Next Spring we'll be traveling from Rome to Montepulciano as part of our itinerary. The distance between to two is not that far and if we leave Rome when we have to vacate our Airbnb, we'll get to Montepulciano way too early to check in to our Airbnb there. We really don't like to sight-see while toting our luggage and such, so I'm thinking of A) hiring a private driver for the trip, who can also, B) take us to some towns/sites along the way. So my two questions are:

1) Has anyone used a private transfer service (car) to get from Rome to somewhere else, and if so, can recommend one?
2) Any interesting towns/sites to visit between Rome and Montepulciano, even if its only to have lunch and stroll around?

Thanks.

You could see if the Montepulciano bus station (at the bottom of the hill) will store luggage for you. You may also find that your accommodation will store your luggage until check in time.

Alternatively, you could store your luggage at Roma Termini station and take a later train.

I don't know about private drivers as they're outside our budget.

Can I ask why you're not renting a car?

I assume you know that a private driver/guide for more than half a day will be rather expensive (at least to me). It's about a 3-hour drive without stops, traveling on the fairly boring autostrada (A1). If you detour off the autostrada to a couple of interesting stops (I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head), the drive to Montepulciano could easily take 4+ hours without stops.

Viterbo. A beautiful medieval town, once the residence of popes. Villa Lante in nearby Bagnaia has a gorgeous Renaissance garden, probably the most beautiful garden I've seen in Italy. Also in the area, Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola is both a palace with very unique architecture and beautiful gardens to explore.

North of Viterbo, you could head either to Pitigliano which is built on tuff rock and has an interesting Jewish history, then see the sunken roads built by the Etruscans near Sovano and Sorano. Or you could go to Orvieto which is also built on tuff rock and has a stunning Duomo, then make a quick stop at nearby Bagnoregio which, if you wanted to enter the ancient center, is reached by a footbridge. There are lots of famous photos of this town.

Then, for something completely different, there are the hot springs at Bagni San Filippo. A short walk into the woods leads to a massive calcium formation, waterfalls and sulfur pools. Just before reaching Montepulciano, you could stop at Monticchiello, a tiny, ancient village that's hard to visit using public transportation.

Jean, You sure make me want to rent a car and do that drive.

Sassafrass, there's so much to see in this area... We've seen bits and pieces over several trips, and you'd need a week or more to see everything I mentioned.

We spent 4 nights in Viterbo and had no trouble filling our days in the town and surrounding area.

We've spent 2-3 days in Pitigliano over a couple of visits to see the papal palace, the Medici aquaduct, churches, ancient alleyways, the Jewish ghetto and synagogue. The town was called Little Jerusalem because of the lively Jewish community that existed for hundreds of years until WWII. Most Jews escaped with the help of their Christian neighbors, but the community didn't return after the war. We were fascinated by the Etruscan sunken roads (vie cave) and took a walk with an excellent local guide between Pitigliano and Sovano. Definitely a highlight. We were also there for the annual festival to Santa Rosa (early Sept.), and there's a museum in town exhibiting scale models of the towers ("macchina") carried through the town. It reminded us of videos/photos we've seen of a similar event in Gubbio.

Parco dei Mostri near Bomarzo, and the "ghost town" part of Celleno near Bagnoregio. Neither is a sightseeing destination but worth a stop if you're nearby.

Sovano and Soranno are in an area called The Archeology Park because of the numerous Etruscan roads, tombs and evidence of ancient settlements. It would be easy to spend 2-3 days wandering around.

Other places we've made short visits/stops... Tarquinia, Tuscania, Vulci, hot springs at Saturnia. I'll probably think of more...

I can't imagine exploring this area without a car.

Jean, That sounds like such a wonderful place to explore. We have not rented a car in Europe in many years (loved trains and learned to use local bus routes), but would like to do it one more time. DH is still a really good driver and I guess I am too, but don’t know for how much longer. We are usually so tired by time we travel long distances, we are careful not to put ourselves or others at risk. Have to check age limits for renting a car. Covid followed by illness really put a crimp in our plans, but can’t complain with many others in the same situation. We keep hoping to feel safe enough, but not quite there yet. It is fun to read about new possibilities.

It's a great area to explore because there are lots of things to see fairly close together, esp. if you're not interested in a lot of driving. It's about 90 minutes Rome to Viterbo (or take a train and rent the car in Viterbo), or you could even break that drive by visiting Bracciano on the way. Then it's about an hour Viterbo to Pitigliano. The other sights and towns I mentioned aren't far off the main route (mostly SR2). After Pitigliano, it's about an hour east to Orvieto or an hour west to Orbetello if you wanted to go to Monte Argentario.