Do You Need a Car in Tuscany?

It really comes down to the kind of trip you want. You can see a single city like Florence or Siena perfectly well on foot and by train — but the moment you want to stay in the countryside, reach more than one hill town, or simply follow your curiosity down an inviting back road, you’ll want your own car. Out here, it isn’t just practical; the driving is part of the pleasure.

Taxis are few, far between and expensive. Trains and buses force you to meet timetables and skip the small places in between — which is where so much of the magic is. As one way to put it: figuring out whether you need a car comes down to where you want to stay, and how adventurous, spontaneous and rural you want your trip to be.

Figuring out whether you need a car will depend upon where you want to stay, how adventurous, how busy or relaxed, how spontaneous and most of all how rural you want your home base location to be.

Here at Siena House, where we’ve chosen to base ourselves, you’re in a prime spot for exploring with ease — by car. No rural location out here offers shops or services within walking distance; instead, ‘walkable’ in the countryside really means a short, beautiful drive to a wonderful choice of towns, restaurants and everyday needs. Even guests who book resort-style stays with every meal provided find themselves tempted out by those hills. That’s Tuscany, out there.

Driving in Tuscany is a pleasure, not a chore

I love the big Tuscan cities, but I love rural Tuscany even more. I could happily spend all day out on the open roads — it’s surprising Tuscany isn’t more renowned as a driver’s paradise. In this part of the region there are sublimely beautiful journeys along roads that cross glorious landscapes, and the journey is usually as much ‘the point’ as the destination itself.

Parking is generally easy and cheap, too. Honestly, the biggest hazard when driving in Tuscany is the views — it can be hard to keep your eyes on the road.

The roads in the Tuscan countryside are not busy. And I bet you could never guess that the busiest time of the week is Sunday afternoon, when many people are simply out driving for the sheer pleasure of it.

Taxi, train and bus just don’t compare to the freedom of your own car. If you like to play things by ear — to stop for photos, gelato or a curiosity, and to decide on the spot whether to go out or stay in — you’re going to want to drive. We consider Tuscany absolutely a road-trip destination, with some of the best scenic routes in Europe.

How far is Siena House from Tuscany’s airports, stations and towns?

To give you a sense of just how central this part of southern Tuscany is, here are driving distances and approximate times to Siena House from the main arrival points and nearby towns. (Times are current Google Maps estimates and will vary with traffic and season.)

Towns & cities

Airports

As you can see, the nearest towns are a short hop, the handiest train connections and Florence Airport are all comfortably under an hour and a half, and even Rome is an easy half-day’s drive. It’s one of the reasons we think this corner of Tuscany makes such a fine touring base.

Tips for driving in Tuscany

The infamous ‘Z.T.L.’ (Limited Traffic Zones)

Many travellers have heard of the fines you can incur in larger Italian cities like Rome, Florence and even central Siena. It’s relatively easy to slip up in the heavier traffic of Rome or Florence, but far less so in smaller towns. Most towns have pedestrian or locals-only streets known as Zona Traffico Limitato (Z.T.L.), monitored by cameras. The rule is simple: don’t drive into the pedestrian centre. Most Tuscan hill towns have an obvious gate or wall marking the entrance, even where the ‘No Entry’ signs aren’t obvious.

Don’t over-trust your GPS

GPS can lead you astray out here. Start looking to park as soon as you see the blue ‘P’ signs — in small and medium towns like Pienza or Cortona, you’ll already be close to the centre. In larger places it’s less straightforward: in Siena’s historic centre, for example, we always advise guests to follow the road signs rather than fixate on a map or GPS. That’s the secret. Italian signs aren’t as different as you’d fear — you’ll easily recognise ‘No Entry’, ‘One Way’ and ‘Car Park this way’.

Driving on the motorway

For many first-timers, the trickiest part of driving in Italy is the motorway entrances and exits. The highways themselves are rarely busy, though lanes can feel narrow to British and American drivers, and Italians are notorious tailgaters. It’s all manageable — it’s the toll booths that need attention.

Entering and collecting a ticket

Italian motorways are toll roads, so you collect a ticket as you enter. Read the icons at each booth carefully and aim for the entrance marked “Biglietto” (ticket). Avoid the yellow TELEPASS lanes — that’s an automatic direct-debit system your rental car won’t have.

Exiting and paying

When you exit, follow the lane that matches how you’ll pay — look for the coin or card symbols, and again avoid the Telepass-only lanes. If you do stray into a Telepass lane by accident, don’t panic: it happens constantly, especially in summer, and it’s no big deal — many drivers simply reverse out and switch lanes.

Journey planning: expect detours

It’s perfectly normal to take a detour out here, intended or not — a poorly planned route can easily end on a dirt track, because addresses don’t work reliably in these parts. Meandering is delightful until you have an appointment to keep.

Allow extra time

Visits always take longer than expected. Whether it’s your next hotel, a restaurant booking or a winery, my firm advice is to research the journey beforehand if you need to be somewhere on time.

Prepare for the journey

Talk to the owner or staff about how to find them — they’ll know if a place is tricky to reach. Don’t rely solely on signposting; in our area signs are deliberately kept small to protect the landscape’s beauty. Ideally, get the GPS coordinates and check whether Google Maps actually works for that destination. It doesn’t always.

Print off maps or written instructions issued by your accommodation or winery, don’t rely totally on Google Maps, and don’t expect to navigate reliably with addresses in rural Tuscany.

And don’t count on asking the way — not only because fewer people speak English out here, but because you may not see anyone to ask. Even then, they might not know: we’ve been open a very long time, and most locals still don’t know where Siena House is!

Where to rent a car in Tuscany

Our favourite local car-rental points are Chiusi-Chianciano Terme railway station — about a 38-minute drive away, and great for train connections to Rome and beyond — and Florence Airport, ideal for guests arriving via Florence. If you’ve been staying central in Florence (as you certainly should), you’ll need a taxi from the main station out to the airport; it’s a controlled, reasonable price. Florence Airport has several rental companies and Sunday collection is possible. Arezzo train station is also worth considering if you’re arriving by train.

At Chiusi-Chianciano we suggest:

• Europcar — for good rates; collection and drop-off on Sundays is possible with advance booking and a supplement.
• AesseRent — for automatic transmission, which isn’t always easy to find in Tuscany. Also open for Sunday collection and drop-off by appointment.

So, do you need a car for your stay at Siena House?

Yes — and you’ll be glad of it. A car is essential for reaching us and for making the most of this beautifully central corner of Tuscany, where Montepulciano, Pienza, Cortona and a dozen more hill towns are all within easy reach. Once you’ve sorted your wheels, the rest is pure pleasure.

Planning your trip? Choose your room and make Siena House your base, explore the towns we love in our Tuscany Guide, or contact us — we’re always happy to help guests plan the easiest route to our door.

Photography by Chris Borg, Malta.