Car Hire Tuscany

Car Hire Tuscany - It’s all about getting from A to B, simple as that!

As some old Chinese bloke once said “a journey of 1000 miles starts with one step” probably cos’ he’d just missed the last bus, had to walk home in the rain and was trying to be philosophical about it.

Car, vehicle, motor, buggy, wheels call it what you will, when you Rent a Villa in Tuscany car hire is pretty much essential. Take our advice and plan things in advance. A little thought beforehand can stop your dream holiday turning pear shaped.

Follow our Car Hire Tuscany tips for carefree motoring –

- Always book your Car Hire Tuscany in advance – not a good idea to arrive at an airport and hope the car you need will be available. At peak times, especially in smaller airports (ie where the “no-frills” airlines arrive) cars can be limited. Better to be certain you’ve got what you want. It's really no fun having to spend half your holiday searching for a car.

- What type of car do you need? - The normal reply is “something small and cheap” but make sure you’ve considered how much space you’ll need for the number of people plus luggage (plus sports gear) Nothing worse than screeching round hairpin bends halfway up a hill in Tuscany in a little car made for two, stuffed to overflowing with 4 blokes, a couple of sets of golfclubs and a Swedish hitch hiker you just picked up on the way!

- What size of engine? - Is the car hire Tuscany just to get you from the airport to your villa or are you planning on travelling around exploring every corner of Tuscany?

- Pick up/drop off point – Most people pick up their car hire Tuscany from the airport the moment they arrive. It’s more convenient, the office will be open, you’re sure you’ve got what you booked and the drop off point is right back at the airport. However, others don’t like the idea of arriving in a new country, picking up a car and within a few minutes being in the middle of a 6 lane ring road at rush hour. It may be worth considering getting a coach or train into the centre of town and then picking up your hire car the next day. Remember, opening hours for city centre pick up offices can vary so check beforehand that they are open.

- Extras – baby seat, roof rack, snow chains. At peak times supplies of extras can be limited so book in advance.

- Documents – make sure your driving licence is valid, your credit card is accepted and has enough funds for the deposit.

from our car hire partners "Holiday Autos" experts in online car rental.
Holiday Autos


One thing, if not thought about in advance that could turn your dream holiday in to your holiday from hell is directions, map reading, navigation, in short – getting there! Nothing worse than zooming along at 150 kph with a giant map (upsidedown) on your knee whilst trying to pronounce street names that sound like types of pasta. These days there are a mind boggling array of services, websites and hi tech gadgets available to help you navigate your way around Tuscany.

Join one of the main motoring organisation in your country (for example Green Flag or the AA in the UK). They provide a wealth of information on motoring in other countries and some will even plan your route for you.

Maps – check out the marvel that is Google Earth . Zoom in from outer space to have look at your villa. You can spend hours just planning imaginary journeys, great fun. We use Multimap for good clear printable maps. Put in your destination and get turn by turn directions. If you are into gadgets, you can download maps onto your palmtop or laptop. ( Rough Guide has great maps and guides). Satellite navigation devices such as Tom Tom are becoming more popular and now even the latest mobile phones have gps systems integrated.

Road conditions – keep up to date on the latest road works/accidents, which could affect your journey. The Italian company "Autostrade" , which manages the Italian motorway network has real time info including webcams on its website.

Are we there yet? - Every parent has heard this one from the kids in the back seat, usually starts about 100 metres outside the airport. Car games for kids should keep the little tykes amused for a few minutes.

Travel Weather - Check the weather before you leave, in winter make sure you’ve got snow chains if your planning on going up into the mountains. Check out our Weather in Tuscany page for info on the latest Tuscan weather.

Take your own - Prefer driving your own car on holiday, but don’t want to drive all the way? The answer could be The Train . You load your car onto the train, have a good night's sleep, wake up in the morning in your destination, hop into your own car and off you go. Convenient, just remember what side of the road to drive on!

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