9 Best Vespa Tours in Florence (2026): Prices, Rentals & Riding Tests

A Vespa tour from Florence costs €104 to €200 per person for a guided day in the Chianti hills, or €70 for the whole day if you rent the scooter and ride yourself. This guide compares nine ways to do it: six guided countryside days, a 90-minute city ride as a passenger, a private sidecar with hotel pickup, and a self-guided rental. We compare them on price, how long you actually spend riding, who is allowed to drive, and what happens if you do not pass the riding test, which is the part most listings play down.

If you would rather pedal than ride, our Florence bike tour comparison covers the same hills on e-bikes, and the Florence golf cart tour guide is the no-licence way to reach Piazzale Michelangelo. For a day in Chianti built around the wine rather than the ride, see our Florence wine tasting guide. To drive the hills in a vintage car instead, our Fiat 500 tour comparison sets out which tours let you take the wheel, and for the same countryside from above, see the Tuscany hot air balloon guide. On timing, our Florence in June guide covers the month the long evenings make a late ride worth booking.

Six picks, one for each kind of rider. We ranked them on whether a nervous or first-time rider actually ends up on a Vespa rather than on price, because in the low-rated reviews it is the riding test, not the cost, that ruins the day.

The six guided countryside driving tours we checked all use a short orientation and a practical riding test or assessment before departure, usually at a garage or training area outside the city. Guests who do not pass do not drive. It is the most common complaint in the low-rated reviews we read, and none of the listings makes it prominent.

This is where operators really differ: what happens if you fail.

• Walkabout Florence Tours: you drive a two-seat electric Fiat Topolino instead. Its 1 to 3 star reviews from June to September 2026 describe groups where only a minority passed, and two say the test starts on a slope with a tight turn.
• Towns of Italy: you can ride double with your partner, ride on a guide's Vespa if one is free, or continue in a support vehicle, with no refund. It also lets you book the lighter Piaggio Zip or the Fiat Topolino from the start.
• Fun In Tuscany and Tuscany Cycle: you ride as a passenger behind a guide. Reviews of both include guests who paid the full rider price and spent the day on the back.
• Italy on a Budget tours: previous scooter or motorcycle experience is mandatory, and a rider who fails may ride double with a partner or will not be allowed on the tour, with no refund.
• Tuscany Vespa Tours: recent reviewers describe practising until comfortable, and those who still are not ready ride as passengers. It has the fewest complaints about the test of any tour here.

If you have never ridden a scooter, we'd lean toward Tuscany Vespa Tours or Fun In Tuscany, whose reviewers describe being coached until ready rather than judged on one attempt. If you want the Vespa experience with no risk of being turned away, book the passenger ride or the sidecar, where nobody has to drive. Several reviewers also suggest an hour on a rental scooter at home before the trip.

If you searched for a Vespa tour and rental in Florence, the rental is the cheaper way to ride for longer. Florence Station Rental charges €70 for a Vespa for 24 hours, the same price whether one or two people ride it. Helmets, a GPS or paper map, a windshield, a storage case and insurance are included. Fuel is not, and a €500 refundable deposit is held on a credit card. You need a valid driving licence, and the operator notes that some nationalities also need an International Driving Permit, so check before you travel.

The trade-off is everything a guided day handles for you. On a tour you skip the city traffic (a minivan takes you to the start), you get a route and a guide, and lunch and wine are included. On a rental you ride out of Florence yourself, and city-centre traffic is the thing recent reviewers found hardest; once out of town, they describe the countryside as easy. Older reviews from inexperienced riders include a couple who turned back within 20 minutes, so we'd only choose the rental if at least one of you is already confident on two wheels: there is no test, but there is also no guide to hand the scooter to.

For two people who can ride, the gap is large: €70 for the rental against €260 for two on Walkabout's shared-Vespa tour, before you count the lunch and wine the tour includes.

A Vespa tour in Florence costs €104 to €200 per person for a guided Chianti day, €119 for a 90-minute passenger ride in the city, and €350 for a private sidecar for two. Renting a Vespa and riding yourself costs €70 a day plus fuel. On the guided days, two people sharing one Vespa pay less each than a solo rider: €130 against €150 at Walkabout, and €144 against €169 at Italy on a Budget on the cheapest dates. What matters more than the headline price is how much of the day you spend riding: the €160 top pick lists about two hours on the Vespa, while guests on the bigger €130 departures often report closer to one.

Most Chianti Vespa days are back in Florence by mid or late afternoon, which leaves the evening free. A Florence food tour or one of the cooking classes in Florence fits neatly after an afternoon return. If the lunch stop leaves you wanting more of the wine country, our wine tasting guide compares full Chianti winery days.

The Vespa routes skip the city's sights, so book the Uffizi or a Duomo tour for a different day; a morning Vespa start does not leave time for a timed museum slot.

• Bring your original licence: Walkabout Florence Tours states that a copy or a photo is not accepted, and other operators ask for the original too. Without it you cannot drive.
• Budget for damage cover: Towns of Italy requires either €20 of extra insurance per vehicle or a €500 guarantee on a credit card (no cash). Italy on a Budget pre-authorises a credit card and does not accept prepaid cards or American Express. The rental holds €500.
• Only book a double Vespa if one of you is confident: the shared option is cheaper per person, but both of you are relying on one person's riding test. Most people don't realize this until check-in, so name whichever of you has actually ridden a scooter before as the driver.
• Check the size limits: Towns of Italy caps a Vespa at 170 kg including both riders and bags. Italy on a Budget recommends 160 kg and notes the 81 cm saddle is not recommended for anyone under 1.60 m. The sidecar holds up to 110 kg.
• Wear closed-toe shoes: reviewers point out that the Vespa is heavier and harder to handle at low speed than it looks, and on Walkabout's tour several describe a walk from the bus to the garage.
• Nervous about riding? Be a passenger on purpose: guests who were wary of Florence traffic consistently rate the passenger ride and the sidecar as the highlight of their trip, precisely because someone else drives. It is a better day than paying full price on a group tour and failing the test.
• Book the last passenger slot for sunset: the evening departures of the city ride and the sidecar regularly finish with the sunset over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo.
• The sidecar route is yours to shape: the driver adjusts the stops to your requests and gets in touch beforehand if the weather looks doubtful. Drinks are not included, so the café or aperitivo stop in the hills is paid on the day. Children from about 6 to 15 are some of its happiest reviewers.
• Visiting in winter? Tuscany Vespa Tours, Fun In Tuscany and Tuscany Cycle run all year. Towns of Italy's Vespa options and Italy on a Budget pause from December to March, and Walkabout's afternoon departure stops from late October to late March.
• Know the rain rules: Towns of Italy runs rain or shine and switches to the minivan in heavy rain, with no refund if you never ride. Most other guided tours refund a weather cancellation.
• Mention dietary needs early: Walkabout offers a vegetarian option but no gluten-free meals; Italy on a Budget can do vegetarian but not vegan; Towns of Italy asks for 48 hours' notice.
• Cancel more than 24 hours out: every listing we checked on October 6, 2026 gave a full refund for cancellations at least 24 hours before departure, and none after that.
• Visiting in March? Our Florence in March guide covers which Vespa departures return in late March and which stay paused until April.