Car rentals in Italy

You are right in seeing Tuscany and Chianti by rental car. Roads are a little crooked and hilly, but they're easily traveled from town to town. The easiest way is to pickup a Hertz car upon your leaving Florence at one of the city locations. Any airport rentals come with extra taxes and/or charges. Check Hertz.com for rates. Join their frequent renter club, and you'll receive a discount. Many people go through AutoEurope.com, and often get the same Hertz car at a discounted rate. Many rentals in Italy are made dropping the cars off in different cities.
We picked our car up in Florence a year ago and left it across the street from the Orvieto train station.

maureen, For booking a rental car in Italy, you could either: > Contact a Travel Agent to make the reservations. > Contact Gemut.com as they should be able to arrange the rental for you. > Book it yourself directly on the rental agency website. A few "caveats" to be aware of..... For driving in Italy, EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. Failure to produce an I.D.P. if requested can result in fines on the spot! You can easily obtain an I.D.P. at any CAA/AAA office for a small fee (Passport photos required). You'll also need to be aware of the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Italy ( especially in Florence). Passing through these zones can result in expensive fines! Recent posts here would seem to indicate that authorities in Italy are becoming more aggressive in collecting the fines from foreign drivers using Collection Agencies based here. There may also be charges from the rental car firm for providing renter information to law enforcement. Happy travels!

Maureen - I usually book Italy and other European car rentals on my own. It's very easy. I start with carrentals.com and usually find the best deals there.