Fiat 500 Tour Florence: Drive a Vintage 500 in Tuscan Wine Country

Stop by Stop

You meet at the 500 Touring Club clubhouse at Via Franceschi 23 in Scandicci, about 10 minutes from the centre of Florence, and the operator suggests telling a taxi driver just the name 500 Touring Club. From there you drive your own Fiat 500 in a convoy led by the guide through the Tuscan hills, past villas, cypress-lined roads, vineyards and olive groves. A wine-tasting session follows, then a light lunch, then the drive back to the clubhouse.

If you are late or lost, the listing says to call the 500 Guide Phone.

What Driving a Vintage Manual Is Like

These are old cars with manual gearboxes and no modern assists. The listing is blunt about it: previous experience with manual gears is essential and you must be able to drive a manual gearshift confidently. The guide reserves the right, at their discretion, to end the participation of any driver who cannot control the car safely, and no refunds can be given in that case.

If your manual driving is rusty, practice before you come, or look at the Vespa tour with Chianti wine and lunch which runs on an automatic scooter instead.

Included and Not Included

The listing includes a wine-tasting session and a light lunch, and that is the whole included list. Transport is your own driving of the vintage Fiat 500 in a convoy behind the guide. On top of the $139 price there are usage-based extra charges of $16.70 per person, which Viator lists as depending on usage, with a from-price of $155.70.

Hotel pickup, drop-off and gratuities are excluded. Bottles you buy on the day are yours to pay for.

The Extra Charge, Plainly

The base price is $139 per person. Viator adds a second line of $16.70 per person described as depending on usage, which takes the listed from-price to $155.70. Budget for it and check the breakdown on the booking page before you pay.

For comparison, what other tours charge covers driver, van and tastings in one line, which you can see in what each tour price covers.

Limits and the Alternative to Pick

Drivers must be 18 or over and bring their driving licence, and the car is manual, so it rules out anyone who has only driven automatic. Children 12 and under ride free with photo ID, and infant seats are available, so families can come, but at least one adult must drive. Bookings need a minimum of 2 people, so solo travelers cannot book.

Service animals are allowed and the tour suits all fitness levels, since the effort is in the gear changes, not your legs. The nominated driver is advised to spit the wines out, which rules out groups where nobody wants to stay sober. Vegetarian and vegan diets are catered for, but note it in the special requirements field at booking.

For a van tour where everyone tastes, book the small-group Chianti wine tasting tour or the cheaper half-day Chianti wineries tour.

The Wine Rules Behind the Tasting

Chianti is the hill area between Florence and Siena and the birthplace of the red wine of the same name. Chianti Classico, the historic core of that zone, must be made with a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and up to 20% other red varieties, and since 2006 only red grapes are allowed. Annata ages at least 12 months, Riserva at least 24 months with 3 in bottle, and Gran Selezione uses at least 90% Sangiovese and ages 30 months from estate-owned grapes.

The Gallo Nero, or Black Rooster, has been the consortium's mark since 1924 and must appear on every Chianti Classico bottle since 2013. Ask your host which denomination is in the glass.

Driving, Drinking and the ZTL

The nominated driver should spit the wines out rather than swallow them, and the operator states plainly that driving after alcohol is not condoned. Treat the driver role as a no-alcohol role for the whole day. One advantage of this tour is that it starts outside the Florence ZTL at the Scandicci clubhouse, so you avoid the restricted zone entirely.

If you drive your own car to the meeting point, know that the Florence ZTL runs Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00 and Saturday 7:30-16:00, is off on Sundays and holidays, and cameras fine cars that cross a gate without a pass. GOV.UK warns that historic city centres often require a pass and you will be fined without one.

Bringing Bottles Home

If you buy a bottle at the tasting, packing matters more than the purchase. US CBP allows one liter of alcohol duty-free in the personal exemption for returning residents aged 21 and over, for personal use, and amounts above that are dutiable. TSA rules keep any bottle out of hand luggage, since carry-on liquids must be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less, so wine goes in your checked bag, well wrapped.

For more on the region and the seasons, see the wines you will taste and the best time of year and the harvest on the homepage.