tuscany scooter rental
 

Hello
I will be traveling to Tuscany with my husband this coming May and we do not want to rent a car. Is it possible to rent scooters and wher? I will be traveling around Chianti and Sienna.
Thank you so much
Lisa
Also, if we do deciede to rent a car. Is the driving very hard. We would pick up the car in Florence and drive to Chianti and the surronding areas.

Lee - Here are a couple of links:

www.abc-rent.com/#mezzi
www.florencebybike.com

Marco Ramuzzi,
Viale Falsettacci 6
Greve
tel. 055-853-037
(- from Frommers)

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Re is the driving hard:

I left Chianti region on Tuesday. The driving is "hard" if you don't like twists, turns, hills, more hills.

A true motorcycle enthusiast would adore enjoy it. But I take it you are not one.

A scooter -- if by that term we mean the same thing, i.e. small and low-powered, Vespa-type -- would not cut it in my opinion. Too slow, especially on big hills.

Moreover (and this is a secondary issue but I will mention it at the risk of spooking you):

While I often counsel boldness, this is one case where I would advise a nervous visitor to provide herself with a roof, sides and a seatbelt.

Some of the drivers we encountered were very selfish, hogging the road. Truck drivers are the worst. In Italy, size DOES count -- indeed it sometimes seems to be all that counts. I would not want to be on the bottom-rung of the motoring ladder, in Chianti.

TEDGALE,
Thank you for your information.
Actually my husband has a motorcycle and would love all the twist and turns but me on the other hand - not really!

Since you just left the Chianti region I hope you don't mind me asking you a few more questions: 1st question is how do visitors get around without a car or scooter? 2nd question: any recommendations on a hotel - like a 3/4 star? and if you would like to add anything else it would be highly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Lisa

Steve
Thank you for the websites. I emailed on of them and waiting on their reply.
Lisa

The driving is a lot easier with a car than with a scooter - esp if it's raining. Also - with the schooter what would you do with your luggage?

Has he/you experience riding a scooter - on hilly, twisting and sometimes bumpy country roads? Have you proper riding gear? Have you ever seen anybody with road burn? Is your insurance paid up (medical? life? will your credit card cover insurance for a scooter or will you have to buy it separately?)

Hello Ny traveler,
Yes we are both familiar with riding a scooter -- we have rented many times before.
I was not going to ride it with my luggage -- the scooter is just to get from one villa to another -- not for my main transportation.
and yes we both have medical insurance
thank you for all your qustions

There are buses and a few train routes but basically a car is the only means of seeing the remote hill towns -- unless you are prepared to spend hours on public transport.

We rented an apartment in Barberino Val d'Elsa, which is near the main 4 lane highway that runs between Florence and Siena (and connects to an excellent road to southern Tuscany, marred only by a bit of construction on the ring road around Siena)

Though I complained about driving in the hills, the main roads are excellent.

See my recent trip report (tedgale trip report: Rome, Venice, Tuscany) for recommendations of places to see.

As we rented an apartment, I do not have hotel recommendations. But with a car, you would have a wide selection of places in smaller communities, which we prefer.

Here is a very nice-looking B&B in the same district as our apartment -- I have driven past it but have not stayed:

www.chianticortine.it

It is in a quiet area but very near the access to the main highway.

We used scooters for a week around the Rimini region of Italy. They were useless little putt putt things but an enormous amount of fun. Go to the public relations office near where you are staying and ask for the "cyclists map -pushbikes" we followed those maps and hardly saw a motorway. The steep hills are a slight problem, especially for my 16stone hubby on the way to San marino. But we got there, albeit slowly. Go for it - but suggest one each!