We were thinking of renting a car from Florence for just one day to see Tuscany. Will the car rental be too much trouble for just one day?

I don't think the car rental for a day will be a problem but to be honest, driving anywhere in Florence (even to get the car in and out of it) is difficult.

We had our car in Tuscany for a week (picked it up as we were leaving Rome) and then planned to drop it off in Florence at the beginning of our stay there. Finding either the car drop-off place or our hotel was very difficult and frustrating. If I had it to do over again, I'd drop off the car someplace outside of Florence and take the train in.

Other than that, I found driving in Italy (both on the highways and in the hills) just fine.

where would we pick up the rental if not in Florence?

I'm not sure where you're coming from but I know other towns have rental places. Check your renting agency's list. Sienna maybe? Orvieto?

Others here who know the area better than I do would probably have suggestions. Anyone? Bueller?

Just re-read your post and I'm not sure I understand it. Tuscany is a region and you can't possibly see it in one day. Are you thinking of one specific town?

Chuisi is a small town on the main train line - driving is very easy and many people depart the train there and pick up a car in that town.

I understand its a region. Guess have not thought of where to go yet... I guess, a couple of towns or villages, with some stops in a couple of wineries, that can fit in the span from 8am-8pm?

Any help and suggestions with this will be absolutely appreciated!

Bookmarking!

I tire of hearing how the Italian drivers are more skilled. Hogwash. Americans grow up learning to drive defensively and it is tremendously more safe for everyone. That said, i did not have trouble driving there at all (in spite of the aggresive italian driving) and find the internet discussions of driving there to be horribly exagerated. Even in Rome is wasn't so bad. Kind of like NYC.

Oh...and I used hertz and it went as smoothly as it does here. Great service, no lines, no hassles.

We picked up our car at Avis in Orvieto, nice and quiet and unrushed. We drove to Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino, Siena, to Florence and all in between. Have to admit, we didn't have all the great maps I was suppposed to bring but found that there were so many signs that it was hard to get really lost. Yes, the Italians tailgate but other than that, I never felt the urge to flip the bird. Maybe those small cars are less threatening. We were amazed however how many accidents didn't happen with the narrow streets and what is coming around the corners without slowing down. They seemed to know what they were doing. And nobody was yelling at anyone to get out of the way, just some intense looks. We dropped our car off at the Florence airport and that looked like a not so nice place to pick up a car. Everyone looked miserable and the line was long.

We will be in Florence this November, must we reserve a car in advance, or will we find available rental vehicles once we arrive?-I imagine we will, but I don't know what the price would be reserving ahead of time versus when we get there. Does anyone have cost estimates? I really don't want to reserve ahead as I want to have the freedom to choose lovely days for driving, not rainy days. Thanks so much.

We reserved a car thru AutoEurope auto brokers....an Alfa Romeo, they promised me, to be picked up in Florence...for a 10 day tour of Tuscany. After spending 4 days in Florence, we went to pick up our car (without problem, I might add)....except the car rental laughed hysterically when I said "Alfa Romeo"...and handed me the keys to a bilious green stick shift diesel Fiat with bulbous, toad-like eyes and a Neanderthal brow. Probably the ugliest car ever manufactured. We still laugh about that car...which turned out to be just fine. Embarrassingly hideous (even the Italians laughed)...but fine. Driving thru Tuscany (Florence:Gubbio (OK, ok Umbria (rools eyes): Cortona ("Under the Tuscan Sun"...and yes, I did find Bramisole ): Siena:Chianti:Montalcino:Montepulciano and dropped the car off in Chiusi...to take the train to Naples/Sorrento.

Driving is NOT a problem. Getting maps that are accurate and agree with each other ARE a problem. Which probably explains why Hanibel and the Romans kept missing each other. And that was back when maps were pretty simple.

Plan on getting mildly lost. 1) It's part of the fun, and 2) sometimes you'll find things that are amazing. We certainly did.