craimondo

Hey Fodor Gurus!

My fiance and I will be honeymooning in Italy for 20 days in June. After landing in Venice and spending a few days there, we'll be taking the train to Florence, where we've allotted nearly a week because we're both big wine and pasta fans and wanted the time to explore different vineyards, cooking class options, etc. in the Tuscan areas.

My question is, what's the best way for us to do this - should we hire a driver and do day trips from Florence to the vineyards/villas/classes and back, or should we drive ourselves? And, if we do the driving, is it in our best interest to stay over at (or close to) our excursion instead of driving back to Florence?

Essentially, I'm looking to avoid getting lost in the middle of the Italian countryside when we don't speak the language, and I don't have any idea how hard or easy it is to navigate the area.

If you think we're better off hiring a driver, any suggestions out there of a great one? And, if you have any killer recommendations for non-commercial wineries/vineyards, villas or cooking classes, send them my way as we haven't booked a blessed thing yet!

Thanks so much!

PalenQ

Essentially, I'm looking to avoid getting lost in the middle of the Italian countryside when we don't speak the language, and I don't have any idea how hard or easy it is to navigate the area.>

I have driven around Tuscany and never found it hard to navigate - there are directional signs to the next village or town at every intersection and roads are well marked - get a detailed map and go for yourself.

Buses run everywhere from Florence and are dirt-cheap and will take you anywhere

a driver would be nice but not needed and you could save a lot of money by doing buses - if driving yourself I would consider basing outside of Florence as cars in that city are a hassle - wide areas off limits to private vehicles - parking can be very expensive and hard to find, etc. Maybe spend a few days in Florence then rent a car and base in a hill town like Siena - very close to Chianti vineyards that lie between Florence and Siena.

With a car you could also stay in the Agritourismo farm stays - B&bs on farms.

NYCFoodSnob

There's no rule that says you can't base yourself in Florence and do a Tuscan tour, but it wouldn't be my choice. Florence is its own major touring city. One could easily spend a week there and never leave town. Unless you're based on the southern outskirts, like at the gorgeous Torre di Bellosguardo, which offers free parking, Florence can be a difficult town to drive around and leave with a car.

Tuscany covers a large area, and much of its magical beauty lies further south of Florence. And if you're traveling the beautiful local roads, the lovely jaunts between towns takes a little longer than a simple highway run. All the beauty is on the local roads and every inch is worth exploring.

Hiring a driver to "tour" Tuscany seems very odd to me. I wouldn't want to experience Tuscany from anyone's backseat. And unless I really know and like the driver, why invite a stranger into the mix?

On the other hand, if you must base yourself in Florence, and you only wish to tip-toe into Chianti for a wine tasting or a cooking class, certainly you could hire a driver to handle this type of excursion. If you absolutely don't want the hassle of renting a car and/or driving, then you'll need to do some research to figure out how you incorporate a driver into you sightseeing agenda.

Robert2533

Hiring a driver? Expect to pay €300 to €400/day and up, depending on the service.

StCirq

There is nothing even remotely intimidating, IMO, about driving oneself around Tuscany. It isn't rocket science to follow road signs if you have a map and can read place names. And if you do get lost, so what? You'll be lost in amazingly beautiful surroundings and will find your way back "home" eventually, no doubt. You've got 6 months to learn some basic Italian, btw.

You absolutely do not want a car in Florence. That is a wide-open invitation to complete aggravation and hundreds of dollars in fees for venturing into areas you're not allowed to be in unless a resident. There are plenty of buses that will take you out to Tuscan towns, however, if that's what you want to do, but then of course you'll be limited to wherever you can get to around a town by foot.

A driver would be the choice of absolute last resort for me though.

macanimals

Florence is not a good base to tour the Tuscan countryside unless you choose to use drivers (very expensive and time wasted in getting out of and returning to Florence). Driving yourself is easy in the countryside but basing in Florence is not recommended--parking is expensive and there are "no drive" zones(ZTL) in the city.
Would you consider couple of days in Florence and then head out with a rental car? Its easily done and the freedom to explore from a base in Chianti or the Val D'Orcia (Montalcino, Montepulciano or Pienza) would give you access to villas, wineries and the like. I would think you would enjoy Tuscany much more with the freedom to stop and go where you wish. Driving is not difficult and language is not a barrier as well--it is all a fine adventure.
Congratulations and have fun.

craimondo

Wow - this is all excellent! It sounds like we should definitely drive ourselves, and with your reassurance that we won't be over our heads we're excited to do so! We're absolutely open to basing elsewhere than Florence. We'd likely spend a few days in Florence and then head to a more rural area to "base" ourselves for our tuscan adventures OR just drive to a few different spots.

It sounds like Siena & Chianti are the suggestions for a base outside of Florence - are there any others we should consider?

StCirq

Siena is a town. Chianti is a region. You need a guidebook to get this all sorted out and figure out what's where. There are many possibilities for basing yourself.

bobthenavigator

Florence and Tuscany are two different destinations and should be treated as such. Both are quire deserving of your time, but stay in different places to the best of both.

I would stay south of Siena and have a car for the Tuscany segment.

bubblywine

You are going to have such a great trip, and I'm glad you're opting to drive yourselves.

I very much enjoyed the Poggio Antico winery, but it was the only one I visited so maybe there are better examples. Great views, though, and the little cluster of great wine towns around it are wonderful: Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Pienza.