Train from Venice to what Tuscan city near Castellina?
 

My husband and I will be traveling from Venice to Tuscany in October. From Venice, we would like to take a train to a Tuscan city near Castellina that has a car rental. After picking up the car, we will travel to Castellina and visit the surrounding areas with Castellina as the base. When we turn in the car, we want to take a train south to Rome. So, my question is, what city should we take the train to? I thought Chiusi was an option, but it is almost an hour away from Castellina. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Hi Sax,

Siena would probably be your best choice is proximitely is your main concern. Check your rental company's office hours to be sure they will coordinate with your plans. Smaller cities' offices are usually closed on Sundays and part of Sat or Mon.

Also, you will need to take a taxi from the Siena train station to the rental office.

We picked up in Siena and it was easy.

Another thought, it might be just as easy to pick up in Florence, since you will have to change trains there anyway to get to Siena. Just drive from there.

And if you drive from Florence you can take the wine route unless you have time restraints.

Since Castellina is 31 miles from Florence and 21 miles from Siena, I agree with Dayle's second suggestion.

Pick up the car in Florence and avoid wasting time to change trains there, particularly since the train station is 2 km from Siena.

Thanks for the suggestions! You have given us a few options to consider.

My hestitation with picking up the car in Florence is that we'll have to do "city driving". Is that the case?

If you book through Autoeurope, which everyone on this board favors, you can ask to pick up at the Borgo Ognissanti location, from which it is, so it seems, easy to get out of Florence.

I think driving in Siena, if the pick up is in the city itself, is much worse than in Florence.

Thanks, Eloise! We will make the reservation to pick up from the suggested location in Florence.

A friend and I have trained from Venice to Florence, cabbed from the train station to AutoEurope's Borgo Ognissanti location, and then driven out of Florence. Not difficult at all.

However, we DID find it maddening and frustrating trying to find the right portal into Siena; even the Siennese (?) couldn't help us, and we eventually blundered our way to it.

Driving in the Italian countryside / small towns isn't difficult at all.