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Car rental at Florence Airport
Car rental at Florence Airport
Florence is a unique city in Italy, a kind of example of Renaissance architecture in the world. It is not surprising that many tourists from all over the world want to visit Florence. Travelers often combine exploring Florence with trips to the Tuscany region, where the world-famous natural and architectural sights are located. Tuscany attracts tourists with its charming countryside such as picturesque fields, olive groves, romantic hills, and inspiring mountains. Of course, it is impossible not to mention the sea, and in Tuscany it is the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is warm and has a gentle entrance and a sandy shore. In addition, Tuscany is home to many other historically significant cities, including Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano and others. This is what pushes tourists to rent a car for travelling around Tuscany.
Tuscany is an extremely picturesque region, but public transport here is not developed so well. And if regional trains run between large towns, then to smaller towns there are only buses, the schedule of which is often irregular. It is for this reason that most often tourists when traveling in Tuscany choose such type of transportation as a rented car.
I have travelled a lot by roads in Europe so I can confirm they are pretty much comfortable and it is often the fastest way to get to the desired destination. Plus, you can conveniently and safely move around the regions available from main cities as the road connections are developed absolutely fine. After some research and based on my own experience, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to rent a car in Florence to travel around Italy.
If you start your trip from Florence, then renting a car here is quite easy. You can find rental offices immediately upon arrival at Florence airport. In the arrival terminal under the sign “Car Rental Center” there are 17+ offices of international and local rental companies. These include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, InterRent, Keddy, Sixt and many others. You can book a car in advance via different online services:
Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and saving on car rentals;
Economybookings is a service for comparing offers from rental companies around the world.
Based on my experience, both online services have a convenient search. In order to find the most suitable option in terms of price and quality, I would recommend checking the offers on all the listed services for comparison.
According to my research, to register a car for rent you need to have a passport, an international driving license, and a bank card. To save your time, I would recommend booking the desired class of car in advance, then the registration procedure will be significantly simplified.
Why is it better to book car rental services in advance?
Florence is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. The number of tourists is measured in millions. Many of them want to visit not only Florence, but also the surrounding area: Tuscan cities, nature, the shore, etc. For this purpose, travelers most often book a car, since it is the most convenient form of transport for moving around the region. By booking a car in advance, you can be sure that you will get the class of car you are counting on, and at the same time at a better price. Without reservation, you may encounter a situation where all the cars of the class you need will already be reserved, and you will have to take a car in a more expensive segment.
Please note that when paying, most rental companies also block a so-called deposit on your bank account, which is provided in case of unforeseen circumstances (accidents, fines, fuel problems, etc.). At the end of the rental period, the deposit is unblocked and returned to the bank card. The amount of the blocked deposit depends on the class of the selected car. Blocking a deposit is a common practice of international car booking services, which is used all over the world.
Briefly about the deposit, franchise and insurance: If the price of renting a car is quite low, then the deposit amount is usually quite high. This amount will be blocked on the card as a deposit in case of damage to the car. You can avoid this by taking out full insurance; Standard insurance covers your expenses in case of an accident, but only above the deductible amount. You will have to pay the franchise. The amount of the deductible in case of an accident is specified in the agreement, please pay attention to it; Full insurance usually covers both the deductible and the deposit, and also covers damage to glass, mirrors, tires, wheels, etc. (more specific conditions can be found in the agreement). Traffic violations (fines issued) are NOT covered by full insurance! The cost of full insurance is daily and, accordingly, depends on the number of rental days.
Rental prices in Florence start from 24-26 euros per day for a passenger car. A small sedan class car will be quite enough for traveling around the towns of Tuscany. The roads here are of good quality, and the landscape is mostly flat. If you are planning to visit the Apuan Mountains Natural Park, then it is better to rent a car of another class.
In the “high” season, and for Tuscany these are the summer months, rental prices may slightly increase due to tourist demand. The price increases on average by 15-20%. If you are planning a trip to Tuscany specifically for the summer months, then it will be worthwhile to book a car as early as possible. Please note you will also have to pay separately for additional equipment (if necessary) such as navigator, child seat, roof rack, chains, etc. As far as I know, travellers can also add a second driver to the car rental agreement and obtain extended insurance for an additional fee.
Car rental in Florence
If you did not rent a car at Florence airport upon arrival, you can rent a car in the city offices. The largest car rental office is located at Via Maso Finiguerra. Based on my research, here, within a radius of several meters, there are rental offices of the following companies:
- Locauto
- Sicily by Car
- Budget
- Enterprise
- Keddy
- Alamo
- Avis
You can also find rental offices on Via Ambrosoli, Via Forlanini, Piazza della Stazione. Several well-known international companies are also located here. It should be remembered that the largest number of vehicles is located at Florence Airport. You can find more than 200 vehicles here.
When booking in advance, the rental usually comes with free options such as cancellation and changes to the order 48 hours before the start of the rental, theft coverage, and accident coverage. Also, the websites almost always offer various special offers (free registration of an additional driver, additional equipment, etc.). You can also perform an independent search for specific dates:
When choosing a car from a supplier, pay attention to the rental conditions, namely, what mileage is provided (unlimited or limited), what are the fuel conditions (return with a full tank or not), air conditioning, and the type of transmission (automatic or manual). If necessary, in Florence you can book a car of any class, be it a mini, economy, compact, medium-sized car, family car, minivan, SUV, etc.
My tips how to book a car in advance via online services:
This option will allow you to find the best available variant and save time on registration in the office.
1.To begin, on the start page of any online service you need to provide data to search for available options. Here you will need to select the place of picking up and returning, the dates of the intended trip, and a convenient time to visit the office. Some offices, especially within the airport, operate 24 hours a day. If you are planning not a circular route or radial departures, but a one-way trip, then you can choose different pickup and return locations. For example, tourists often rent a car in Florence and return it in Rome. This option is available from many international rental companies.
2.On the search results page you will see a list of available rental options for your dates from various suppliers. To narrow the search, you can add additional filters, for example, to indicate the rental companies you are interested in, the class of car, type of gearbox and other parameters.
3.For each offer, you can study more detailed information by opening the “Rental Conditions” tab. Here you will find important information such as bank cards accepted for payment, documents required for registration, franchise amount, mileage and fuel conditions, insurance options and others.
4.Having chosen the option you like, proceed to the booking stage. Here you will need to provide your personal information: first name, last name, telephone number, email address, flight number and time (for booking at airport offices). At the same stage, you can order additional equipment, for instance, a child seat, a trunk, a navigator, chains, as well as arrange for a second driver and extended insurance.
5.The last stage is payment. Payment is made by credit card and can be in full or in advance, depending on the rental conditions. After payment, a voucher with confirmation of your reservation will be sent to your email address. This is what needs to be presented at the office of the selected rental company. Here you will be asked to sign an agreement and given the car keys.
If you plan to travel mainly in urban areas and highways, then it will be enough to take a standard class car. If you are planning to explore the Tuscan countryside, then you should think about a more powerful car and a manual transmission. Next, I present a list of distances to the main attractions of the region:
| From | To | Distance | Route number |
| Florence | Pisa | 98 km (60,89 miles) | A11 (map) |
| Florence | Siena | 96 km (59,65 miles) | A1/E35 (map) |
| Florence | Lucca | 78 km (48,46 miles) | A11 (map) |
| Florence | San Gimignano | 62 km (38,5 miles) | Raccordo Autostradale (map) |
| Florence | Arezzo | 76 km (47,22 miles) | A1/E35 (map) |
| Florence | Montepulciano | 109 km (67,72 miles) | A1/E35 (map) |
| Florence | Volterra | 81 km (50,33 miles) | Raccordo Autostradale (map) |
| Florence | Pienza | 117 km (72,70 miles) | A1/E35 (map) |
| Florence | Forte dei Marmi | 108 km (67,10 miles) | A11 (map) |
| Florence | Viareggio | 97 km (60,273 miles) | A11 (map) |
In addition to the generally recognized historical centers, Tuscany is famous for its beach and thermal resorts. So, in your travel itinerary you can safely include destinations such as Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Lido di Camaiore, Grosseto, San Vincenzo, Punta Ala, Pietrasanta, Follonica, Orbetello. The best baths can be found in Montecatini Terme and Saturnia.
Driving rules in Florence
The traffic rules in Florence, as well as in Italy in general, are similar to European, so there should not be any big problems in understanding. The speed within the city is 50 km/h, outside the city is 90 km/h, on highways it is up to 110 km/h. Some roads in Italy are toll roads; upon entry you need to take a ticket to pay; most often the cost is calculated according to 1 euro per km. To avoid toll roads, you can always find free duplicate routes. The speed of movement along them is somewhat lower, but the quality of the coverage is comparable. The use of radar detectors is prohibited.
In my point of view, it is also worth paying attention to the parking system. The color scheme works here: places surrounded with white stripes are free parking; spaces surrounded with blue stripes are paid parking. For long-term parking, it is better to look for accommodation (hotel, apartment) with a parking option included. In the city, leaving a car overnight in an underground parking lot will cost from 20 euros per day. Also, in large cities and historical centers you may encounter the sign “traffic limitato”, which means that driving to this area is prohibited. This is how Italy fights to preserve historical heritage.
In general, I can say that it is difficult to overestimate all the opportunities that tourists have with car rental. Tuscany is one of the most favorable areas of Italy for traveling by car. In addition to quality trails, the region boasts stunning scenery of Tuscan fields, mountains and shoreline.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: R Boed
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…