Is renting a car for 1 day only worth the hassle?

jrnelson627

New member
Hi everyone,

Next May my husband and I will be in Florence/Tuscany for 4 1/2 days. We arrive on a Saturday around noon via plane, and leave early Thursday morning by train. We plan to stay in Florence for 2 1/2 of those days. The other two days, we would like to venture down into Tuscany. We are interested in seeing maybe smaller towns, a castle or abbey, the scenery. Something different from the grandeur of Florence and Venice. We do plan to use Florence as our home base for the 5 nights. I love the idea of renting a car for a day, but my husband is hesitant because of the hassle. He's more open to the idea of joining a tour group. The thing is, I want the freedom of seeing places that aren't necessarily 'mainstream'. So I'm thinking about finding a private tour guide.

So here are my questions.

What's it like to rent a car in Florence? Is it really challenging to do that and drive around? I don't want to take up hours out of our day figure it out, but the adventure of it appeals to me.

Does anyone know of a reputable private tour guide?

If we do rent a car, where do you suggest we head? We don't drink alcohol, so no wine tasting for us. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Renting a Car, Made Easy

Buongiorno,

First things, make sure you are comfortable with a stick shift - though many car rentals try to accommodate with an automatic, they will tell you up front that they can't always guarantee it.

But having said that, if you will be spending your time driving in the countryside you will find that it is a fun adventure. The main cities can be intimidating - especially with the parking situation but smaller towns and back roads can be quite fun.

This article might help you get a feel for it: http://www.visitflorence.com/moving-around-florence/by-car.html

Personally, if you are up for the driving, I think it is a great way to explore the region. You could check out one of our driving itins:

https://www.chianti.com/itineraries-in-chianti/one-day-in-chianti.html

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise
 
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Thank you Donna! That is encouraging to hear. Yes, we're both very comfortable with stick shift. I like the idea of one of our Tuscany days taking a tour to Siena or something a little larger. But the 2nd day I want to get off the beaten path and explore. I'll check out the articles you shared. Thanks again!
 
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