BestOfTuscany.info - vacation rentals by owner in Tuscany
Many tourists come to Tuscany by airplane or train, don't rent a car and still enjoy their vacation. But in some cases having a car is necessary, let's see when this applies.
You have mainly two options: coach service and train. Another option, suitable for your daily excursions, is to rent a car with driver, there are several of them especially in Florence and the Chianti area. They are used to carry tourist around the countryside so they can give you advice about restaurants or smaller villages to visit.
All the main Tuscan cities are connected by railroads. So if you are settled in a city you will not have problems to move and visit other towns by train (see the railway map). The regional rail system is quite efficient and tickets are reasonably priced. The service is managed by Trenitalia. Remember to validate regional train tickets before boarding or you will be fined.
More information about moving by train in Tuscany.
Things could change if you decide to stay in a farmhouse or a villa in a village not connected to the railway system. Having a car will simplify your trips and give you more freedom, but don't give up, you can still explore Tuscany if you don't have a car. Even if some town and villages are not reached by railroads, they always have a public coach service that connects them to nearby villages and main cities on the same province.
While still managed by the same company AT Bus, inside Tuscan cities are operating urban bus services that require a different ticket from the suburban or extra-urban service. The main difference is that the tickets for extra-urban coach lines are based on kilometers, while the urban bus tickets are based on minutes.
Since 2022 one consortium manages wheel public transport in all Tuscany: Autolinee Toscane. Tuscan towns and villages are connected by many public bus lines, all the main Tuscan cities are connected by coach routes to Florence, the center of which acts as the main regional hub. All the previous local operators – as Autolinee Chianti Valdarno, Siena Mobilità, Rama (Grosseto), VaiBus (Lucca, Massa and the lucchese coast), Autolinee Mugello Valdisieve, Etruria Mobilità (Arezzo and Valdarno), BluBus (Pistoia) – are now merged into Autolinee Toscane.
To take a urban or suburban coach passing by the road you will have to clearly show your intention to take it, raising one hand up, and you have to act fast, otherwise it won't stop. Don't be shy!
You should buy tickets before boarding (using the app or in shops). If you are traveling on Sunday or holidays, you should buy the tickets in advance as usually both ticket offices and shops that sell the tickets are closed. You have also to consider that on those days there are fewer bus schedules. The tickets for the bus service inside Florence can be bought via SMS if you have an Italian operator (only TIM, Vodafone and Wind3), paying with the credit of your cell phone.
On board selling is possible on both urban buses and suburban coaches with debit and credit cards using a contactless self-service machine called TipTap. Only contactless enabled cards by Mastercard, Visa, American Express are accepted. Smartphones or other devices are functioning too if they are able to manage contactless payments. You better check the official site for details. Remember that on suburban and extra-urban coaches you have to tap twice: when you get on board and when you're getting off, otherwise the maximum fare applies. Buying on-board with cash is discouraged as the driver is not obliged, you need to have the exact amount because cash change is usually refused and the on-board ticket is always much more expensive. So always make sure you have a ticket before getting on the coach/bus unless you have a credit card. From April 2023 you can buy tickets using the official app for smartphones At Bus, the previous app TABNET (by the Italian Tobacconist Federation) is still available and working, but it's only in Italian. Our advice is to use the app for managing tickets if you aren't able to get the printed ones.
Although some places are connected by both railway and coach lines, choosing the first is not always the best move. As an example, to reach Siena from Florence (or the other way) by train you have to pass from Empoli, and the railway station of Siena is down the hill so you will have to walk about 26 minutes or take a city bus to reach the center of the town. In that case, it is simpler and faster to get a coach by Autolinee Toscane (formerly SITA) that will take you straight to the entrance of Siena's centre in one hour and fifteen minutes. Take the Siena rapida line, not the one that passes by Poggibonsi because it takes longer, one hour and thirty-five minutes.
When you are in Tuscany, a useful source of information regarding traffic, delays of trains et cetera is the Muoversi in Toscana Twitter account and the official web site (in Italian).
If you are based in a little village or an isolated villa in the countryside, or you simply want to explore the countryside with total flexibility and relax, there is the possibility to rent a car or minibus with driver, you could find it affordable especially if you are a group of four people or more. Contact the local Pro Loco ("pro loco": that's Latin, it means a tourist information service managed by a local association) or the tourist office, they should have a list of the operators.
Large groups of people might find convenient to hire a private coach or minibus with driver. The following are local companies that offer this service: Sita, GiottoBus (touring coach rental company), Lazzi.
Coming with your own car, or renting one, is necessary if you plan to move often and quickly to visit many villages, so you are not conditioned by timetable of the means of transport. A car is not advised for reaching major cities (especially Florence), where vehicular traffic can be a problem for foreign people and finding a car park it is not always easy and very often quite expensive. Indeed in the majority of the situations the best and cheaper way to reach the center of Florence is by train or bus. While having a car is advisable if you have to move away from Florence at night, when buses are not on service or very sparse (after midnight), so the only remaining option is the taxi service. Florentine taxis are available 24/24h, nightly fares are applied from 10PM to 6AM.
Are you searching for an accommodation from which to get around Tuscany without a car? Have a look at this vacation rental in the Florentine countryside.
