San Gimignano is one of those places you see from miles away: the towers rise above the hill long before you get there, and the temptation to set the sat nav to Piazza della Cisterna is strong. That is exactly the mistake that costs thousands of visitors a fine every year, because that square sits inside a restricted traffic zone which, since 1 May 2026, has six video-controlled gates. This guide tells you where to leave the car, what it costs, who may actually drive inside the walls and what to see once you have parked, using figures taken from the town council rules rather than second-hand accounts.

The starting point is simple: in San Gimignano you need a car to get there, not to drive around inside. The old town is walked in half a day, while everything that makes it special, the Vernaccia wineries, the gravel roads, Volterra and the nearby villages, can only be reached on four wheels. Renting from Revirent24 in Città della Pieve or Chiusi means having your own car for the whole trip, with no bus timetables and no connections.

Why you really do need a car in San Gimignano

San Gimignano has no railway station. That is not a detail: it is the reason why the town, despite being one of the most visited places in Tuscany, remains awkward for anyone travelling without their own vehicle. The two reference stations are Poggibonsi-San Gimignano, about 13 kilometres and twenty minutes away, and Certaldo, about 15 kilometres away. From either one you still need a regional bus, and services thin out on Sundays and public holidays.

The second reason is the countryside around the town: hills, narrow provincial roads and gravel lanes leading to the wineries. No public transport goes there. If your trip includes a Vernaccia tasting, a visit to Volterra or a detour towards Monteriggioni, a car is not a comfort, it is the only realistic option.

How far San Gimignano is from our offices

Starting from Città della Pieve or Chiusi, San Gimignano is a full day out rather than a half-day trip. The easiest route goes through Siena and then along the Siena-Florence dual carriageway, leaving at Poggibonsi Nord. These are the real road distances, measured along the driving route and not as the crow flies.

The practical advice is to break the journey: Siena is halfway and is the natural stop, or you can pull off for Monteriggioni, which is only a few minutes from the main road. If you are flying in, the details are in our guide on how to reach Chiusi and Città della Pieve from the airports.

The new ZTL since 1 May 2026

This is the part most online guides have not updated yet. San Gimignano has had a restricted traffic zone for decades, but the rules were scattered and enforcement relied on officers being physically present. After a trial phase that started on 1 July 2025, the video control system for accesses came fully into force on 1 May 2026, together with a single set of rules that brings all the provisions into one document.

Two practical consequences for visitors. First: the video-controlled accesses are generally active every day, 24 hours a day, unless the rules provide otherwise. There is no free time window, which is what many people assume. Second: the zone covers the entire perimeter of the UNESCO site, that is the whole old town inside the walls, not only the monumental squares.

There is good news: access itself remains free of charge. Permits cost nothing, they simply have to be requested in the right way and at the right time. The issue is not the price, it is the procedure.

The six gates and the streets you cannot drive into

There are six gates into the old town: Porta San Giovanni, Bonda/Piandornella, Via Santa Caterina, Via di Quercecchio, Porta San Matteo and Via di Bagnaia. Each one has a camera reading number plates.

Inside the zone the rules distinguish between main streets and squares and secondary streets, and the difference matters, because driving and parking rules are not the same. The main streets and squares are Via San Giovanni, Via San Matteo, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza delle Erbe and Via del Castello: in practice the entire monumental core you would want to photograph. The secondary streets include Quercecchio, Berignano, Santa Caterina, Folgore da San Gimignano, XX Settembre, Capassi, Romite, Marconi, Piazza Sant'Agostino, Bonda, Piandornella and Piazzetta Piandornella.

In visitor terms: even when you hold a permit, it does not necessarily let you reach Piazza della Cisterna. Many authorisations only cover the secondary streets, that is reaching a front door or dropping off a suitcase, not crossing the town's finest rooms.

Who may drive in, and for how long

If you are not a resident of the municipality and you have a genuine need to drive in, you can do so after registering, either online through the town ZTL portal or directly at the local police headquarters. The key word is beforehand: for most categories registration must happen before you drive through, not afterwards.

The time allowed runs from 30 to 120 minutes depending on the category, and the parking disc must be on display. The 30-minute window covers cases such as carrying luggage or bicycles on behalf of accommodation providers, first-degree relatives of ZTL residents, home care staff and the transport of heavy items. The 120-minute window covers longer operations such as house moves, ceremonies and deliveries of furniture or appliances. For some categories linked to medical emergencies registration may also follow the transit, and holders of the disabled badge under article 188 of the Italian Highway Code have no time limit.

One case matters to anyone arriving at a hotel without their own car: taxis and chauffeur-driven hire vehicles may drive in and stop for up to 15 minutes with the parking disc on display. That is the window they have to drop you off with your luggage.

Watch the last line, the one that generates most fines: in the main streets and squares parking is not allowed after 9.30, unless you hold a specific authorisation.

Sleeping inside the walls: the rules for guests

Here the regulations are detailed, and it is worth knowing them before booking a room in the old town. Access is reserved for guests of tourist accommodation businesses located inside the zone and operating on a commercial basis, as defined by the Tuscany tourism code.

There are three access windows. Between 5.30 and 9.30 guests drive in freely, with no prior registration. Between 15.00 and 20.00 access is always allowed for stopping only, so without leaving the car parked, in the secondary streets of the old town, including Via del Castello and Piazza della Cisterna. At any other time, and for the main streets and squares with the exception of Via San Giovanni, the number plate must be registered in advance through the town ZTL portal, again for stopping only.

There is also a rule designed for longer stays: guests staying at least five nights are allowed one extra entry per day, on top of arrival and departure, even outside the 5.30 to 9.30 window, subject to prior registration on the portal.

Registering the plate is the accommodation provider's duty, and they must also inform you in advance that the zone exists. In practice this means one thing: when you book, send the hotel the number plate of your rental car and ask for written confirmation that it has been registered. If you pick the car up from us, we give you the plate at booking time, so you can pass it on days in advance.

The days when the centre closes earlier

There is a calendar that applies even if you hold a valid permit. For safety reasons, driving in the main streets and squares is not allowed after 8.30 on public holidays, on Thursdays, which is weekly market day, and on fair days: 31 January, 12 March, the Monday after the first Sunday in August and 29 August.

If your visit falls on a Thursday or a public holiday, drop any idea of approaching the walls by car after 8.30. The correct plan is an outside car park and a short walk, which is what we recommend to everyone in any case.

Where to park: the four main car parks

The paid car parks are spread to the south and north of the old town and can be reached without ever entering the restricted zone. These are the figures published by the town council.

Which one to pick depends on how long you stay. For a full day P1 Giubileo is by far the best value, with a cap of 7 euro over 24 hours against 15 for the others, and with 305 spaces it is also the one least likely to fill up. If you are only stopping for an hour or two, the price gap narrows and it is better to choose by the gate you want to walk through: P1 and P2 serve the south side, so Porta San Giovanni and the climb up towards Piazza della Cisterna, while P3 and P4 Bagnaia sit on the north side, towards Porta San Matteo.

Staying more than a day brings a further advantage at the Giubileo: the second consecutive day costs 6 euro and from the third day onwards 5 euro. The overnight band from 20.00 to 8.00 costs 1 euro, against 5 euro in the other car parks. Payment is made at automatic machines in cash, by debit card or by credit card, and the council publishes live space availability on its dedicated site.

The CityBus and the link with the car parks

It is only a few minutes on foot from the car parks to the centre, but there is also an urban bus service. Line SG1 runs all year and connects Le Mosse, the old town and Santa Lucia. From June to September the line does not go through the old town, and the useful stops become Porta San Giovanni and Porta San Matteo. Line SG2 is seasonal and links Santa Lucia, the Giubileo car park and Porta San Giovanni.

CityBus services keep running inside the restricted zone and the new rules extended them to Sundays and public holidays for the first two morning departures, leaving Santa Lucia at 7.55 and 8.55 and Le Mosse at 8.25 and 9.25. That is a valuable detail if you travel with small children or with someone who struggles uphill, because the whole town is built on a slope. Tickets are bought at the car park machines or on board, with current fares published by the public transport operator.

San Gimignano in a day: the walking route

Once the car is parked, the town is covered entirely on foot in five or six unhurried hours. This is the classic route, starting from the south side.

Of the 72 towers that tradition attributes to medieval San Gimignano, 14 are still standing, and they are the reason the old town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1990. You see almost all of them along this route, without having to look for them.

Collegiata, civic museums and the Torre Grossa

The Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta was consecrated on 21 November 1148 and holds three fresco cycles that justify the trip on their own: the New Testament scenes by Lippo Memmi, painted between 1338 and 1340, the Old Testament scenes by Bartolo di Fredi from 1367 and the Last Judgement by Taddeo di Bartolo from 1393 on the inner facade. The Chapel of Santa Fina, designed by Giuliano da Maiano, holds frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio and an altar by Benedetto da Maiano. There is also a wooden Annunciation group by Jacopo della Quercia.

The town hall is the historic home of the civic museums. Inside you find the Sala di Dante, named after the poet who spoke there as ambassador of the Guelph League, and the picture gallery, with works by Filippino Lippi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Pinturicchio. From the same entrance you climb the Torre Grossa which, at 54 metres, is the tallest tower in town and the only one open to the public.

Opening times: the civic museums open from 10.00 to 19.30 between 1 April and 31 October, last admission at 19.00, and from 11.00 to 17.30 between 1 November and 31 March, last admission at 17.00; they are closed on 25 December. The full ticket costs 10 euro, the reduced one 8 euro, and it is valid for three days. The Collegiata opens from April to October between 10.00 and 19.30 Monday to Friday, until 17.00 on Saturday and from 12.30 to 19.30 on Sunday, with shorter hours from November to March; the full ticket costs 5 euro. There is also a combined pass covering the civic museums and the Collegiata at 13 euro. Always check the official sites before you set off, because times change with the seasons and the holidays.

Vernaccia and the wineries outside the walls

Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first Italian wine to be awarded controlled designation of origin status, in 1966, and became DOCG on 9 July 1993. Dante mentions it in the Purgatorio, which probably makes it the Tuscan white with the oldest bibliography in Italy. Its protection consortium has existed since 1972.

Almost all the wineries lie outside the old town, along the roads running down towards Certaldo, Poggibonsi and Volterra, and many sit on gravel lanes with no public transport at all. This is where a rental car really pays for the day: you can plan two cellar visits without depending on anyone, and take the bottles home without a transport problem. Inside the walls, at the Rocca di Montestaffoli, there is also a museum devoted to the local wine.

One recommendation we always make, and it beats any sightseeing tip: whoever drives does not taste. The general Italian limit is 0.5 grams per litre, but for drivers under 21 and for anyone who has held a licence for less than three years the limit is zero. The practical answer is already in our contracts, which allow up to two drivers: one tastes, the other drives.

What to see nearby with the car

If you stay two days, San Gimignano becomes the base for a tour that would be unthinkable without a car. Volterra is 32 kilometres and 38 minutes away, with its Roman theatre and alabaster workshops. Colle di Val d'Elsa is 16 kilometres away and fills a morning, between the upper town and the crystal glassworks. Monteriggioni, the circular castle Dante compares to a crown of towers, is 30 kilometres away. Certaldo Alto, the home of Boccaccio, is 15 kilometres away and can also be reached by a funicular from the lower town.

Siena is 45 kilometres and 50 minutes away: if you are heading back towards Chiusi or Città della Pieve, it is the stop the route offers you naturally. The full itinerary is in our guide on what to see in Siena by car.

When to go to avoid the crowds

San Gimignano concentrates its visitors between 11.00 and 16.00, when the coaches of the day tours from Florence and Siena arrive. Arriving by car gives you an enormous advantage: you choose the time. Walk into the town at 8.30 in the morning and you find the squares almost empty, the best light for photographs and free parking spaces. The same applies after 17.30, when the groups leave.

Thursday, market day, gives the centre a more local feel but also more traffic around the walls. In summer the climb from Porta San Giovanni is hard work in the middle of the day: parking at Bagnaia, on the north side, cuts the height gain considerably.

Which car to choose for these roads

For the hills of the Val d'Elsa and the gravel roads to the wineries, a small car or a compact crossover is the right choice. The provincial roads are narrow, with continuous bends and dry stone walls, and the car parks have normal-sized bays: a large car gives you no advantage, and in the old town, which you will not be driving into anyway, it would simply be in the way.

If there are four of you with luggage, a mid-size saloon or an estate solves the boot problem without losing manoeuvrability. You can see the available categories on our fleet page, and if the trip lasts more than a few weeks it is worth looking at long-term rental formulas as well.

Renting with Revirent24: how it works

We are at via Cardete 12/14 in Città della Pieve and we also operate in the Chiusi area, a few minutes from the A1 motorway exit and the railway station. The minimum age to rent is 18, the contract allows up to two drivers and, unlike the big international chains, a credit card is not compulsory: we explain how that works in our guide to renting without a credit card.

At pick-up we also hand over the parking disc, which in San Gimignano is genuinely required by every temporary authorisation, and we give you the number plate in good time if you need to pass it to a hotel inside the zone. All our offices and opening hours are on the our offices page.

The mistakes that cost you a fine

Setting the sat nav to Piazza della Cisterna. By far the most common one. The sat nav takes you straight through a video-controlled gate. Always enter the name of a car park instead.

Assuming the zone is only active at certain times. Video control is generally active every day, 24 hours a day. The 5.30 to 9.30 window applies to certain authorised categories, not to visitors driving through.

Taking it for granted that the hotel registered your plate. The duty lies with the property, but the fine reaches you. Ask for written confirmation.

Leaving the parking disc in the glovebox. Almost every temporary authorisation requires it on display. Without the disc, the permit does not protect you.

Driving in on a Thursday morning. The weekly market closes the main streets to traffic after 8.30, permit or no permit. A quick run through the routine checks helps before you leave: we listed them in our guide on what to check before picking up a rental car.

Frequently asked questions

Can you drive into the old town of San Gimignano?
Only with an authorisation. The entire old town inside the walls is a restricted traffic zone, with six video-controlled gates generally active 24 hours a day since 1 May 2026.

Where do you park in San Gimignano?
In the paid car parks outside the walls: P1 Giubileo and P2 Montemaggio on the south side, P3 and P4 Bagnaia on the north side, plus the P5 Santa Lucia campervan area.

Which car park is the cheapest?
P1 Giubileo: 2 euro an hour for the first two hours, then 1.50 euro, with a cap of 7 euro over 24 hours. The others reach 15 euro a day.

Does San Gimignano have a railway station?
No. The nearest stations are Poggibonsi-San Gimignano, about 13 kilometres away, and Certaldo, about 15 kilometres away, both needing a bus or a car to complete the journey.

If I sleep in a hotel inside the walls, can I drive in?
Yes, under precise rules: free access between 5.30 and 9.30, stopping in the secondary streets between 15.00 and 20.00, and at any other time prior registration of the plate on the ZTL portal by the property.

How long can I stop inside the zone with a temporary permit?
Between 30 and 120 minutes depending on the category, always with the parking disc on display. In the main streets and squares parking is not allowed after 9.30 unless you hold a specific authorisation.

How long does it take from Città della Pieve to San Gimignano?
About 133 kilometres and two hours of driving, via Siena and the Siena-Florence dual carriageway.

How many towers are left in San Gimignano?
Fourteen, out of the 72 that tradition attributes to the medieval town. The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

Do I need a credit card to rent a car?
No. With us a credit card is not compulsory: a security deposit applies instead, released when you return the vehicle.

Book your car for a day in San Gimignano

Tell us where you start from and how many days you need: we will prepare the right car for the Val d'Elsa hills and give you the number plate in advance if you have to pass it to a property inside the restricted zone. We are at via Cardete 12/14 in Città della Pieve, on the phone and on WhatsApp at +39 378 303 5305, or write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All our contact details are on the contact page and the quick answers are in the frequently asked questions section.

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