Should I rent a car or hire a driver to explore Tuscany?

How to get around Tuscany is a bit of a vexed question. Between the larger towns, there is an excellent rail service with frequent trains all day. Smaller towns can be reached by bus, but the bus service is scheduled more for commuters than tourists. To explore the countryside, a car is by far the best way to go and, of course, many visitors to Tuscany rent a car for the duration of their stay. There is, however, an alternative strategy. "Should I rent a car or hire a driver to explore Tuscany?" Suppose you are here for two weeks but only five of those days are trips that require a car? Money-wise and for the reasons outlined, this might be the optimal alternative:

Don't rent a car in Tuscany: hire a driver.

For those of you who want to explore Tuscany efficiently, rather than renting your own car, consider hiring a private driver - a chauffeur, in other words - with his own vehicle. Yes, it will cost a bit more than a rental car but the advantages are numerous:

• Instead of focussing on the narrow, twisting roads of Tuscany, you will be able to admire the views and identify the sights while you let your driver take care of the driving.
• Planning your routes together with your driver - before you arrive, if possible - will allow you to visit more of your destinations in a shorter time - no time wasted on the wrong roads, slow speeds and closed sights. Plus, your driver will help you choose the most scenic routes where there are more than one.
• Once you arrive at one of your destinations, your private driver will drop you off at the sight and then he'll take care of finding a parking place - often a problem with popular small Tuscan villages.
• No more worries about bus lanes and limited traffic zones. A driver with an NCC license is allowed to drive into limited traffic zones where private drivers are prohibited. That means he can pick you up at your accommodations and drop you off again, as well as access sights with limited traffic zones.
• Doing a wine-tasting tour is a popular activity among visitors to Tuscany. "Taste and spit" can be tiresome on day-long wine tasting tour. With your own driver, that issue disappears and you can enjoy yourselves freely.
• Last but not least, your driver knows places that the guide books don't. Tell him or her your interests and ask for suggestions.

A minibus carries up to 7 or 8 passengers, will probably be air conditioned and provide WiFi access to the internet.

My recommended drivers are:

• Angela Saltafuori, for wine tours throughout Tuscany.
  
  

  

  Two happy tourists wine tasting with Angela Saltafuori
  

  
  
  
• Sergio Ceccherini does Tuscany wine tours and a large variety of other specialised tours.
  
  

  

  Sergio Ceccherini ready for a wine tour in Tuscany

  
  

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2024. All rights reserved.

Guided tours and wine tastings in Tuscany

I've just done a tour in Tuscany with a Tuscan driver guide that I hadn't met before. That's Sergio Ceccherini who does guided tours in Tuscany, both traditional and some with a very original twist. His English is flawless and it was a great tour. I've done private guided tours in Tuscany before and this was equal with the best of them, therefore a strong recommendation for Sergio and his Tuscany wine tours from me.

Guided tour with driver guide Sergio Ceccherini

"Traditional" Tours

Chianti Scenic Tour. Wine Tasting. Everything the Chianti region has to offer.

Arezzo and Cortona. Under the Tuscan Sun Tour.

Sienna and San Gimignano Tour. In addition to the town tours, includes top quality wine tasting.

Pisa and Lucca Tour. The famous tower of Pisa plus a visit to the less touristy but very charming town of Lucca.

Brolio Castle and Chianti Wine Tasting Tour. A very "castle-like" castle, the history of Chianti, wine tasting, Tuscan lunch.

"Novel" Tours

Private Photo Shoot and Tuscany Wine Tasting With Home Cooked Lunch.


Wine Making in Tuscany - Become a Wine Maker for a Day. 

Tuscan winery lunch and winetasting

More about Sergio's Tuscany wine tours from Florence.

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Farm stays in Chianti, Italy

Chianti Tourist Information - tourist information

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2017 - 2018. All rights reserved.

Tuscan wine tours - wine tasting in Tuscany at its best

Yesterday and today there was torrential rain in Florence and throughout Tuscany. Luckily, we had a clear evening in Greve on Thursday for the long-table dinner for the "rione" of Montefioralle and the "rione" of San Francesco. Food was average, wine was good, company was great. There were tickets available up until only a couple of hours before 8 pm when we started, so when you're visiting a Tuscan town, look for hand-written notices pasted up around the place and referring to "rione" and "cena". If you see one and don't read Italian, ask in a nearby shop for the details. The dinner with wine and spumante cost 15 euros.

Today, I took a group on wine tour with Angela Saltafuori of Tuscan Wine Tours. Both I and my friends were extremely pleased with this wine tasting tour. I've been on her tours before but this one was new with tastings in San Casciano. My strongest recommendation goes to Angie.

Angie (centre) conducting one of her wine tours

More on wine tasting tours in Tuscany. 

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2013 - 2015. All rights reserved.