My husband and I are spending a few days in Florence and then plan to rent a car in Florence. I have read that there are many areas you cannot drive in Florence. If we pick up the car in city center, is it easy to get on the road to Sienna or should we pick it up at the airport? (we would have to take a taxi from our hotel) Also, we are planning to drive to Rome-is it easy to return at the train station or should we return at the airport and then cab it to our hotel? We do not want to drive in the center or Rome.
My husband drives a manual, but I do not drive. We were thinking of renting an automatic. How are the roads to drive on in Tuscany? We are staying outside of Sienna and plan to take day trips. Thanks you.

Get the car at the Borgo Ognassanti location in Florence--easy route out fo town south to Tuscany. Use Autoeurope or Kemwel. I would drop the car at Orvieto and train into Rome.


DRIVING IN ITALY & SOUTHERN EUROPE

Q. SHOULD WE DRIVE IN ITALY?
A. Of course you should if your driving skill & confidence would allow you to drive a rental car in Vermont, Colorado or California. But, be advised of these tips:
* Avoid driving in the major cities except for picking up or dropping cars
* Have good maps—study them in advance—and have a GOOD NAVIGATOR.
* Stay in the right lane except when passing and use your rear view mirrors

Q. WHAT CAR SHOULD I GET AND WHERE DO I GET IT?
A. It is best to rent your car before you leave for Europe. The best source we have found is www.autoeurope.com [800-223-5555] who is a broker for several car vendors. They will quote you prices to include the variables that are often omitted by others, such as unlimited mileage, mandatory insurance coverage with some deductibles, and VAT taxes. It is wise to compare prices and coverage with their sister company at www.kemwel.com. Autoeurope will match any comparable quote, and are famous for their customer satisfaction if problems do arise with the vendor. The best model will depend on your needs, but for best value we suggest you select a compact car with manual transmission. Automatics are available but will cost you about 30% more and may limit your model options & pick up locations.

Q. ARE ITALIAN DRIVERS AS CRAZY AS I HAVE HEARD?
A. Yes & no! They are certainly aggressive, but they are also more skilled than many USA drivers—both are a function of necessity. Italy is one of the most crowded countries in the world and the drivers have evolved these characteristics
* They are notorious tailgaters. If that bothers you, pull over and let them past.
* On the AUTOSTRADE they will drive fast, but will stay in the right lane except when passing and will use their blinkers when passing—YOU SHOULD TOO !
* They will often pass on 2-lane roads with traffic coming. Frankly, they expect you, and the oncoming car, to adjust to the shoulder and make 3 lanes of traffic.

OTHER ROAD TIPS FOR YOUR DRIVING SANITY:
1. Learn the meaning of the sign “ SENSO UNICO” and take heed [ONE WAY ].
2. Be sure to get your ticket when you enter the AUTOSTADA system & be prepared to pay the toll when you exit it [ rule of thumb—300 km=15 Euro]. You can use your credit card in the VIA lane at the toll both, or buy a debit VIACARD in advance.
3. Do NOT attempt to follow road numbers—that will frustrate you. But, do pay attention to the directional signs that point to your destination [ TO MONTALCINO]. And, be aware if that road leads eventually to a larger city [ ROMA—SIENA ETC.]
4. Unless you have a diesel car, you will want to fill the tank with benzina from the green pump. Most stations will pump gas for you and will take credit cards.

NOTE: As of 2005, an International Drivers Permit[IDP] is required in Italy.
You can obtain them from your local AAA office. You will need a valid US driver’s license, two passport photos, and $15. The photos can be taken at the AAA office.

You might consider going to Siena, stowing your luggage at the train station, touring the town, and then picking up your rental car in Siena.

Also, once you are through touring Tuscany, you can drop off your car in a southern Tuscany town or the town of Orvieto and catch a train to Rome, usually in less than an hour or 90 minutes. Most people find the drop-off in Orvieto works well for them, others like Chiusi (but be sure you pick a rental office convenient to the train station). If you are planning to visit a coastal town in Tuscany or the Maremma area of Tuscany, there are drop off offices in Grosseto and Orbetello.

If you want to share the driving with your husband, you should get an automatic. Most of scenic Tuscany is very comfortable driving.

Oh sorry! I just realized from your post that you don't drive at all. Yes? If your husband drives a manual -- even if he hasn't driven one in years -- go ahead and rent the manual. He won't have forgotten how to drive one, and they are much cheaper.

Make sure before you leave the rental office that you know how to put the car into reverse and release the parking brake. These things are sometimes not obvious on European models.

FYI: In case you will be doing web searches, the city is spelled Siena, not Sienna. I had trouble with train tickets until I learned I had been spelling the city incorrectly.

I didn't drive in Tuscany, but did hire a car and driver a couple of times and don't see why driving would be a problem for your husband.

Tuscany is a beautiful area, have a great trip.

Tourists are not allowed to drive in the city center. It's best to pick up a car outside of town.

Thank you for your responses. We took Bob's advice--picking the car up in Florence and returning in Ovieto. I do drive, but not a manual. We are renting an automatic because I just feel more comfortable so that I could drive also. Thanks for the spelling correction on Siena! and for all the tidbits.
We did get our international licenses. Your responses were greatly appreciated.

OK--good.
Now, input the address from your voucher and your destination in Tuscany into Google maps and get the detail of how to drive south from Florence--you can zoom into street level.

Bob--thank you for your info. We were thinking of
downloading Italy maps into our portable navigator. We were going to rent one, but it was a ridiculous price because they had a charge for one way rental on it. Thanks