Renting a car for a day trip out of Florence

JacknJill

New member
Jill and I have decided to rent a car to tour the Tuscan countryside on our own. Jill is a photographer so our goal is to capture the most beautiful scenery the area has to offer. We would love to get some suggested routes from other travelers who have visited the area. Thanks in advance!:)
 
Ciao!

Are you planning to use Florence as your base and just rent the car for a day to drive out and roam, returning to Florence by the end of the day?

Or will you spend also be spending a few days out in the countryside?

I vote for the second option, as it will give you a chance to drive further away from Florence and see a wider variety in landscapes, particularly those "classic Tuscan" rolling hilltops with cypresses along the roads (more common in the southern area of Val d'Orcia which is further away).

In any case, I suggest taking a roaming circular drive around Chianti as a first suggestion: take the SS222 down to Greve, down to Panzano, then on to Castellina. From there head west to Poggibonsi or to Monteriggioni -- those hills with vineyards are gorgeous. From Poggibonsi, make your way to San Gimignano. From there, head to Certaldo by way of Gambassi Terme.

I think once you do that, you will want to spend more time out of Florence, particularly Jill so that she can be out in the countryside in mornings and evenings when the light is better ;-). What time of the year are you coming?
 
My husband and I are planning our 1st trip to Italy in August. We have 5 nights planned at the Renaissance in Tuscany(using Marriott points). We are unsure of the best way to get around the area for day trips. My husband has rented a car but not sure that is the best option.
We are also spending days in Rome, Florence, Venice, and a 7 day cruise in Med for a total of 3 weeks.
I'm sure we will have many more questions before our final plans.
Thanks for your input.
 
Ciao Chilejuan,

Yes, that hotel is outside of Barga and while they have many services, having your own car will make day trips much much easier. If he feels okay with driving here, I think it would be best but only while you are there. If you're planning extra days within Florence, I would not plan to have the car then, neither for Rome or Venice. All the cities have great public transport systems to use and a car is not needed at all (plus no worries about parking or traffic at that point).
 
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