Are you considering renting a car during your holiday in Tuscany? International car rental companies have offices across the region but there are also several local agencies that offer car rentals -- renting a car on your vacation will be simple!
A rental car is an extremely useful and practical solution to visit all of Tuscany. Practical because many car rental offices being in or near the main airports and train stations so that you can pick up your rental as soon as you arrive in Tuscany. If you want to stay in the countryside or are planning to visit the beautiful smaller villages spread throughout Tuscany, renting a car is actually the best solution. It will offer independence from fixed bus and train schedules as well as from the random transportation strikes that tend to occur in Italy. You will be able to move from one place to the next at your leisure.
Tips:
- If you're planning on only visiting Florence, a car will not be needed. If you wish to visit towns and villages beyond the most popular destinations of Florence, Pisa and Siena, then a car is almost a necessity. The Chianti hills, the Val d'Orcia, Maremma, Casentino and hilltop villages in these areas in Tuscany are almost impossible to visit depending solely on public transportation. If you're in Florence and planning to rent a car, read this article on where to rent cars in Florence and additional tips.
- A rental car will also open your options as regards accommodation: with the independence of moving whenever you wish and wherever you wish, you can decide to sleep at a farmhouse or bed and breakfast in the Tuscan countryside rather than in lodging within a city center to be close to public transporation.
What you'll need:
Renting a car in Tuscany is extremely simple since you can reserve your rental car online before you head to Tuscany.
- A credit card is required for the reservation
- Non-European Union citizens will need, in addition to their driver's license, an International Driver's Permit/License along with your license to be able to drive in Italy. So make sure you've got your documents in order before departing.
The majority of car rental agencies offer rentals with many extras including satellite GPS navigators and baby car seats at additional cost - the GPS navigator will surely prove to be useful during your vacation in Tuscany.
Fuel:
We recently read an article about the return of a rental car to the Pisa airport where there was a problem with understanding which was the right type of gasoline to put in the car. To make a long story short, the visitors put in the wrong kind, the car died just a few miles after and, in the end, they not only had to pay for cleaning the tank right there and then, but for extra damages a few weeks later when the car wouldn't start after it was returned.
In Italian, "carburante" and "benzina" are both generic words for gasoline/petrol. But diesel is diesel in Italian as well, so PAY ATTENTION and know what kind of car you're renting so that you put the right type in the car.
There are over 150,000 misfueling accidents each year in the UK alone, imagine in other countries where language factors come in. Most involve putting gasoline/petrol in diesel cars. The most important thing is to not start the car! It must be towed away. A few liters of the wrong fuel can damage filters and the car engine itself. Misfueling is considered negligence on the part of the rental customer and invalidates the damage waiver which would mean a bad end to a good vacation. We don't want that for your vacation in Tuscany, so please pay attention!
Keeping that in mind, we wish you a safe and enjoyable journey throughout your stay in Tuscany!
