kybourbon

>>>I really suggest you to drop the van off in a smaller town (Orvieto will be perfect), Rome is really crowded and not an easy place to drive! From Orvieto you can take a train to Rome main station,<<<

It really depends on which area of Tuscany you plan to visit. The area you see in many postcards is the Val D'Orcia (around Pienza). It might be easiest to drop the car in Siena (depends on what you use for base) and take the Sena bus to Rome.

Mimar

With a van, actually as a general rule for drivers of all size vehicles, expect to park in a lot on the edge of small hill towns and walk in. Hill towns are on hills, be prepared to climb. Cortona is on a hill as is Montepulciano. The two towns of Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia are both on the flat, easier to drive in and out of. Those 2 towns are in the Val d'Orcia south of Siena, the area of Tuscany with what is commonly thought of as archtypal Tuscan scenery.

klondike

Montalcino is another cute hilltop town which has a small parking lot at its very top at La Fortezza (sp?--The Fortress in English). We arrived on a Sunday morning around 11 and left around 13:00 and there were spaces opening up at both times. I think a lot of people don't know about it and park further down and then walk up. We really enjoyed this town, though it would be a little too small for our taste to use as a base.

annhig

some place, like Orvieto, have escalators to get people from the car parks to the town centre on top of the hill, so you might like to check this for the places you want to see.

an alternative is for the driver to drop passengers off at the top then drive down and park, but that's a bit of a pain for the driver, especially if it's always the same person!

Europe_Newbie

Thank you all for taking the time to comment. I will check out all these suggestions.

Jean

Many (if not most) towns do not permit you to drive in, even to drop off people, unless you're staying in a hotel there that will alert the police you're a guest. Otherwise, you risk getting a ticket which will come in the mail after you get home. If you don't realize you're violating the zones in town after town, the multiple fines will come as a shock.

So, obviously, wherever you decide to explore, you should learn the signs indicating the no-traffic zone. Many towns have put maps of their ZTLs online, sometimes with helpful parking info.

constant

Greve in Chianti could be a good option for you. There are several apartments listed on their website that are within an easy walk of the bus stop for Florence (one hour right to the centre in a comfortable bus). You can reach Panzano and I think Radda and Gaiole by bus if you plan well, and you can walk to Montefioralle. To reach other towns you would need to go in to Florence and take the train or rent a driver guide for an excursion - an expensive but very efficient way to see the area.

http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/