Will be in Florence in April 1 - 8. We would like to visit surrounding towns. Is a car necessary. Costs about 110euros a day. Any ideas as to how to get around will be appreciated.

To see the Tuscany countryside and small towns AROUND Florence, a car seems to be a must to me. But a car IN Florence will be a hassle. I would divide up your week, and move out of the city for 4 of the 7 nights.

The car rental rate also sounds high, unless you are seeking a larger automatic. Have you checked the following?

www.autoeurope.com
www.its-cars-hotels.com
www.kemwel.com

or

www.travelocity.com

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi, You didn't say which towns you'll be visiting. Most are accessible by bus (Siena) or train (Lucca), for example. Please let us know which towns interest you and someone will be able to tell you if they are easily to get to by public transportation.

Alternately, you can check any guidebook which will give information on getting to towns around Florence. A good book for this is Let's Go, a budget guide and geared toward folks who don't usually rent cars.

That is VERY expensive for a car. Is there something you haven't mentioned, like it has to be an automatic or you are traveling in a party of 8? We paid about half that much for 4 days in Umbria last July, including drop off at the Rome airport (used AutoEurope).

I just checked Autoeurope and their rates for a midsize, automatic, with AC are $860 for a week. If you don't have to have an automatic and rent a compact car the rates are about one third that price.

If you are interested in a private driver, I can recommend one. Just email me. We toured Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terre in one day. Sienna, San Gimignano, Chianti area including farms and wineries one day. His email is [email protected]. He is more expensive than a rental car, but you don't have any stress.

Checked nova rentacar--7 days for a mid-size automatic is 623 euros with optional insurances. 504 without.

http://rentacar-europe.com/

Again, does it have to be an automatic? They are a lot more expensive than a manual shift.

Thanks for the input. After checking around, we found more reasonable rates, e.g., $40. a day. Have decided to spend two full days in Florence, pick up the car the third day, and return it the day before we depart. Means we need a car only 3 days, which we will use to travel surrounding areas. Thanks for all the help.

You do not want a car in Florence. But you want one to get around to many of the beautiful surrounding towns. I'd stay outside of FLorence if at all possible and just drive in for a day. Spend most time in the Tuscan countryside. Just beautiful!