2 adults + cat · drive from NL · work trip · data checked 11 Oct 2026 (Booking.com logged in with Genius, Airbnb live search, 4 Codex research agents).
€4,000–6,500Total, about 30 days, all items (estimate)
2 × ~7.5 hDriving per direction via Gotthard + 1 hotel night
–Pet-friendly apartments available on 18 Nov – 9 Dec
Sat 21 Nov ✔Fixed date covered · Dirk there 15 Nov – 17 Dec
1. Recommended plan
Tue 17 Nov
Collect the car (Enterprise direct, Pay Later, reserved until 24 Dec). Drive ~7 h to Freiburg. Cat-friendly hotel.
Wed 18 Nov
Freiburg → Basel → Gotthard → Milan → Florence, ~7.5–8 h. Check in.
Sat 21 Nov
Fixed date in Florence ✔
~9 Dec
End of the first booking (21 nights). Extend, move somewhere else in Italy, or go home.
16–17 Dec
Drive home with the same overnight stop, or later (up to 24 Dec). You pay the car only for the days you use.
More time with Dirk: leave on Mon 16 Nov. The "16 Nov – 9 Dec" column below shows which apartments can do that.
2. Apartments — photos, availability, map
All listings allow pets and are in Oltrarno (San Frediano, Santo Spirito, San Niccolò) or Santa Croce / Sant'Ambrogio. Prices are totals for the period. Booking prices are your Genius prices, without the tourist tax (€84 in total). Airbnb prices are the total that Airbnb shows in search.
Booking.comAirbnbParkingVetDuomo✔ available✖ not available? not confirmed – open the link
Availability: Booking = a price is shown for these exact dates (checked per apartment). Airbnb = the listing appears in the live search for these dates; "?" means it was not in the first 18 search results, so open the link to check. Airbnb "monthly discount" starts at 28 nights. No listing confirms a desk: ask the host for a photo of the table and the chairs.
Message for the host (copy): "Hi! We are 2 adults and 1 calm indoor cat. We want 18 Nov – 9 Dec 2026, and possibly until 16 Dec. Can we extend at the same price? We work remotely and take calls: can you send a photo of the table and chairs, and a Wi-Fi speed test? Is heating included? Can you issue an invoice to our company? Can you register our car plate for the ZTL so we can unload luggage?"
3. Route + overnight hotel
Route A via Gotthard (Cologne – Karlsruhe – Freiburg – Basel – Lucerne – Gotthard – Milan – Bologna): ~1,400 km, 14.5–15.5 h driving. Shorter than via Brenner, and the Brenner A13 has one lane (roadworks) on 18 Nov and 16 Dec. Swiss e-vignette CHF 40 is valid for both trips.
All hotels: pets allowed, parking available. Ask for the pet fee. Freiburg ≈ 7 h + 7.5–8 h; Lucerne makes day 1 long (8.5–9 h).
4. Car
Option
~31 days (est.)
Cat
Flexibility
Enterprise direct, Pay Later ✔
€1,200–1,900
Yes, in a carrier
Unused days are refunded after early return. DE/CH/AT/IT without fee. Winter tyres €25/day, max €250.
DIKS shortlease
€1,250–1,900
Yes
Minimum 30 days, then stop per day. An extension of more than 1 day may need a branch visit. €5/day border fee.
SIXT long-term, Pay Later
€1,300–2,200
Yes, in a carrier
Extend in the app. Early return: only a partial refund.
Hertz Minilease
€1,000–1,550
Not confirmed
Lowest advertised price (Yaris €759/month); terms not confirmed.
Recommendation: Enterprise, direct Pay Later, 17 Nov → 24 Dec, and return the car earlier. Get in writing: the refund rule, permission to keep the car abroad for the full period, 4 tyres with the 3PMSF (snowflake) mark, the cat, and 3,500 km or unlimited km. Petrol or hybrid is easier than an EV for this trip. Avoid MyWheels, Autohopper, Bo-rent (no pets) and SIXT+ (minimum 3 months).
5. Budget (rough)
Item
Low
High
Note
Rental car ~31 days, winter tyres
€1,200
€1,900
Estimate
Petrol 3,000 km
€325
€450
6–7 L/100 km
Swiss vignette + Italian tolls (both ways)
€110
€135
2 hotel nights
€145
€320
Live Booking prices + pet fee
Apartment 28 nights
€1,900
€3,000
Live prices above
Tourist tax + cleaning
€150
€250
Tax max 7 nights × 2 × €6
Parking
€0
€420
Friend €0 · Villa Costanza €40 · garage €360–420
Total
~€3,850
~€6,450
6. Cat · winter rules · Florence ZTL · parking
Cat
EU pet passport, microchip, rabies vaccination valid until after you come home. Switzerland (transit): no extra documents.
Stop every 2–3 h. Open the carrier only with all doors closed. Never leave the cat alone in the car.
Vet: Ambulatorio Veterinario Petrarca, Viale Petrarca 48, +39 055 224436. Emergency 24 h: Vet Hospital H24, Via dei Vanni 25, +39 055 232 2025.
Winter rules
Germany: winter tyres (3PMSF) mandatory in snow, ice or frost. Switzerland: recommended. Italy: winter tyres or chains on board on the A1 Bologna–Florence (from 1 Nov) and many other roads (from 15 Nov).
Cross the Alps in daylight. Check the Gotthard queue (TCS) before you leave the hotel.
ZTL and parking
ZTL (cameras, fine €83–332): Mon–Fri 07:30–20:00, Sat 07:30–16:00. For luggage: the host registers the plate, or buy a €5 SaS day permit before you enter, or unload after 20:00.
Parking: Dirk's place (€0) first. Fallback: Villa Costanza (A1), €40 for 30 days, tram T1 ~22 min. City garages: €180–210 per calendar month (you need 2 months).
Busy: 29 Nov marathon (roads closed), 8 Dec public holiday, Santa Croce Christmas market 14 Nov – 20 Dec.
7. Next steps
☐ Ask Dirk where the free parking space is and if it is free for the full period.
☐ Check the cat's rabies vaccination date.
☐ Written quote from Enterprise (DIKS second): 17 Nov – 24 Dec, Pay Later, cat, winter tyres, Italy, km.
☐ Choose 3–4 apartments above and send the host message. Book before the end of October.
☐ Book the Freiburg hotel for both nights (free cancellation).
☐ Buy the Swiss e-vignette after pickup (number plate).
Source notes with all links: vault → energy/netherlands-florence-car-rental-research-2026, florence-driving-with-cat-winter-2026, florence-cat-rental-28-nights-nov-dec-2026, florence-trip-nov-dec-2026-plan.