybe you should look into a wine tasting tour. That way you can indulge without worrying about getting nabbed for DUI. Siena, Chianti, Cortona, and Orvieto are all sufficiently close to each other that it wouldn't make sense to waste time changing lodgings. Just spend the whole time at one base. The drive from Florence to Siena is very easy.

Posted by
8094 posts

Why don't you just take the train down to Florence and pickup a car at Hertz Sansovino--2 miles from the train station? Sometimes AutoEurope.com will beat Hertz' rate for the same car. Driving long distances in Italy can get expensive with motorway tolls and $9+ gasoline (per U.S. gallon.) Trains are relatively inexpensive, easy to catch and they're fast from city to city.

We stayed between San Gimignano and Certaldo at an agriturismo for 4 days, and then drove down to Orvieto for 1 night. Tuscan roads were a little crooked, but well paved and marked well. We had no problems navigating the roads to Siena and down to Volterra just following road signs.

The Hertz rental car was returned across the street from the Orvieto train station before we took the 70 minute local train into Rome Termini.

Posted by
15043 posts

If you already have a car for the Dolomites and intend to have one in the Siena area, then suck it up and drive. It's all freeway driving from Bolzano all the way to Siena. In five hours plus pit stops you will be there. The only portion on regular roads will be the last few miles from the freeway exit to your Agriturismo, wherever it might be.

If you are leery about driving in Tuscany you have no business trying to drive in the Dolomites. That's way worse. Curves are sharper, roads are narrower and the ravines way way higher.

Cost-wise it makes no sense to return a car and pick another one later in Florence or Siena 5 hours later. Motorway Tolls from Bolzano to Firenze Impruneta (the exit to Siena freeway) is about €25. Gasoline will be no more than 70€ at most (less if diesel). The train fare for two people will be more than that.
Beside the hassle of having to carry luggage on the train and take a taxi to the rental place in Florence, there is the issue of driving in Florence too, which you can easily avoid because you will be on the freeway from Bolzano to Siena. Don't make life harder for yourself. Keep the same car and drive.

Posted by
32523 posts

Roberto and I have the same thoughts about this, he just beat me to posting.

If you are from San Diego, would you drive to Oxnard (I don't know why, maybe the air show) or take the train? Same idea, 2 trains, one connection (LA) or freeway.

If you already have a car in the Dolomites and feel that you can drive there, then Tuscany is easier.

Yes, you are right, don't drink and drive. The consequences are too horrific to contemplate.

Driving, you will miss the centre of Verona, the A22 and A4 around there are no real problems to somebody used to San Diego freeways. Nor are the other freeways east to Padova or south to Manova and down to Bologna and through the mountains to Firenze.

You will also miss all the difficulties of Florence, and the road to Siena is very well marked.

Tolls are just part of life. The toll areas are large, well signed and and brightly lit, and the fake electronic woman's voice even talks to you.

I don't see any advantage to having a car, turning it in, getting a train, getting off the train and getting another car.

Be sure to get down to the SCAA and get your IDP, and read up on Italian road signs and understand about TUTOR. Don't speed. Even when all those around you are losing their heads in speed, hold to that 130 or 110 or even 90 and you will be fine.

Enjoy. It sounds like a trip I would like to do. Carry your bags, mister?

Posted by
211 posts

A whole lot less stressful than driving in your home town or mine ( Atlanta).

Posted by
15043 posts

One more recommendation. See if they give you a diesel car. Diesels have much more torque than gasoline cars and the extra power will be useful going up the steep roads on the Dolomites. Having a diesel is like having a tiger in your engine.

Also diesel fuel is taxed less so it's only about €1.70/Lt. Since Diesel engines are also more fuel efficient (even a large car will get at least 15km/Lt, i.e. ~40 mpg) it means that from Bolzano to Siena your fuel bill will be less than €50 total.