Driving Vespa's in Florence
 

Our first trip to Italy will find us in Florence for 3 day in the middle part of June. Has anyone rented Vespa's or other little scooters in Florence? We are staying at Hotel Casci. Are there any places to rent those scooters close to that hotel? Any favorite spots to drive to? Has anyone ever seen one with a side car? We do have our international drivers license and are all set to go....we just need some information. Thanks for your help.

Yes you can hire scooters in Florence, but I would hold off doing so until you have seen the traffic there. I say this as a person who regularly commutes to work in the UK by scooter - I would not dare to ride in a major city in Italy.

I have seen a 250cc Vespa with a sidecar, but they are very rare.

Florence has more scooters than any city in Italy per capita a sign in a main square proclaims - and IME riding a moped here is like driving in the Indianapolis 500 - do you know what you are getting into? Local mopedists seem to expect you to give way, etc. - seems all very chaotic.

Much of the city center is also off-limits to private vehicles.

Farmfly, I would send a quick email to the Hotel Casci and ask them for their advice/suggestions. The family that runs the hotel is extraordinarily friendly and helpful -- I've stayed there several times and they really are great.

If you rent Vespas in Florence (not something I recommend), make sure you understand completely the areas where you can go and where and how you can park. Make sure you get helmets and wear appropriate clothing and shoes.

We rented Vespas on Capri one year which was a lot of fun, but the parking restrictions made it hard to stop anywhere without having to walk longish distances which sorta defeated the point of the Vespas. We turned them in after one day and rode the buses.

My two sons rented vespas when we were in Florence a few years ago and they said it was one of the best parts of the trip. They had no trouble with parking but did manage to get themselves lost a few times, which appears to have added to the fun as they found new areas to explore. I was hesitant because of the traffic but they said that once they were actually driving in the traffic it all made sense and was not nearly as frightening as it looked. That being said, they are much more couragous than I am as I would never try it. I forget where we rented the scooters at but we just asked the front desk clerk and they referred us to a company that was quite reasonable. I will see if I can find the name and information when I get home from work today and try to post it this evening.

Weekend in Florence - Rental and audio guide to Florence
Audioguides, Videoguides, cars and motorbikes rental in Florence. ... Renting a Motorcycle or a Vespa gives you just that - offering you the opportunity to ...
en.firenze.waf.it/rental.html

Two suggestions (ask when you rent the Vespa the best route to these places):

1. Head North for 10-15 minutes to Fiesole. There are excellent views of Florence and great little cafes.

2. Follow the smaller routes through the Chianti Region south to towns like Impruneta. Beautiful countryside and some great view and places to stop.

You know what they call tourists who hire scooters in countries like Italy - DONORS

I too would recommend getting a feel for the traffic -- last summer I saw and American tourist on a vespa get hit by a car...

farmfly: Bingo, I found the information from when my two sons, both adults, rented vespa's in Florence in 2004.

http://www.florencebybike.it

Somewhat dated so I hope they are still in business but it was a real good value as they paid, in 2004, 35 euro for each vespa. That was the cost for five hours but we got there shortly before they closed for the day so they let the boys keep them the remainder of that day and overnight and returned midmorning the next day. I believe the price now is 45 euro and that price includes the helmets. Be careful out there you intrepid traveler you. J

I too have seen folks on mopeds in Florence get in accidents - more than once - yeh for going out of town perhaps but in town silly IMO because everything of interest is in a compact area and moped parking can be hard as others said.

Thanks for all the information. Since I have not been in Florence before, I didn't realize how crowded the roads will be and the speed that one travels. So...I'll take all your advice and use it wisely. The anticipation is growing to begin our trip. I know I can count on you all for sound advice. Thanks again.

We returned a hire car into the centre of Florence (without realising what we had committed ourselves to) and it was the only time in 33 years I've seen my HB truly petrified.

As Palenque said, everything in Florence itself is compact and easily found on foot. A lot of the charm of Florence is found by wandering the streets.

The vespers might be good for day trips though, you could have a lot of fun exploring the Tuscan countryside. Unless you are an experienced rider I would be worried about a sidecar, wouldn't that need some practice - you don't want to wipe out your partner?? Do you?? :)

I’ve ridden a Vespa about 10,000 kilometres in the last three years – in Melbourne, Australia. My wife has ridden a Vespa a similar distance, and most of our riding is in heavy traffic. I remember we said to each other in Florence a couple of years ago, “We’d have to be experiencing a death wish to ride a scooter here”.

And scooter parking is horrific.