Adventures of Driving Under the Tuscan Sun in Italy

For anyone who has read the book or has seen the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun,” each different but equally brilliant, then you can imagine what it’s like to drive through the winding hills of the golden Tuscan countryside.  Here – where the sunflowers bloom, where rows upon rows of olive groves and vineyards offer their bountiful harvests, and where Cyprus-lined roads wind around hillsides to enchanting hilltop farmhouses – is where you'll find your Tuscany.  If ever a destination exists that delivers upon and exceeds expectations, it's Tuscany!  It's everything you would imagine it to be.  If Florence, Siena, Montepulciano, or even Cortona are on  your Italian itinerary, make sure you set aside an extra day or two, perhaps an entire week, for a drive under the Tuscan sun!

Montepulciano perched high atop the golden Tuscan hills! 

If you ask me, there is no other way to experience this spectacular region of Italy than to drive through the enchanting countryside at your own pace and stop to visit one or all of the the historic hilltop towns.  And, this is precisely what we did on our last trip to Italy.  Calling Florence home for six days allowed for more than enough time to explore the city centre and surrounding Tuscany.  On the day of our journey, we picked up our car and we were on our way!  After crossing over the Arno River, we made our way to SR2 and began our trek to Siena, Montepulciano, and at the recommendation of our Avis representative, the tiny hilltop town of Pienza since it was so close to Montepulciano. Along the way, we stopped many, many times to take a few pictures, okay, lots of pictures because around every bend in the road, a picture-perfect Tuscan landscape was waiting there to greet us. All were absolutely delightful and I will share our experiences at each of those destinations soon.  But for now, let's keep our eyes on the road.

Know before you go:

If Florence is your base, you'll find conveniently located rental car offices along the Arno River on Borgo Ognissanti, just west of the Duomo.  From here, it's quick and easy access to A-1 and SR2. When you book your car, make every attempt to secure an automatic, a hard commodity but well worth it because of the narrow hilly roads and driving in and around the hilltop towns.

As for navigating the roadways, be alert because they are not marked very well, sometimes not at all.  During the journey, you must rely on small blue directional signs to find your way. At times, we had no idea what road we were on so we continued and just hoped for the best. Hey, if worse comes to worst, remember, all roads lead to Rome, right? If you're concerned, don't worry, either do most of your driving during daylight hours with a good map or make sure you have GPS.  If the latter, you have nothing to worry about except if it doesn't speak English.  Only kidding however, it does bring up a very important point – make sure you take along an English-Italian dictionary because the Italians who live in these rural areas, although extremely friendly and eager to help, speak little to no English so stopping for directions, may present a challenge or two, but nothing you can’t overcome.

To ensure you make the most of your adventure through Tuscany, keep OFF the super highways running north and south such as A-1, or you'll miss the sublime Tuscan scenery.  Also, driving in Italy is the same as in the U.S. so getting acclimated is quite easy compared to driving in the U.K. However, some Italians enjoy driving a little faster and are familiar with the roads, so stay to right, drive at a reasonable speed, and most importantly, be alert!  If driving in a foreign country scares you, no worries.  Although I was somewhat fearful of the prospect, my fears melted away as soon as we hit the open road.  It was exhilarating to say to the least.

Here are some more spectacular vistas that await on your Tuscan adventure.

A spectacular scenic view of the Tuscan countryside taken in Pienza. 

All in all, it was a most amazing day in Tuscany! We ventured through medieval hilltop towns, saw breathtaking vistas around every turn, photographed the sometimes surreal and scenic landscapes every chance we had, ate great food, of course – and all of this at our own pace.  By far, renting a car and being the master of your destiny is one of the biggest benefits to touring the Tuscany region of Italy – you can take your time and smell the roses for as long as you like. And we did!

Happy motoring!

Arrivederci!

Additional Reading

Experience Tuscany with Simon from WildAboutTravel.com as she Eats, Prays and Loves her way through this region.