I'm renting a villa in Radda in Chianti in September and I'm in the process of booking our flights. I'm getting a better price if I fly into Bologna, but then I'll need to pick up the rental car and drive to Radda. I'm used to stick shift and toll roads, so that won't be a problem, but would it be too far on jet lag? And as long as I land by 1 PM, will I be able to get to Radda in time to buy groceries? Any suggestions would be helpful.

It's only an hour more ,but I'm not familar with how difficult it is to get out of Bologna from the airport.
It's a breeze in Florence.
If it were $50-60,I'd go with Florence. Saving $150,I'd do Bologna.
The money saved buys lots of gelatos.

I don't think it's a big deal; yes, about an hour more from Bologna. But, I will say that that "one hour" is on a twisting autostrada that always was busy whenever I traveled it.

I'd do it. But do be careful.

Cheers

My own personal experience of the A1 between Bologna and Florence has on the whole been ghastly. I seem to remember mostly 2 lanes only, lots and lots of tunnels, heavy articulated lorries and car transporters and frequent hold-ups. My Italian friends tell me that this is because Bologna is the point at which several major roads converge to join the A1 and head South.

Yes, the journey should only take an hour to Florence but has always taken us longer.

The stretch autostrada between BO and Florence is highly unpredictable traffic-wise. Just spoke with some travelers who had no trouble themselves, but witnessed a kilometers-long stretch of traffic at a dead-stop after an accident...who knows how long it stayed that way.

If you fly in to Bologna, take a taxi or the Aerobus to the train station (15 - 20 minutes), and a reliably one-hour train to S.M. Novella station in Florence...with nearby car rental offices.

Or...fly into Florence.

I too have done both, but mostly I am a train person and dislike car rentals. I use Bologna now as the point in and out. As mentioned the airport and train station are quite close and the trains give good access to where ever you want. The one advantage over Florence is that hotel rooms on weekends are dramatically cheaper. We stay across the street from the train station at 115 euro per night at a great hotel that would cost three times that in Florence. I like the city as well,excellent food, good shopping and some interesting sights.

If you're already saving on a Bologna flight, you'll also save on the rental surcharges if you pick up in downtown Florence as opposed to any airport. Add in the train fares and see which way and by how muich you come out ahead. Training to Florence will definitely be more relaxing than driving after a long flight.

Also, you might consider having your apartment rental stock some groceries for you so you don't have to worry about shopping.

Driving on the Bologna-Florence highway is a little less stressful since last June, when a section of the new highway was opened, with tunnels substituting a section with relatively narrow curves. The descent from the peak is still relatively steep and narrow for being such an important highway, the truck traffic is high as usual and often queues develop approaching Florence.

Using the train is much more easy, but you have to consider a transfer in Bologna from the airport to the station (by bus or by taxi) and in Florence from the station to the hire rent place (by taxi or walking). If you have much luggage, it turns out to be simply a different form of stress than driving.