Scooter?

[Nathaniel Coalson]

Buongiorno -

I will be in Tuscany March 5-12, staying in and near Siena.

I am considering renting a scooter to get around, instead of a car.

It is reasonable to expect to see Chianti (Greve), San Gimignano and Volterra, all by scooter? How about Montepulciano?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Lourdes]

Ciao Nathaniel and welcome to the DT forum!

I think moving around from Siena to Chianti, San Gimignano and Volterra by scooter is totally doable! Even to Montepulciano. You'll take the provincial roads which give you a lot of beautiful scenery to admire and is the best way to see the Tuscan countryside.

Some things to consider:

- the roads are all two lanes - even on roads with hills, and depending on the scooter you get - most cars will try to pass you if you are going "slow" for their standards. Keep this in mind and stay to the far right of the lane to let them pass you. You will be on vacation so you'll want to take it slow anyways, right? There are many cyclists on these roads too so you'll have company in being passed.

- the scooter's tank capacity for benzina or gasoline: when you rent the scooter, make sure you know precisely how much the tank holds so you know how often (km) you'll need to refuel.
Use Google Maps to map the roads to take to avoid highways and toll-roads (you can't go on those with a scooter). I mapped them to make sure Google gave you the correct roads (it did, of course ) and also got these distances:
Siena to Montepulciano: 63.3 km
Siena to Volterra: 53.2 km
Siena to San Gimignano: 38.6 km
Siena to Greve in Chianti: 41.6 km

Many villages along these roads have a gas station, so it should not be a problem. However, many close in the evenings and most will be closed on Sundays! As you drive around, make note of where you see gas stations and their opening hours - many have added "self-service" functionality to stay "open" for after-hours and Sundays. You can pay into a machine and get fuel regardless of whether there is an attendant or not. If you pass stations with these machines, make a note of them just in case they might come in handy.

Have fun on your vacation and let us know if you have any other questions we might help out with!