Car rental pickup from train station in Florence.

Melinda, you have listed no reason to need a car.Florence has little tolerance for any private vehicles. The train will take you to the center of Florence. Hate to lug? Pack very light. Have a great trip!

Melinda...see the discussion of ZTLs for one reason why you shouldn't be driving a car in Florence.

Right, I should have added the detail that we aren't planning on staying in Florence when we get there but driving south about an hour to Cortiano to see a friend. Apparently the train does not go there.

Melinda: Picking up rental cars in Florence has been the subject of a couple hundred posts here in the last couple of years. Here's a link that will get you started on what you need to know: 125 reasons not to drive your rental car in Florence

We picked up a rental car after arriving at the Florence train station and it was very easy to find our way to the rental car agency which was only a few blocks away. Two of us went ahead, found the agency, did all the paperwork and then walked back to the station to pick up the others. We piled ourselves and lugggage into a taxi and for only a couple euros were taken back to pick up the car which in the meantime had been made ready for us. The rental agency gave us a map and outlined the way out of town so as to avoid the restricted zones. Really, it doesn't have to be alot of trouble.

Maybe I am misunderstanding, But a quick google search did not turn up a Cortiano, Italy. Although, if it is an hour south of Florence, rather than going that far North then back South from Rome, maybe stop at Chuisi and get a car there? Less train, less traffic, and probably a shorter drive to where ever your destination is. (Isn't Sienna an hour south of Florence?)

Sorry, a mis-type. It's Corciano with a "C".

Here's a link to another Florence ZTL discussion occurring now in the Italian forum http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/32387/ztls.html