We will be spending about a week in Switzerland and renting a car visiting the Oberland area. We then go to Tuscany (Chianti area)for a week in a villa. Wondering if it's best to drive down or fly to Florence. Any suggestions?? Thanks, Sasi

Most people do not rent cars in Switzerland--they use the train. Same goes for getting to Florence.

If you are driving back to Switzerland than it makes some sense to keep the car. If you are flying out of Italy then it would be cost prohibitive to rent 1 way across borders.

I like the idea of having a car in BO myself. Sure, you can visit a lot of the area by rail but a car gives you nice flexibility.

If you're planning to stay in Florence before Tuscany then I'd say take the train or even fly to FLR or Pisa. If you are headed straight to the villa then the car will save you some hassle - you can drive straight there.

For staying at a villa you definitely want a car - perhaps connie didn't see that part and thought your destination was Florence.

If you rent a car in Switzerland, drive it to Tuscany, and finally drop it off there, you will probably pay a big fee.
So even if you need a car in Tuscany to get to your villa, it may be less expensive to take the train to Florence, and rent another car there.
But you will have to compare the prices to find the solution to your problem.

I don't think that there are budget flights from Zurich to Florence.

Dang.. J62 was faster

Train in CH
Fly to Pisa or Florence to get car

Depending on how adventurous you are, you can actually have a lot of fun using trains to get into Italy and picking up a car by an Italian lake, or somewhere north.

Thanks for all the help, you all are amazingly fast! Yes, we will need a car in Tuscany (we have been there three times before!), but never driven from Switzerland down. We love the little villages in Switzerland and that's why we would like a car. I didn't know it would cost a lot to drive into Italy, but, will be checking it out.
Just started planning, but have our villa reserved in Panzano! Sasi

Well - I'll go against the majority - we always rent a car in Switzerland, It allows you to see as many small villages as you like - on your own time schedule - and without dealing with luggage on trains.

Before you make any decision compare the cost of drop off in Italy and versus the cost and inconvenience of trains - since you must have a car in Tuscany.

THey say when there is a will there is a way I once rented a car in Switzerland and returned in ROme. No return charge because I got a car with an Italian plate.

Just to fully answer your original question - you can fly from Switzerland to Florence, with Baboo, from GVA, but by the time you get from the BO to GVA you're halfway to Florence, at least by train. By car it's a matter of how many Staus (the massive congestion that is so prevalent) you encounter through the alps. You could drive to Kandersteg and load the car on a train, then relax...

Sasi here,

Once again, thank you for your responses. I have checked airlines flying from Zurich to Florence and they are very expensive, over $500 each!! Also checked on car rentals, $1100 for 3 weeks from Zurich to FCO. ($192 airport tax at Zurich, but renting downtown saves $192 - the $1100 is from downtown). It seems there are no low cost airlines flying out of Zurich. Haven't checked the train connections from Zurich to Florence but will get on it! Sasi

Hold on - why are you looking for flights or trains from Zürich to Florence? Zürich is in the wrong direction from the Berner Oberland. The last stop on the major trainline from that region to Italy is Spiez, on the lake of Thun, just down a bit from Interlaken. By train you can be in Florence in 5:34 hours or so.

It takes two hours just to get to the ZRH airport from Spiez - add check-in time and the flight and the trip into Florence from the airport and you gain nothing.

Just take the train. You will not find a price from the SBB online, since it is a crossborder trip. They wil email you a quote if you follow instructions on the www.rail.ch website.

The Italian train site www.ferroviedellostato.it quotes 91 Euros for the Spiez-Florence trip in 2nd class, for the randomly chosen date of 20/3/09, the Spiez (14:05) to Milano Centrale (16:40) and Milano Centrale (17:30) to Firenze S. M. Novella (19:39) connection.