I will be in Firenze for three nights then will be moving to Siena and use it as a base to explore Tuscany. I'm wondering if I should rent a car in Firenze then drive to Siena or take the bus to Siena and rent from there.

I could save a day or two of rental by renting in Siena since I could explore Siena first then pick up the car when we're ready to tackle the hill towns. However, the car pickup places seem to be quite a distance from our hotel (Palazzo Ravizza, south of il Campo).

So I'm thinking of picking the car up from Firenze. It would cost a bit more but we'll have more flexibility while we're in Siena...we could explore the hill towns first, then explore Siena in the middle or end of our stay. The cost would also be mitigated since we wouldn't need to take the bus to Siena anymore. What scares me are the horror stories of driving in Firenze.

In either case, parking won't be an issue in Siena since our hotel provides free parking. We'll be driving back to FCO and dropping the car off there before leaving Italy.

So, which way should I go?? And which location should I pick the car up??