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Get Out of Town |
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While the city of Florence offers an abundance of history and culture, inspiration is sure to set in and inspire you to explore the countryside by car. Tuscany holds a world of splendors to delight the senses, often lauded as offering the finest wines and food Italy has to offer. Driving itineraries are the best way to explore all that this sun-drenched region has to offer and make the most of your car rental. From the numerous vineyards that divide the countryside, to the marvelous opportunity to experience the Italian country at its most charming, car rental in Florence is exceptionally easy. Conveniently located between the A1 and A11 on the Italian Autostada, you are perfectly positioned to hit the open road and explore true Italian living at its finest.
For the most comprehensive car rental driving itineraries Auto Europe highly recommends Karen Brown's Guide to Italy. The following sample itinerary suggests two areas to explore from Florence: the Chianti Classico wine region and southern Tuscany.
Recommended Pacing: To explore the hilltowns of Tuscany you need at least a week (in addition to the time you allocate to Florence). We recommend a minimum of four nights in the heart of Tuscany's Chianti Classico wine region, which stretches from Florence south to Siena. This will give the minimum time needed to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the hilltowns and to sample the delicious Chianti wines. The second suggested stop is southern Tuscany where we suggest three nights to explore the stunning small towns that dot the hillsides, visit breathtaking monasteries, and taste more of Italy's superb wines: Vino Nobile, grown near Montepulciano, and Brunello, grown near Montacino.
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Chianti Classico Wine Region |
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The idyllic Chianti Classico wine region lives up to every dream of Tuscany—hills crowned by picture-perfect villages, medieval walled towns, straight rows of towering cypresses, romantic villas, ancient stone farmhouses, vast fields of brilliant poppies, forests of pine trees, vineyards stretching to the horizon. Instead of moving about, packing and unpacking, choose a place to stay anywhere within the area and use it us your hub for exploring this utterly beguiling region of Italy. Below we give suggestions for towns to visit including Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Siena, along with many more.
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Southern Tuscany |
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The area of southern Tuscany that lies south/southeast of Siena is famous for its superb wines. A great bonus is that these vineyards are in one of Italy's most picturesque regions, filled with quaint villages and amazing abbeys, thus making your adventures even more enchanting. Whereas Chianti Classico wine is renowned in the area between Florence and Siena, the vineyards farther south also produce some of the mostly highly regarded wines in the world, the most famous of these being Vino Nobile, grown near Montepulciano, and Brunello, grown near Montacino. There are many wineries open to the public where wine can be tasted and purchased. Many wine tastings are free, although some wineries charge a minimal fee.
We suggest a sightseeing loop that covers some of our favorite wineries, medieval towns, and picturesque abbeys. It would be impossible to squeeze everything in this itinerary into one day unless you rush madly from place to place.
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Itineraries |
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These itineraries are excerpted from Karen Brown's Guides. Auto Europe highly recommends Karen Brown's Guides for all travel to Europe. It is possible to purchase the individual itineraries or the guide complete with additional regional itineraries and recommendations of Europe's most charming places to stay. For more information about Karen Brown's Guides to this country as well as her other international titles, please visit Karen Brown's Guides.
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