One-Way Car Rental from Orvieto to Florence?

I use AutoEurope for my car rentals. They are car rental brokers that arrange for a car with Hertz, Avis or Europcar. You can check their prices online. They do not rent cars for less than three days. I just checked for prices, and found an economy class car for three days with insurance to rent for $118.19. I would rent a car at the Orvieto train station and return it to the Florence airport. You do not want to return the car to a location in downtown Florence and you do not want to drive into downtown Florence. There is a ZTL zone around the city. If you enter this zone, you will get a ticket in the mail back in the States. You will need to obtain an International Driving License at your local AAA office. There is no test and costs $15. In Italy, it is the law to have this license. There are so many places to stop on the way to Florence and spend the night. Do you have any idea of what you want to see and do?

I would enjoy the time in Orvieto which is a favorite of ours and then take the easy train to Florence. The hassle of renting, driving, parking and returning a car is not worth it for such a short time when great train service is available.

Ron, several years ago, we drove the opposite direction; picked up a car in Florence and drove to Sienna and then around Tuscany. Orvieto is quite a way south of Sienna so if you were driving from there to Florence, I don't know that you would have much time to wander anyway. We picked up the car in town and after a couple of wrong turns, got out fairly easily. However, it is always easier to find an airport than a downtown address. While I have never been to the Florence airport (arrived via train from Rome) most European airports have easy transfers by train, tram, or bus to downtown. From your post, I am unclear whether you are staying with the friend; however as you ask about overnight suggestions, I guess not. I would suggest morning train to either Orvieto or Sienna, rent a car and drive around Saturday and Sunday morning, then drive to Florence and return car to the airport late afternoon.

I think you need to ask yourself what do you want to see? Countryside? The only way to see those rural vistas that you see in photos is with a rental car, but it is definitely a hastle. Is it worth it? Only you know that. Is it something you will get home and in a couple of years, think...I should have done it. We rented a car and I was the exclusive driver, my husband was not comfortable with driving a manual, I felt stressed enough by the last day that I didn't do the drive through the Crete Senese. Do I regret it? YES! I should have just done it because 1 1/2 years later I am still thinking about what I didn't do and thinking that I should have. I wanted to see those rolling hills, the lanes lined with cypress trees, the fields of poppies and I didn't. BIG regret! Yep! There may be a difference in price between train vs rental but not so much that if it leaves you with regrets, that it is worth worrying about. I mean in the scope of the total cost of the entire trip, I wouldn't think that cost difference would be much of a consideration because I would think it would be a few hundred dollars at most and you could look at that as the cost of admission to day of rural sightseeing for 2. Good luck with your decision.