Travel Plans
We have been helping our guests’ travels to Tuscany run smoothly for decades. Once you book your ideal villa in Tuscany or Umbria, our expert knowledge and resources can ensure that the rest of the journey is a breeze.
To Tuscany have joined with the best available partners to connect you with quality travel services, all checked and approved by our team of experts. We can also recommend a tried and trusted travel insurance package which can give you peace of mind in the event of unexpected incidents, as well as an airport and city centre bus transfer service.
These services are gathered here together to make your travel as worry-free as possible. If there’s any other services you’re curious about, don’t hesitate to ask.
Travel Plans
Car Hire In Tuscany
To make the most of Tuscany you will need a car. It will allow you to explore the beautiful little hilltop towns, accessible only via tiny roads with breathtaking views. You can either have a car with a driver or hire a car to drive yourself. With the help of Rhinocarhire.com we have put together some tips on car hire.
Fuel policy – We recommend opting for a ‘full to full’ fuel policy. Most rental services offer this. Avoid full to empty or pre-paid fuel policies, or you’ll be paying expensive rates for your tank of fuel and will be unlikely to get a refund for any unused fuel. Just make sure you return the car with a full tank (normally there is a petrol station not far from the airport) or you’ll have to pay for missing fuel, plus an administration charge.
Child seats – If you need to rent a car seat, it can be an expensive option costing upwards of 10 EUR per day, per seat. Many airlines allow you to bring your own at no cost but do check with the airline. If you decide to bring your own, it may be worth investing in a car seat carry bag to help protect your car seat in transit. Not only can you save on the cost of renting a car seat, but you can be confident that your child will travel in the comfort and safety of the seat they use at home.
Return the car clean – You’re not expected to return the car freshly valeted, however if it gets excessively dirty (inside or out), you should get it cleaned to avoid a cleaning fee which will likely be far more than the cost of a car wash. In short, the car should be returned clean.
Excess Insurance – Check the excess insurance (deposit) and make sure you know how much you’re paying. It can vary from car to car and from supplier to supplier. Expect to pay a refundable deposit between 800-1200 EUR. There are four options available with regards to paying excess.
- Reduce excess to zero when you use the rental agents own policy (around 20 EUR per day which can be added at pick up).
- Protect your excess with a standalone policy
- Use a chosen broker (around 5-10 EUR per day)
- Protect your excess with an annual excess policy for a fraction of the cost. Check out www.carhireexcess.co.ukfor more information.
Credit card – Most rental agents require a credit card for security at pick up. However some agents will accept a debit card if you take their optional insurance. Check the terms and conditions regarding payment method before you book the car.
Supplier location – check if the chosen supplier is on or off the airport site. Off-site suppliers (which are not located within the airport complex) tend to be cheaper, but require a transfer / shuttle bus to the depot. On-site suppliers are often much more convenient, though also a little more expensive.
GPS – Directions to your villa are provided to all To Tuscany clients. However, you may still wish to use sat-nav. Consider using Google maps (or similar) especially if you have a good data roaming package. Be aware that navigation devices always calculate the shortest route, but in Tuscany, this may lead you through small unpaved country roads which may require a 4x4. In this case, it’s best to use the directions provided by To Tuscany.
Supplier ratings – Check the supplier ratings for your chosen rental car supplier to see how our previous customers rate them. Ratings are based on features such as value for money, queue times, car quality and rental desk staff among others. Lowest price does not always reflect the best value.
Driver's license - you will need a valid driver's license. Make sure you bring this with you as you will need to present it for pick up. If you have a non-EU country license, you will need to obtain an international driver's license before arriving in Italy.
Flights to Tuscany
Most guests find that flying into Pisa or Florence is the most convenient way of reaching your villa in Tuscany but other airports to consider with good links to the area are Rome, Perugia and Bologna.
When travelling by plane, we strongly suggest you hire a car for the duration of your stay in Tuscany, it is usually more cost-effective to book your car hire from home.
Airport Parking
We all know how busy the airport can get, especially during peak travel seasons. So, pre-book your parking before you get there and avoid the rush. Booking online normally results in better rates.
Airport Hotel Booking
If you want to make it to your early morning flight or you live far from the airport, consider a night spent at an airport hotel. It will help you make your flight on-time, refreshed and ready to go.
Our flights partner: Skyscanner
Insurance
At To Tuscany, we understand that you are looking for complete peace of mind when booking your holiday with us. We also understand that your holidays are important to you and, if unforeseen circumstances arise, you want to know that your holidays, and your money, are safe.
For this reason, we regard travel insurance as an essential part of your holiday, so much so that, as stated in our Terms and Conditions, we ask for all members of your travel party to have adequate cover for the duration of your holiday.
Travel Insurance not only helps with any misfortunes you may experience that could impact your holiday but also helps to protect you as a tenant during your stay at one of our rental properties.
Covering for Cancellation and Medical Emergencies
We recommend thoroughly reviewing what is and is not covered by any potential insurance provider to ensure that you have sufficient cover for your trip. As a minimum, you should ensure the cover provides a cancellation protection scheme in the event that you need to cancel your holiday. In addition, you may wish to purchase a plan which covers, including but not limited to: health and medical emergencies, trip interruption and personal belongings.
Covering for Accidental Damage
Whilst you are on holiday, the last thing you want to worry about is paying additional costs for when things don’t quite go to plan. However, accidents do happen and, for this reason, we recommend ensuring your travel insurance policy covers you and anyone in your party for accidental damage during your holiday.
Covering Your Pets
Pets are welcome at many of our villas and apartments (you can find a pet-friendly villa by using the filters in our villa search). When taking your pet with you on holiday, we recommend choosing an insurance policy which covers your pet all the time you are away. As well as medical cover, it is important to consider a policy that will cover any accidental damage or injury caused by your pet during your trip.
Holiday Extras
Terravision is a company that does bus transfers from several airports into the largest city nearby. This option is an easy way to get into some of the large cities, without the hassel of parking, for a city centre stopover before or after your holiday in Tuscany.
