We are in Rome for 3 nights then San Gimignano for 5 nights. We want to take day trips around Tuscany. We considered taking a train to Tuscany instead of driving from Rome. Where is a good place to pick up a rental. Florence? Siena? Other?
If we do train, is it a good idea to get our tickets ahead? Website suggestion?
Where are the 4 best day trips from San Gimignano?
Renting in Rome and driving from there is much more convenient.
It's not hard to get on the freeway from Tiburtina or Termini station.
Or even farther north at the IKEA Porta di Roma (Hertz) or via Salaria (Europcar).
I wouldn't rent a car in Florence, it's more trouble than it's worth it, since the locations aren't at the train station.
San Gimignano, Chianti Hills, Certaldo, Colle Val D'Elsa, Volterra, Monteriggioni, Siena.
Then a bit south of Siena: Buonconvento, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, San Galgano Abbey, Monte Oliveto Maggiore (monastery).
I bolded the most visited
Or explore more here:
www.borghiditoscana.net
It is very easy to pick up a car in Rome at the airport and drive to San Gimignano. I usually use EuRopcar. There is a road to take you from the airport to the ring road around Rome and then just look for The E-01 north to Firenze/Florence. You will exit at Siena and then follow map quest or If you have an iPhone then add the Waze App......works anywhere in the world. It is about a 3 - 3 ½ hour drive .
Train tickets are cheaper the earlier you purchase them but they do not go on sale until approx. 3 months ahead of time! www.trenitalia.com
Day trips - Volterra, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Greve ( take a tour and have lunch at Verazzano Winery), Panzano, Radda and Castellini in Chianti, Siena ( 30-40 min), Monteriggioni, or just drive, get lost and have fun!
P.S. If you decide to drive into Florence for the day you can park all day for free at Piazza Michelangelo and then get on the tour bus (Hop on Hop off).Take the tour to orient yourself and then at the end of the day take the bus back.
Get on the train at Rome Termini and get off at Orvieto--a great hill town. The Hertz office is a 100 yard walk across the parking lot. From there, you can be in Siena in about 90 minutes--all controlled access 4 lane highway.
Orvieto is a very popular stop going and coming to/from Rome. It's a local train so buying ahead of time is not needed.
From San Gimignano, we liked to visit Certaldo and Volterra (favorite). There are many, many towns within 1/2 hour of there. Florence is also in close proximity.
Does anyone have any info on the on/off sightseeing bus in Rome? Since we only have 2 -1/2 days, I am wondering if it is worth it. Thanks.
I don't think the hoho bus is worth it, you have to wait for it, it doesn't get close to the major sights, and for me it's expensive for what it delivers.
The Centro Storico can be divided easily into morning and afternoon walks - see the RS books for routes.
Piazzale Michelangelo is no longer free parking in Florence and the number of open pay spaces is limited compared to the past. There is parking (not free) at Porta Romana and if there is space, you can park there and take the bus into the center or walk up Via Romana.
I would pick up the car at FCO which has the advantage of lots of cars usually and also not requiring you to drive in the center. Note that Italy is not the US and quick pick up of rental cars is not the norm. Expect it to take 2 hours and be pleasantly surprised if it is faster. I would go in about an hour before your reservation and hope they have a car and can get it all processed in that hour. It often takes much longer.
I might not do Florence -- it really takes several days to explore even the highlights of its Renaissance artistic heritage; it does not repay a day trip. Save it for next time and focus on Tuscany outside of its capitol. I would definitely give a day to Siena (lots of parking garages just outside walls of historic center) and visit the gardens of la Foce
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/tuscany/
Montepulciano, Monte Oliveto Maggiore or Sant Antimo, Lucca and of course Volterra which is near SG. Volterra has a wonderful Etruscan museum. We were once trapped inside for 4 hours by an incredible thunder/rain storm that took out the lights. So we actually looked at the hundreds of Etruscan burial boxes which are truly fascinating. Everything we know about the Etruscan way of life comes from the carvings on those boxes. Great museum.
South towards Rome there are some wonderful sites. We enjoyed Sovana and the Etruscan tombs in the hillsides nearby. We picked up a map in town and drove there. Another thing I think is a don't miss is the hot spring waterfalls of Saturnia
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/may/01/italy-tuscany-natural-hot-springs
A couple we ran into at an Etruscan archeological site told us about them and we drove down and enjoyed soaking; no changing rooms -- we just changed by the car. Take turns so someone is watching the valuables. You will smell like sulphur for days, but it is worth it -- one of life's great moments lolling in the hot water gazing out over the countryside
Think getting the car in rome or 2nd choice of orvieto are your best options.
Don't think there are any major rental car offices in San Gimignano itself and getting from train station to rental car place elsewhere is not going to be an easy task with luggage so best avoided.
Personally I would drive from Rome, just would not get the car until my nights in Rome were done and I was headed out.
From San Gim you can easily visit:
Siena/Monteriggioni one day
Montepulciano/Pienza/Montalcino one day
Volterra/Certaldo one day
The Chianti area is another close option (Greve is probably best known town there)
Also possible to visit the coast, or Pisa, etc... you are not that far.
Florence as well but would probably check on bus options for that.
All of these are reasonable driving distance away.
Lucca may be a little too far same with Cortona but doable as a day trip if you really wanted to see them over closer options.
lynna,
Note that for driving in Italy, each driver listed on the rental form will require the compulsory International Driver's License, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are easily obtained at any CAA/AAA office for a small fee, and are valid for one year.
You'll also need to be extremely vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) zones which exist in many (most?) Italian towns and cities. EACH pass through one will result in hefty fines, which you may not know about until several months after you return home. Do NOT drive in Florence, as the city is just about saturated with automated ZTL cameras. You'll also need to be aware the automated speed cameras.
Ken - Can you find out where these zones are in particular cities and towns?
lynna,
The ZTL areas are clearly marked by signs. In some cases they're only effective during specific hours, on work days, etc. Some are enforced by automated cameras and some by police. Note that you can also get nicked with fines for driving in Bus lanes.
Here are a few websites you can have a look at....
Roberto or one of the forum members from Italy can provide much more detailed information.
You'll also have to deal with tolls on the motorways and the devious Traffic Tutor system which measures not only instantaneous speed but also average between two points. Violate either or both, and expensive tickets will follow. Also note that some automated fuel pumps will only accept Chip & PIN credit cards.
Parking can be challenging in some locations (Siena is one example). You'll have to buy a portion of the insurance from the rental firm, as that's compulsory in Italy (credit card coverage won't be valid).
Point of clarification, the document you need to obtain if you want to rent a car in Italy is called an International Driving permit, IDP. It is a document with your photo, signature, and a stamp from the AAA office. It is translated into several languages., costs $15 and is valid for one year. You also need to bring your regular drivers license.
When I rented a car in Bari, the nice lady at the Hertz office just needed my regular DL and said the IDP is for the police. We had pre-booked our car through our AAA office.
have a great trip!
