Where to go in Tuscany for a day
 

Hello Everyone,

My husband and I have an open day and would love to go to the country from Rome. I want to see the picturesque Cyprus trees and beautiful scenery.

Questions:
Do we look for a day tour to go on from Rome? Or should we rent a car and blaze our own trail?

What town(s) would you recommend to go and see? There are so many possibilities!!!

If we rent a car, are there self-guided maps to use?

Do we need an international drivers license?

Thanks in advance.

The cypress trees you on most postcards of Italy are southern Tuscany around Montepulciano/Pienza/Montalcino areas. You would need a car and it would be a long day. You need an IDP from AAA to rent a car.

This would be a long day but doable if you expect a long day and you till have to pre rent your car from Autoeurope.com.

Do not drive out of Rome. Get to the main Termini early and take a train to Orvieto or Chiusa. Orvieto is more of a drive and Chiusa is closer to the Cyprese lined drives (La Foce is the most famous). You will need a good driver and a good navigator or a GPS, but these roads are not too hard unless you have no sense of direction.

Loop, stopping at great places along the way, and return the car at the same place later in the day. Train back to Rome.

You will need your drivers license and the International license from AAA (maybe $10 or so)


All of that being said there are some great drives in the Umbria area. Don't know that as well but I'm sure someone else will.

Thank you for your reply. Do you know where I can find a pre-printed loop to follow to that mentions the "great places"? A self-tour guide?

By the map I have, South Tuscany doesn't look very far. You mention it may be a long day. What do you consider a long day?
Are you referring to just the driving or the sites too?

I appreciate all your input. Taking a train out of Rome is a great idea, as I think it will be very busy being that it will be Easter week.

My wife and I (late fifties) drove all over this area last March, gravel roads included, nothing intimidating about driving in this area.

Catch an early train out of Rome and rent a compact car at Chiusi, you'll be poised to follow strada per Chianciano (road to Montepulciano Pienza Montalcino)

The itinary I'd suggest is Montepuliano, walk and enjoy the town, back in the car and head to Monticchiello, very small, walk the town, have a cup of good coffee or lunch (I'm sure someone can suggest a great place to eat here) Back in the car on the road to Pienza. Parking on the left as you ease up on the hill. Walk into any opening you see, enjoy the town, three or four great places to dine here! back in the car head for San Quirico d' Orcia (another small town, walk if you have time). Then take the road south (S 2)to the 478, squirmy road to Sarteano, and back to Chuisi in time to turn in the car.

The routes I've described are not long distance drives, but depending on your choices, will use your day. Our travel rule is: have the itinary, but don't let it rule the adventure. If you can't walk all the towns, walk Montepulciano and San Quirico d Orcia (or your choice) and enjoy the drive and scenery. This will be a day you will remember as the best from your trip !!

A couple of tips, order a MICHELIN ITALY CENTRAL MAP
(for $10 from Amazon.com). It is detailed and it will be fun for you to study before you drive and after you've come home to pin point your adventures. Also, study google maps of what I've suggested and you can get down to ground level and see what the S-2 looks like and "drive" it with your mouse.
When at the train station, pick up tourist maps of the little towns if available.

Enjoy your trip. All of us who have been there celebrate your adventure.

We took the train Rome to Chiusi, then a bus to the Siena train station. The bus ride through the idyllic Tuscan countryside was a wonderful intoduction to Tuscany; made us swear to come back. However, if you want to see something of Tuscany without driving (or taking a bus tour), this is one way. You could grab a quick look at Siena also. This would make for a long day, though.

Thank you Minar and Clayman for all for your input. I feel so over whelmed with so many choices! I am told that Assisi and Siena are beautiful as well. I really have some homework to do, don't I? I wish Venice wasn't so far! ;)

I did search for a car in both Chiusi and Orvieto with nothing available. There are some in Rome, but would rather not start our driving from there. Do you know which car rental area has the latest drop off? I see some are only open until 6:30. I will need to be sure that I could catch a train back to Rome after drop off as well.

Are the car rentals right at the train stations or at another location?

I do not not speak Italian. Will this cause difficulty in driving, or do you find that most people speak English?

Do they offer GPS systems with the cars?

I need to know what I am getting into. Sometimes I think my ideas are wonderful until I stop to think about the details. :)

You could pick up and drop off your rental car at the Rome airport (Fiumicino). That would start and end your drive outside the city. The airport is easy to get to and from. And the car rental offices should be open 24 hours/day, with automatics and GPS available.

However, there usually is a surcharge for hiring a rental car from an airport.

As long as you can read the road signs, you don't need to know any Italian to drive. The car rental people will speak English.

For car info: try Andy at....Gemut.com Travel Services (California) Tel. 1-800-521-6722, 1-541-488-8462, Fax 1-541-488-8468
Web: www.gemut.com Email: [email protected] Very helpful, tell what you best choices would be and let him help. He deals with all the rentals and it will cost you nothing to talk with him. Catching the train back to Rome should present no problem. You can look up the train schedules here:http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

I took a look at http://www.europcar.com for Chiusi. They do have autos available.


Your lack of Italian will not hinder you. Cars are offered with GPS (TOMTOM etc), make sure that you know how to program from Italian to English or it will be useless. A good map and close attention to signs at intersections should eliminate the need for GPS. BTW, if you're not used to a manuel transmission, be sure to stipulate automatic. Personally, the manuals are the most fun to drive !

You can do this!!! You will find the great majority of Italians to be warm and helpful even when language is a barrier. Keep asking questions, your fellow travelers are glad to help!

I have recently returned from the chianti region and all i can say is thank God for my GPS. I booked our car thru autoeurope and they sent a GPS already loaded with Italy and ready to go , it could not have been easier!Definitely get the GPS.