ticadonnita

Thanks for this info. if anyone knows. Will be coming by train to Florence from Venice to pick up a rental car on Oct. 14th. Wondering if one station is closer to the airport than another. It looks like most of the rental car offices are only at the airport in the Florence area. Will be driving to Gaiole in Tuscany from there. Thanks for any information on this.

Dukey1

The Hertz office in Florence is about a 5-10-minute walk MAX from the SMN train station.

ticadonnita

Thanks, Dukey1. Are you a Duke graduate by chance? We were referred to this company, as they do have less expensive prices... maybe because it is through UK. http://www.auto-europe.co.uk
I have been trying to see if they have offices near SMN train station, but cannot tell from the website yet.
Do you happen to know which one of these might be near SMN station?
Central Office, Via Maso Finiguerra, 13/R
MAP
City Office Gelsomino, Via Del Gelsomino, 11
MAP
City Office, 100 R Via Borgognissanti
MAP
City Office, Via Borgognissanti 128 R
MAP
City Office, Via Forlanini, 2
MAP
Downtown Office, 128r Via Borgognissanti
MAP
Downtown Office, 53 / 55r Via Borgo Ognissanti
MAP
Downtown Office, Via Borgo Ognissanti 137/R
Downtown Office, Via Del Sansovino 53
MAP
Downtown, Via Borgo Ognissanti 133/R

Dukey1

AutoEurope does not own or rent any vehicles. It is a wholesaler sort of company which will set you up with an actual rental agency such as Hertz, Avis, etc.

The Ognissanti location is probably for Europcar

The Hertz location is nearby on Via Melegnano and closer to the rail station.

If you Google the Ognissanti location you'll see both locations and the SMN train station as well

ticadonnita

After looking at the companies separately, the AutoEurope, was a lot cheaper and I have read good reviews on them. Our friends who used them last year were very happy and did say the car came from Budget. I did look on the Google Map. Thanks for the advice. This is our first trip to Italy and I am a little nervous driving out of and back into Florence to get the car. I drive in Costa Rica where it is pretty crazy , but in my own car... not a rental. Thanks again for any advice on car rentals.

ellenem

Some visitors have a real problem driving out of Florence without violating the ZTL (limited traffic zone monitored by cameras), for which they receive numerous expensive traffic fines and fees from the car rental agency on your credit card months later. If you are at all concerned at your ability to drive out of Florence, just take a train from Venezia SL to Firenze SMN and then take a taxi to the airport. The 15-20 euro you spend on the taxi will make up for the hundreds of euro you might spend in fines and fees.

Mimar

Good advice from ellenem. There's a bus that connects Florence's main train station (SMN) with the airport if you don't want to spring for a taxi.

InFlorence

You have some good answers but as to the question - which station is closer - if you end up renting at the airport, then Firenze Rifredi would be fine and probably a few minutes faster overall.

If you rent in town then you want to come to Firenze SMN as mentioned as most of the car rentals places are a short walk from the station.

The taxi fare to the airport is 20 euros flat, plus extra for bags, time of day, and day of week -

There are tons of horror stories about the ZTL in Florence - but I tend to think they are a tad over done (just my personal opinion!).

Dukey1

I rented a car from the Hertz location last year after taking the train from Verona to Florence.

I also had a GPS in that car.

I did not have any trouble whatsoever driving in and out of Florence and I did it several times to that general neighborhood where there was a pay garage I could use and then walk to the nearby sites such as the Duomo, etc.

That area is pretty easy to navigate especially if you have a GPS and I did not get any tickets because I was never in the "zone."

There are a LOT of people on this board who keep saying don't drive in Florence and I would assume they have all tried and failed. But i can tell you from experience it can be done, and without traffic tickets.

kybourbon

The fast AV trains from Venice don't stop at other stations in Florence. Take the bus or a taxi to the airport if that is where you want to pick up your car.

Select area ztl to see the zones (you will have to zoom in a bit). Select autovelox to see where the cameras are.

http://news.comune.fi.it/muoversi/re...LITAETRASPORTI

ticadonnita

Thanks for all the information. It seems we could get out of that area and on our way to Gaiole/Chianti Tuscany area. We are arriving on a Sunday to pick up the car and then coming back on a Tuesday to return the car. The rental company is on 100 R Via Borgognissanti Florence City Office if anyone knows if this is in a problem area for the fines... Thanks I will look at zti to look for the zones also.

charnees

That Borgo Ognissanti location is pretty easy to drive out of IF you follow the directions they give you carefully. Or use GPS. I don't know about the return because we always return to car to some other location. In terms of ease of driving and navigating I would prefer the airport location, but that means paying for a taxi from the train plus higher fees for drop off I think.

Mimar

Have you checked the hours of this car rental office? It might be closed on Sunday.

ticadonnita

Yes, this office is open on Sunday. We live in Costa Rica and rent to guests where I find GPS can lead them astray, so we will have written directions for our destinations in addition to the GPS. Sounds like it will not be too hard getting out of the Borgo Ognissanti location on a Sunday. I will look at maybe returning the car to the airport or another location outside of the City of Florence itself also. We will be in the Impruneta area on the Tuesday of the return of the car. Thanks everyone for all your imput. Pura Vida.

Lucianomichel46

Hi, almost all the rentals are in Borgognissanti that is at about 10 minutes walk to/fro the main station. Think the Herz has recently moved in there. The reason why they are all in that area it is actually because it is easy to get in and off the city...mind that if you get thru the video of the ZTL (restricted traffic area ) you will be fined. The only ones who could send an internet message to the municipality to take your fine off are hotels (not all ) and garages. Both, hotels and garages have to be located in the ZTL...I am an hotelier and I am always copying with these situations

Jean

Have you considered renting the car as you're leaving Venice?

Or taking the train to Bologna and picking up the car there? I know there is a Hertz office across the street from the Bologna Centrale station. We booked a car through AutoEurope that we picked up at this office.

Where are you going after this part of your trip? Do you need to drop the car in Florence?