Renting a car in Tuscany will give you the greatest freedom and opportunities to discover the more remote villages. On the other hand, if you only want to visit the tourist towns, public transport is definitely a better option.
Especially on weekdays, bus transport works well in Tuscany.
Even in Tuscany, the general guidelines for renting a car apply and if you are new to this segment, read our article How to rent a car abroad for the first time.
Where, when and how to book a car in Tuscany
There are two main airports in Tuscany, both of which are home to most of the major international car rental companies, supplemented by a few local ones.
You can clearly compare all the rental companies on booking.com, for example, according to your own criteria. You can then book your car.
The best prices are usually 3-4 months before your planned trip.
Car rental prices in Tuscany
You will always find lower prices in Pisa, where there are after all a few more car rental companies. Prices vary according to the current availability of cars.
- 4-day rental at Pisa Airport - from 55 eur
- 4-day rental at Florence Airport - from 75 eur
Motorway tolls
All motorways in Italy are toll-free.
You pay at toll gates to pass through certain sections. You can pay with a contactless card or cash and you can calculate the exact prices on autostrade.it/en/pedaggio.
Examples of prices can be found here:
- Pisa - Florence on the SGC free of charge
- Lucca - Florence by motorway for 5,60 eur
- Florence - Siena on the RA3 motorway for free
- Florence - Bologna for 8,70 eur
- Florence - Sinalunga for 7,50 eur
- Pisa - La Spezia for 8,50 eur
- Pisa - Cecina for 8,60 eur
Quality of roads and parking
Expect very good roads and motorways on the main routes, while narrower and very winding roads await in the mountain and rural areas, as well as in the historic city centres.
The rules of the road here are very similar to those in other European countries, but enforcement by Italian drivers is quite poor.
Parking will be a problem in the larger cities, where there are blue zones for residents only practically everywhere.
However, there are always large paid parking lots around the sights, expect prices between 3 eur and 5 eur per hour.
In smaller towns and villages, on the other hand, parking is usually hassle-free and prices are around 2,50 eur to 3,50 eur per hour.
